Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:29 pm Post subject: Soldering rails
I've read lots of advice about soldering wires across the oustide of the rails to keep up the contact, but would it not be just as simple to solder the two rails together in the same place?
I know that the rails need to expand and contract with heat/cold, but as they are normally fixed in place anyway, his shouldn't cause too many problems should it?
Or am I barking up the wrong tree? _________________ The Thing (aka Hugh)
I've seen it done that way too. The only problem is that when they sell it to me from Ebay that there's still lots of solder attached. _________________ Get off the line Bobby!
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t184/Poliss_album/
PROS
You get a sturdy right of way; especially in curves
When correctly soldered, no electricity "gaps" occur
CONS
As said in an earlier post, track "works"... and so does wood. Slight drawback: When track shrinks, wood expands and vice versa.
My personal solution:
I solder track only in places where I need a sturdy right of way.
In addition, I wire a track feeder bus with a 2,5 square millimeter wire parallel to the track and from this feeder bus, I wire thinner track feeders (0.75 sq mm) in intervals of 3 feet (the length of a piece of flex track).
No problem, guys! After all, we're here to help each other out, aren't we?
When I built modules for exhibitions, I even get out the "big hammer":
Since we run multiple lash-ups (up to 8 locos - DC and/or DCC), the track feeder bus is made of at least 4 sq mm solid wire. I never see any consists slow down on my modules...
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