Metallic joint for model railroad rails

In a trackway having a plurality of sections each provided with a base, a plurality of supports extending upwardly from said base, extending transversely thereof, and spaced apart from each other, and rails mounted to said supports and extending longitudinally along said base, each of said rails having a bottom portion resting on said supports and a top portion extending upwardly therefrom, the improvement comprising a system for connecting the end portions of adjacent of said rails of adjacent sections, comprising joints, each of said joints having top, bottom and interconnecting side portions, said top portion being provided with a slot extending longitudinally therealong through which said top portions of adjacent of said rails extend, said bottom portion and said side portions encompassing said bottom portions of adjacent of said rails, said bottom portion furthermore being provided at one end thereof with a cut-out section extending downwardly therefrom defining a pawl, said supports at the ends of each section of said trackway having portions extending upwardly from said base distances corresponding to the distances the remainder of said supports extend upwardly from said base defining cavities between said supports at the ends of said section and the adjacent of said supports, such that said pawls of said joints abut said supports at the ends of each section until sufficient pressure is applied thereto at which time said pawls pass over said supports at the ends of each section eventually becoming locked between said supports at the ends of each section and the adjacent of the remainder of said supports, said supports at the ends of each section extending only partially transversely across said base and being arranged on opposite sides of each of said sections such that the ends of said joints opposite said pawls can be freely slid along said rails without contacting said supports at the ends of each section into abutment against the adjacent of the remainder of said supports.