Odd piece of plastic

L

Leflick

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I have loads of these bits of plastic that came with my LGB track, which I bought 2nd hand, any one know what they are for. Strangely the person I bought the track from didn’t know what they were for.
 

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List them on Ebay. I'm sure someone will bite.
 
They do have a part to play with LGB track laid on baseboards or even in the garden by helping the track to nit separate as trains move over the joints. I have used them in my fiddle yard where LGB track rules and found them very useful, though I have also clamped the track as well.
 
These railclamps are essential when one builds a playing track in house on a hard floor.
Without the clamps the tracks will become separated caused by the train actions or, more presumable, the kids actions.

They are not handy in a garden layout because you have to lift the track over quite a length to remove them.
My advice is to use instead two brass Massoth rail clamps each with two screws, while at the same time applying Molycote copper grease to prevent corrosion of the electricity transferring planes of the connection.
The grease lasts for many years with a garanteed good electric connection for many years.
I use them in my track for >150 m. all powered at one point without having to apply extra substations for electricity supply.
 

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Yeah, I think the majority of people use clamps on switches especially... the thread was not intended to open the clamps discussion, but just what that simple piece of plastic is.

(I like the nickel grease better, has a more prototype color and even higher specifications of heat and oxidation)

Greg
 
Greg,

No offence, it was my intention only, to tell as much as possible about the "whole" story on rail connections, especially for those who are new in the LGB
May i ask you two questions related to the not intended subject?
1 Can you tell me the market name of that nickel grease and what color is the "prototype" color?
2 Can you explain why use plastic clamps on switches especially? Or do you mean the brass Massoth connectors? The latter are indeed especially handy when a switch has to be removed for maintenance , since by using these connectors both tracks adjacent to the switch do not have to be moved.

Gerard
 
I was trying not to make the thread yet another "whole story" on rail clamps and joiners. Sorry... I should shut up.

1. The nickel infused greases are common in "anti-sieze" products, many varieties available..
shopping.jpg

2. The piece of plastic is in post #1 of this thread, supposedly the topic of this thread, not rail joiners. Again the thread has drifted from the original topic. There are many threads on rail clamps and grease and joiners and etc. already.

greg
 
I find the plastic "dogbones" useful to maintain tie strip spacing on my LGB flex track. Almost all my track is free floating. Much of it is on concrete blocks currently without ballast. The flex track tie strips tend to migrate over time without the little plastic bits which keep them in place with the correct separation. I've gone so far as to use fine SS safety wire on one end of the dog bone to keep them attached to the tie strip.
dogbone - 1.jpeg
 
Starboard drift 4,by 4
 
I used them when I planned the track,mainly on the curved sections to hold the radius,once sorted I discarded them.
 
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