I stumbled across a great fix fox those cracked and broken tabs on the original Aurora AFX track. It has proven amazingly stronger than the original tabs.

This is what I discovered. The fix is to find a piece of round sprue from a model kit that is about 3/16" in diameter. The sprue needs to be unpainted and when bent will snap back to its original position. The fix will work for both cracked tabs and broken tabs.

Turn the offending track piece upside down and you will see that the tab is hollow. Then, cut a piece of sprue the length of the hollow cavity (1/8" or so).

Place the sprue segment within the cavity of the tab. The diameter of the sprue is crucial at this point. The sprue must fit snuggly. Do not force it but make sure it is secure.

With the sprue snuggly fit, generously brush liquid cement all along the area of the tab. For good measure brush the sides and the top of the tab. The glue will join the sprue into the tab and when dry will be amazingly
strong!

I have had great luck with this method and regret throwing away so many track pieces with cracked tabs! The sprue I have used came from model railroad kits. I assume other similar sprues will work just as well.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

PICTURES!!! PICTURES!!! GOTTA SEE IT IN PICTURES!!! :)

:thumbsup:

Wes

i have a never fail safe fix..buy a Maxtrax!!!MMooooaaaahhhhh!!!:)
DRAGjet

Very slick Jim!

I find it kinda ironic that your nifty splint technique is similar to ancient lock and joiner technology!

Very slick Jim!

I find it kinda ironic that your nifty splint technique is similar to ancient lock and joiner technology!

Thought the same thing when I read Jim's post. Anyway, I use the old broken pieces in my display case for the base to sit cars on. Well to get the track to fit a little better, I gave Jim's tip a try and was very pleased with the way it turned out. Now they seem to sit on an even plane. Thanks Jim! :thumbsup: rr


It's one of those fixes that you think about and say why didn't I think of that?
DOH! :freak:

I recently obtained a small lot of old AFX track. There was a desirable piece with a broken and long gone tab.

Using an X-acto saw, I cut a good tab from another broken piece. Then, I removed what was left of tab on the desirable piece squaring up the corner of the track piece with a file.

By using the previously mentioned sprue idea, I was able to join the tab I sawed off another track to this track piece. I coated the sprue with glue in the tab cavity and let it dry overnight.

I checked the success of my experiment the next morning by joining the "transplant" track to another. Click! The piece joined up good as new and the tab was strong. I felt like Dr. Frankenstein.

However, I was lucky. The cuts I made getting the tab and truing the desirable piece had the correct tolerance and were straight. So, care must be taken and it is possible to take the tab of one track and secure it to another.

It surprised me.

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

Last night after the children and wife were in bed I went back to the work bench and tried some more "tab transplants."

I had a 7" AFX straight, 3 15" staights, 2 9" straights and 1 6" radius curve.

(One of the 15" straights had missing tabs on each end)

I cut 8 good tabs from broken 9" radius curves using the X-Acto saw and all required only slight filing to mate up to the pieces where I cut the broken tab away. By using the end of the track as a guide, I was able to saw squarely through.

I snuggly fit the required sprue segment in the newly connected tabs, generously brushed it with liguid glue and let each dry overnight. This morning, all tracks "clicked" and made a good joint with non broken tracks. Even the 15" straight with both tabs broken is now usable.

However, I did experience 1 failure. Not realizing it, I used a painted sprue on the 7" straight and the glue was unable to melt the sprue and track together.

Sorry to keep posting but all the sudden all this old AFX track does not look so bad after all!

Jim Norton
Huntsville, Alabama

Hi All, I posted old broken afx track for sale not too long ago and only got 1 response. Anyone need this track? Will consider trade for AFX cars or AFX bodies. Thanx! Greg :wave: