PICS + Sodering track.... Good idea and how is it done?

[chancealan]

The Story of my layout....










And it continues.... to this day with adds and extras.

Part 2:
Sodering track.
I have this layout glued down in a few spots to secure it to the board.
But the conductivity of the rails seems to be weak in a few areas.
Would sodering a few of the joints between the track pieces make a difference? If so, how would someone do that effectively?

Thanks in advance for your time with this inquiry!
Brian
Hermitage, PA 16148

[Jonathan MacCormack]

One suggestion I saw awhile back was to add in a few more feeders, some say every 6 feet.

Perhaps additional comment will be made .

Jonathan

[SteamGene]

Your problem may be as simple as replacing the rail joiners that have gotten stretched.   If you solder Ez-Track, it's no longer easy to move it. 
However, if you have come to where you want to be, soldering will help. 
Use an iron that gets hot enough to solder quickly.  Use flux, even if you have solder with flux.  Put flux on the area around the rail joiner and solder rails and joiner together on the OUTSIDE of the rail.  Make sure you get nothing on the top of the rail,
A few feeders may also help.  As stated, about every six feet should do it.  Since you have two loops, both need to have feeders added.  Since you have a 4x8, I'd put a feeder opposite your origininal terminal strips.  Are you DCC or DC?
Add bumpers to those sidings. 
Gene

[the Bach-man]

Dear Brian,
I was never very proficient at soldering until taught by a close friend, and now I'm a soldering machine! All the joints on Riley's Run and the Island of Sodor are soldered, and they perform flawlessly.
I bought what I needed from Micro-Mark: a pencil iron, solder, cleaning tool, and, most important of all, liquid flux.
First clean the area with the wire brush. Then flood it with the liquid flux. touch the iron to the rail joiner, and when the flux bubbles, touch the solder to the joiner. It will flow right in and give a positive connection.
Try it!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[chancealan]

What are feeders and how could I use them with a DC power pack?

What are bumbers?

I understand about keeping the soder off the top of the rails.

[SteamGene]

I think I answered those questions by e-mail. 
But, in brief, feeders are the wires that go from the buss wire to the track, directly in DCC and often through a switch to turn current on and off for DC.
Bumpers keep cars and locos on the track at the end of stub sidings or yard tracks. 
Gene

[THB-DAVE]

You can save yoursself a lot of trouble by using Atlas terminal rail joiners. See the web site:
http://www.atlasrr.com/Images/Track/Trackphotos/842.gif

Dave

[hobo]

Another alternative to soldering is to use LGB's graphite paste (51010) in the rail jointers. 

When compressed between the rails and jointers this paste is conductive so you get better connections that are not permanent.  and it prevents corrosion and pitting of the track which will also increase the conductivity.

I use this on my temporary christmas layout and I don't have any problems with lights flickering or hesitation or dead spots on my layout.

Nothing will give you better results then meticulously soldering every joint, but  that doesn't mean it is a requirement.

[SteamGene]

The problem with soldering every joint is expansion and contraction.  I solder curved track and leave straight track unsoldered. 
Gene

[scottychaos]

Looks like you are using HO scale trains with N-scale structures?
interesting..I have never seen that before.
what is the reason?
Fitting more scenery in the available space I presume?

Scot

[chancealan]

I thought that these were HO scale buildings when I purchased them.  The dealer had smaller N scale houses as well, but when held next to each other, there was a difference.

More technical background....
Here are the power supplies I have:






Anyone free free to jump in on this line of questions:

1. I had thought you could divided the power from the power pack and insert another terminal piece of track on the opposite corner to split the juice to the entire track.  Since my controller uses plugs instead of bare wires, I would go to Radio Shack and purchase a splitter and run a second red line to the far corner of the track and insert another terminal piece of track.

You can see my simple rectangular oval could have a second terminal placed in the opposite corner.



2. Instead of a piece of terminal track, it was suggested that I use there rail joint terminals....

But I would have to figure out how to get that spliced into the wires I am running from my power pack.

3. Another alternative to soldering is to use LGB's graphite paste (51010) in the rail jointers.  Can I purchase this at Lowe's or Home Depot, or is this a hobby only related item?

4. Power packs:  As you can see I have the next step up from the "chipmunk in the wheel" power supplies. These are the hobbies bottom models.  More power from the transformer to the layout could fix the slowing down and light dimming in my engines.  What would be a moderate power level I should be purchasing?  Any suggestions on a mid-level model to purchase?  At what Amp / Volt should I consider?

5. Sodering sounds really fun.... meticulously soldering every joint.  If I could figure out a wiring fix or buying a bigger transformer to supply power all the way around, I'll try that first.  Does that present a practical solution?

I would like to thank the folks that have taken the time to post responses to these questions.  As someone that has just made my first attempt at the hobby as you have seen in my pictures, the encouragement of those comments has keep me excited about continuing this adventure.
THANKS AGAIN!

[THB-DAVE]

But I would have to figure out how to get that spliced into the wires I am running from my power pack. Just run the wires to your powerpack, its that easy.

Dave

[chancealan]

The connections on both my power packs are all established "plugs"
and not terminals for bare wires to be connected. 

The gray controller has two posts for accessories
that bare wires could be attached. 

I can go to Radio Shack for a splitter connector
to plug a the feeder line into the transformer as well
as the original terminal line. 

[SteamGene]

Scott, I think one of the structures is a Plasticville house and they tend to be on the small size.  The rest look HO to me.
Gene

[taz-of-boyds]

Item 2 continued: Radio Shack could help with a compatible splitter for the plug.  Then you could work off the split-out side to wire in more feeds for the track if you want to preserve the existing cable and terminal track.

Item 4: Quote: "Power packs: ...  More power from the transformer to the layout could fix the slowing down and light dimming in my engines.  ..."

If the power supply around the track is uneven, that is faster by the power supply slower elsewere, more power will not fix this.  More power leads or soldering the rail joiners should fix this.

Have fun,
Charles