anyone have any idea to power connections as the peco ones are crumby at best, i thought they were picture hooks at first needs to work with setrack 80 and i'll be needing a few sets

Soldering wires of the underside of the rails is the best solution. Failing that, Peco do some fishplates with wires attached which are better than their usual track connectors but still rely on a mechanical connection.

Solder wires directly to the underside of the rails the joiners are ok  but  as the previous reply has said rely  on  good contact with the   rail  ends.

Remove the web/sleepr where you want the wire &   use a fibrglass pencil  to clean  the rail,   cut a length of wire so  it  can   reach your main  wire feeds under the board  strip  &  tin  the  wire  end ....   with a  pair of  needlenose pliers   squeeze the tinned end  so  it has a flat  section  now bend  it  at angle the bend enough to   solder to the rail   flattening  the wire gives a larger  contact area   that solders to the rail. 

Now   tin   the rail  where the wire is to go  &  you've cleaned  apply a touch of flux does which  helps  the  solder flow take the  wire & touch  the   wire for no  more than  a second as soon at the flux sizzles  the join should be made.

Anyto the inside of the rail excess  wire that  protrudes to the inside of the rails  gently  file it away to ensure the wheel flanges cant foul  later  with p ractice this method works well &   provides  sure  delivery of power to the  layout, i   usually solder dropper  wires every 2 foot  or less if theres a point   some modellers solder to every  section  of track.

I have used in the past, and will be on my latest project, cable which is soldered directly to the underside of a fish plate rail joiner. Very fiddly, but gives good electrical contact in my books and well worth doing.

The power hooks are okay for temporary set up table top layouts only IMHO.

All the best
OwL

Modellers Mecca do pre soldered fishplates
http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/search.php?orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=pcp3

Quote from: newportnobby on January 23, 2013, 08:14:56 AM
Modellers Mecca do pre soldered fishplates
http://www.modellers-mecca.co.uk/search.php?orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=pcp3

saddle fitting friday just down the road so i'll pop in and check out their shop