# Getting Aurora lock n joiner to sit all close and snuggly, together.



## tonesua (Jul 1, 2006)

I'm starting to futz with the wonder and beauty of Aurora Lock n joiner track that I've had. I wanted to set up a test track Having not experienced it as a lad and I have not had time to "become one" with track. Here are a few questions I have:

How does one get the track to sit closely together?I am seeing some gaps between the tracks when I have them butted up against each other of almost a millimeter or so. Is this something that can be remedied when I screw the track to a table? Or is this an indication that the holes in the locks are boogered up? Would new/fresh locks help get them snuggly and closer?

I have some of the larger O scale turns with the adapters and wanted to incorporate them. On the turns they indicate that they are the 15" turns. I've never seen 12" O scale turns, so can I use 12" HO aurora for the inside 2 lanes? I have no way of test fitting this as I have no 12" lock and joiner track. 

Your thoughts and advice are greatly appreciated.


----------



## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I can't answer part 2, but for part 1 there are a couple possibilities for a cause. The most obvious is the locks (or the lock holes in the track) are worn out and not providing as tight a connection as possible. Another possibility is the tabs at the ends of the rails are sticking out too much, which can put too much tension on the lock. Screwing the track down should eliminate the issue if it's the extra tension or bend the tangs in a bit, but if the lock (or the holes are worn), pressing the tracks together could make the lock pop up. Track clips are an option to remedy the worn lock/hole issue.


----------



## tonesua (Jul 1, 2006)

*aurora afx clips? got em!*

I'll give that a try! Thanks again!


----------



## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

I had Aurora L&J track up until the late 1990s. I would usually set it up for a while and then take it down. In the late 1990s, I really got back into the hobby, built a small table and put up the L&J track.

While L&J track has more options than any other track, I did not like it. The power distribution fell off quickly and it required more power taps than the Mattel track I now use. I also found it to have more magnetic downforce than Mattel which I found not to my liking, especially when using cars like the Aurora Super Magna-Tractions. And if you don't screw it down, there are gaps between the tracks.

Another thing to consider. I found the electrical connections to be a weak link of the L&J design. I would occasionally get a dead section and need to seperate track sections to get at the electrical tabs. If the track is screwed down, this could be a real pain. Had Aurora designed the track to have the rails either slide next to each other or have a male/female arrangement, then L&J track would have been a great design.

So the answer to your first question is to screw the track down if you want a tighter fit.

As to the second question, here's what to do. All plastic HO track is 3" wide. This is why a 6" sits inside a 9", which sits inside a 12"., etc. If you want to see if a 12" curve will fit inside your O scale curve, just cut a 12" curve out of paper or cardboard and test the fit outside a 9" curve. If the fit is tight and the cardboard curve is 3" wide, you can easily test fit the 15" curve.

Joe


----------



## tonesua (Jul 1, 2006)

The tabs inside the track are kinda short, aren't they? since the aurora/tomy is all the same width, I should be able to take the 12" turns I have in tomy and see if they fit on the inside.

Thanks for all your suggestions, and I'll give it a try.


----------



## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

tonesua said:


> The tabs inside the track are kinda short, aren't they? since the aurora/tomy is all the same width, I should be able to take the 12" turns I have in tomy and see if they fit on the inside.


I don't understand the question about the tabs, although if you are refering to the electrical tabs on the ends of the rails, yes they are short and will break if you bend them back and forth too many times.

The curves from all the manufacturers, Aurora, Tyco, Tomy and Lifelike, are basically the same size. There are minor size differences (sometimes even within the same brand) but close enough so you can test fit nested curves. 

Joe


----------



## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

The L&J 12" curve does NOT fit inside the wide (O) 15" curve snuggly.


----------

