I am a newby to this model railway lark, at the age of 56, and I would like to know the best way to get power to the track. This may seem a bit of a lame question but I think the brass coloured clip under the track things look awful, I've tried soldering but can't get the wires to adhere to the rail. I've tried connectors spade and that looks worse than the under the track things. Does anyone have any other ideas please?
Paul C
From one Paul C to another....
Go to maplin and buy some PCB link wire, it's single strand and basically you tin the edge of the track and then use a pair of pliers to push each link into your tinned track part. Heat up the solder and push it home. They are quite small so adhere to the solder very easily. I usually drill a hole fist through the base board and bend the top of a PCB link at a right angle before pushing it through the board, that way it doesn't fall through and the right angle part can easily be soldered to the track edge :)
Paul C
Small hint , file the rail first before soldering. I try to solder to the under side of the rail before laying the track.
Or to be really lazy, you can buy pre soldered rail joiners on eBay here :-
eBay item 271108763874
Welcome along Paul.
56 seems to be a good age to start, that's about when I started.
I had trouble in the early days with soldering. There are many schools of thought that go with the various levels of skill that relate to soldering. One such school I picked up on is the use of liquid flux. It has made sooo much difference to my soldering. I won't say I can solder like a pro cos I can't but I can solder effectively.
This is the stuff I was recommended and use, it's not cheap but you don't need much at all, and it will last a long time (unless you manage to knock your bottle over like I did :( ).
http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DCDCS-SFNC (http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DCDCS-SFNC)
I solder droppers to the under side of the rails which then disappear through the base board to connect to my bus wires.
Are you wiring your track, for DC or DCC current?
I was about to say what Jerry and Jack have just said.
Cleaning the side of the rail where you want to solder is often needed if the tracks been out in the open for a while.
(Not as shiny in other words!)
Also, check your soldering irons hot enough for the job.
Quote from: Jack9465 on December 08, 2012, 09:52:43 AM
One such school I picked up on is the use of liquid flux. It has made sooo much difference to my soldering. I won't say I can solder like a pro cos I can't but I can solder effectively.
This is the stuff I was recommended and use, it's not cheap but you don't need much at all, and it will last a long time (unless you manage to knock your bottle over like I did :( ).
http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DCDCS-SFNC (http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DCDCS-SFNC)
I solder droppers to the under side of the rails which then disappear through the base board to connect to my bus wires.
I agree 100% with Jack. Liquid flux is the key.
Roughen the bottom of the rail with a small file, paint on a little flux and tin the area. I use 7/0.2 multi-strand wire for droppers and also pre-tin the end after painting on a little liquid flux. Then with a tiny bit of solder on the tip of the iron just bring the wire onto the rail and dab it with the iron. It will take less than a second to make a perfect joint.
Hi Paul - welcome to the forum :wave:
I know some of the folks on here will frown at me for suggesting this, but I have used some pre soldered fishplates and found them to be very good. Yes, it's true they could potentially be a weak point at some time in the future, but then again so could a poorly soldered joint :confused1:
http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/electronic-components/9869-pcp3-pre-wired-fishplates-n-gauge-power-clip-code-80.html (http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/electronic-components/9869-pcp3-pre-wired-fishplates-n-gauge-power-clip-code-80.html)
Quote from: newportnobby on December 08, 2012, 02:02:05 PM
Hi Paul - welcome to the forum :wave:
I know some of the folks on here will frown at me for suggesting this, but I have used some pre soldered fishplates and found them to be very good. Yes, it's true they could potentially be a weak point at some time in the future, but then again so could a poorly soldered joint :confused1:
http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/electronic-components/9869-pcp3-pre-wired-fishplates-n-gauge-power-clip-code-80.html (http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/electronic-components/9869-pcp3-pre-wired-fishplates-n-gauge-power-clip-code-80.html)
:thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:
hello and welcome
my tip is also flux!
cheers
tim
G'Day and :welcomesign: from Down Under.
As you can see this a great place for help & advice with your new hobby.
As I have said before (and probably will again) -
This is THE forum to be with for anything N
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There is always someone here to offer help advice. Remember we were all "newbies" like you once !
Thanks to all who replied to my cry for help. Some great ideas.
Will definitely use the forum again, probably quite often!!!!
Paul C
Following the great ideas I got from my cry for help I tried soldering the power wires to fish plates and attatching them to the end of tracks. This works great for sidings and 'branch lines'. Such a simple idea I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.
Thanks 'newportnobby'.
Quote from: Paul C on December 11, 2012, 08:02:41 AM
Following the great ideas I got from my cry for help I tried soldering the power wires to fish plates and attatching them to the end of tracks. This works great for sidings and 'branch lines'. Such a simple idea I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.
Thanks 'newportnobby'.
Shhhh, Paul. We're incurring the wrath of many who hate this idea :angel:
Quote from: newportnobby on December 11, 2012, 08:22:37 AM
Shhhh, Paul. We're incurring the wrath of many who hate this idea :angel:
There are very good scientific reasons for not using pre-wired fish plates.
Firstly, the fish plates and the rails are made from two different metals which will automatically create a resistance at their point of contact. Secondly the expansion and contraction of the rail, albeit tiny, is taken up by the rail sliding within the fish plate which causes oxidation to build up between the fish plate and the rail, which further adds to the resistance. Thirdly a fish plate is an ideal place for all sorts of general detrious to accumulate which will, over time, create an insulating layer to build up between the fish plate and the rail. Finally, if you paint/weather your track the paint will get into the fish plate gap and between the fish plate and the rail form an insulating layer between the fish plate and the rail.
The less connections you have betwwen your power supply and the loco, the more reliable it will be to operate. People don't solder wire directly to the rail just for the fun of it. It's done to make sure the power and DCC signal remain as true and constant as they possibly can.
Paul C.
Are you the Paul C I know from down here in the far west ?
Hi Port Perran
I am that Paul C in that remote village on the wild and windy north coast!!!!!
Quote from: Chinahand on December 11, 2012, 09:15:36 AM
There are very good scientific reasons for not using pre-wired fish plates.
And there are very good engineering reasons for using them. It's a lot less likely to damage the track. It's easier to repair. In practice they last just fine and maybe every few years you have to poke a fishplate and slide it up and down a spot and all is sorted.
"Perfection is the enemy of progress."
Alan