What are the recommended methods of installing/cutting/maintaining electrical gaps?
Here on the NEB&W, we use handlaid trackage, but we still have a large number of gaps, especially since we use solid metal frogs. And what do we do about the gaps? The answer is…nothing. That’s right, nothing. Our gaps are just that, gaps. In fact, a little over a week ago I cut a curved number 10 turnout into the mainline, and there is a 1/8″ gap right off the frog on the mainline route. And it ran perfectly during all twelve hours of our weekly open houses. In fact, the only problem we had with it was due to the angle of the frog. Being such a shallow angle, I had to install the guide rails to keep the wheels from taking the wrong route in the frog. After I did that, there were no further problems. And, all of our curved mainline turnouts are superelevated, which makes it all the more difficult. On a layout like ours, where we have no humidity control, the gaps should be left open to allow for the expansion of the rail and the benchwork. As long as the rail is spiked securely in pl
