Model Railroad Hobbyist | June 2015 | #64 MRH Q-A-T column compiled by Joe Brugger Questions and Answers Micro Engineering rail joiners Q. How can I make Micro Engineering code 83 rail joiners more user-friendly? —Mike Stine A. There are a couple of approaches to working with ME’s track and joiners, and they go hand-in-hand. The tips apply to any model railroad track from any manufacturer, in any scale. After a rail has been cut to length, the ends need to be cleaned up. Even the best cutters will leave burrs and unwanted angles. A few gentle swipes with a flat file will dress the bottom of the rail and the top of the flange on either side of the web to make a joiner go on smoothly and stay tight. The other reason to dress every joint in your rail to eliminate burrs, is that one day you will want to clean your rail.  Leaving a burr to find later is a great way to end up replacing track that you ripped loose when it caught on the cleaning cloth! XX MRH QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, AND TIPS MRHMAG.COM • TABLE OF CONTENTS • INDEX