# PECO vs. Atlas rail joiners



## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

I found that trying to install Atlas joiners on a PECO turnout or pieces of track is difficult. The PECO joiners are smaller and more narrow and slide easily on to the PECO track. Actually, installing a PECO joiner on to an Atlas piece of track results in a tighter joint. Any comments?

DMK


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Solder.

I found that I couldn't get ME joiners on Atlas code 83 track. I gave up and ordered more Atlas joiners.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Dave Kitch said:


> I found that trying to install Atlas joiners on a PECO turnout or pieces of track is difficult. The PECO joiners are smaller and more narrow and slide easily on to the PECO track. Actually, installing a PECO joiner on to an Atlas piece of track results in a tighter joint. Any comments?
> 
> DMK


Dave;

A tighter rail joint is a good thing. It keeps the two rail ends in better alignment, and for those who rely on rail joiners to carry electricity, ( I don't) it could help the electrical connection somewhat.
I have used three popular brands of code 55 rail joiners and each have different widths. Atlas is the loosest. It will slide onto most brands of track, but may be loose enough to need crimping on some brands. Peco is medium. Peco joiners are tighter than Atlas, but not as tight as Micro Engineering. The Micro Engineering joiners are super tight. So tight that its a bit of a struggle to even get them onto their own track. (Tip: I insert a #11 X-acto knife blade into the joiner and twist it to raise the top parts of the joiner a little bit.)

I cant speak for the joiners used in other scales, or on other rail codes. I'm an N-scaler, using code 55 track. The real fly in the ointment for my situation is Peco's strange idea of code 55 rail. Their "code 55" is actually code 78 rail with most of the rail sunk in the plastic tie strip. That's OK, but there is another feature of Peco's "code 55" rail that really bugs me. Peco "code 55 rail has two flared bases. One is at the bottom, where you would expect it. The other flared-out base is set further up the rail's web, at a height where other brands of track, that use actual code 55 rail, that is actually 55/1000ths" high, would be able to mate with Peco, IF the bonkers folks at Peco had included a slot up there for a rail joiner to slide into. For reasons defying logical understanding, they didn't.
My Peco "code 55" Unifrog turnouts came with this weird rail and I had to do major Dremel surgery, and solder the remains of the rails together. To me this merits a "What were they thinking" award! 

Traction Fan


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

The PECO joiners go on and are loose on the PECO track. How do you keep ther joiners from sliding away from the joint when trying to connect them?

DMK


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

You could always pinch the joiners slightly to tighten them up with needle nose pliers….


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Dave Kitch said:


> The PECO joiners go on and are loose on the PECO track. How do you keep ther joiners from sliding away from the joint when trying to connect them?
> 
> DMK


 That's weird that Peco joiners are loose fitting on Peco's own track. Could the joiners be designed for a larger rail code? I know that Atlas code 80 rail joiners are too big for Atlas code 55 track. They make special, smaller joiners to fit on their code 55 track. Old Hobo has the answer though, you can crimp the joiner a little bit to fit the rail more tightly. What rail size are you using? If you're using code 55 you might try Micro engineering's code 55 joiners, which are super tight, even on Micro Engineering's own code 55 track. They are a good deal tighter than Peco's code 55 rail joiners. Maybe too tight?

Traction Fan 🙂


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## videobruce (Jun 15, 2011)

I haven't encourterned that laying Peco code 55 11 years ago unless something changed since then.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

I am in the process of replacing my Atlas #4 and #6 turnouts with comparable PECO long, medium and short radius turnouts. I am using PECO N (SL-310) joiners on the PECO turnouts because these turnouts have tight plastic joints at the joiner connection and I do not want to cut the end of the turnout to accommodate the larger Atlas joiner. I have found the Atlas joiners to be much easier to work with compared to the PECO. End up damaging many of the smaller and tighter PECO joiners. The PECO turnouts and joiners are also becoming harder to buy. I do not know what is worse, fixing the Atlas turnouts or installing the PECO rail joiners.


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## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

I simply trimmed off the first plastic tie of the turnouts and used the Atlas connectors.


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## Dave Kitch (Apr 20, 2021)

JeffHurl said:


> I simply trimmed off the first plastic tie of the turnouts and used the Atlas connectors.


Jeff,

I do not want to weaken the turnout by cutting the plastic end.

DMK


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Dave Kitch said:


> Jeff,
> 
> I do not want to weaken the turnout by cutting the plastic end.
> 
> DMK


Dave;

Cutting off one tie from each end won't weaken the turnout. In fact, Its a common practice when fitting many commercial turnouts. I've done it many times, and it never damaged the turnout.
Using Atlas joiners on a Peco turnout is also OK. They may be a bit loose, but can be lightly crimped to fit tighter.

While there is no question that Peco makes a better turnout (strong & virtually no derailments) than Atlas,( weaker, & many derailments) should you decide to fix the Atlas turnouts, that's not particularly hard to do either. Their most significant problem is their oversized flangeways. These can be fixed by gluing styrene strips into them to get those flangeways to meet the specs. of an NMRA gauge. You may need to file the points, and make sure there is a notch in the stock rail for the point to recess into. These notches seem to be a factory-installed feature on most commercial turnouts today.

Good Luck & Have Fun;

Traction Fan 🙂


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## OldSchool1948 (11 mo ago)

I use Peco streamline Code 83 flex track, turnouts & rail joiners. I've found the rail joiners fit very snuggly between track parts to where no soldering is required. With care, I was also able to slide the rail joiners under the ties without having to cut away any of the ties or the "nails." 

Instead of gluing track parts to cork roadbed, I found I could easily push their track pins through the flex track without drilling holes. I did have to drill holes in the turnouts.


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