Flexible Connector For Wooden Tracks

A flexible connector for wooden tracks

This accessory does not belong with plastic models, but with wooden train tracks. It is a flexible connecting piece from PLUTON that joins two track pieces at a place where they would not seat firmly against each other. The manufacturer makes its accessories by 3D printing.

When you will appreciate it

Wooden tracks are assembled from rigid pieces of set lengths, so sooner or later a gap arises that none of them will fill. The circuit then either does not close, or it holds only because the tracks rest against each other and come apart with every pass of the train. A flexible connector bridges such a place and at the same time allows a slight turn, so the track stays together even where it meets at an imprecise angle. It also comes in handy at a transition between pieces from different sets, which differ slightly in their dimensions.

Working with it

Fit the joint dry and first try running the whole circuit, and only then assemble the track for good. If the connector goes into the hole stiffly, never force it past the rim, as the wood likes to splinter at that point. On older tracks the holes tend to be worn, so it pays to check the joint after every big rearrangement of the track. The number of pieces in the package and the material used are stated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

Who the connector is for

• Families who assemble wooden tracks from several different sets.
• Those whose circuit falls apart at an imprecisely joined point.
• Collectors of wooden tracks who build larger and more intricate layouts.
• Everyone who wants to complete a track instead of hunting for a missing piece.