Power, soldering and heat

[Puckdropper]

I'm to the point where I can run a permanent-type power system to my track. It's currently covered with snow, but that's beside the point (I don't have time due to school to work on it anyway.)

What's the easiest and cheapest way to connect the wires to the rails pemanently? In the smaller scales, I soldered the wire directly to the rail, and will probably do that here. Will there be any problems due to the rail size (and heat sinking capabilities of large amounts of metal) that my 30-watt soldering iron in 30 degree temperatures will have to overcome? Would it be better to solder a set of feeders on the track and wait for spring before I do more?

Speaking of heat, how is my track going to react as it gets warmer? Should I have left the track screws somewhat loose?

[RhB_HJ]

Forget about your 30W soldering iron.

My suggestion (mentioned before): drill a hole in the base of the rail large enough to thread the wire through.
Feed the wire from the bottom through the hole - after you stripped enough insulation to feed it through and then twist together. You need a 100+W iron or soldering gun, but since the cross section between the edge of the hole and the edge of the railbase is relatively small it will heat properly and give you a good connection right through the hole and across the wire and the rail section etc.
Of course the colder it is, the longer it takes to heat the metal, doing it at the freezing point is doing it the hard way. [;)][;)]

[Puckdropper]

I was thinking about this:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062753&cp=&kw=butane+torch&parentPage=search

I think I'd get enough heat to make a good solder joint...

[Tom The Brat]

You'll need a pretty good size iron or gun. I've had good luck soldering a wire to a rail joiner then installing the wired joiner. Otherwise, solder a lug onto the wire and put it under a railclamp screw. There's a bazillion ways[;)]

[cacole]

If you have a G-scale dealer nearby, ask if they have some rail clamps with wire connectors on them. I know that at least two companies, Split Jaw and Hillman, make such a device. No soldering involved.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

No, tighten the screws in the joiners. I gave up on them and switched over to clamps, but I'd imagine that would be a bit costly on a school budget! Course, young fingers and eyes can probably handle those dern little screws much better than old ones with short fuses can!

Laying track in these temps mean that you should space joints about a dime to a nickle's width to allow for expansion next summer!

You'd need to remove tie section from track to solder with torch, otherwise you'd probably melt the ties! Might even have trouble with that using gun.

[FJ and G]

I'm going the route of Puckdropper with a bhutan torch. A properly soldered joint is always preferred to screwing.

[Tom The Brat]

"Bhutan Torch"

Is that for Island railways[:D]

[Puckdropper]

Sure is, Torby. Haven't you noticed? We're on a big island out here between the Atlantic and Pacific. (-; The bhutan torch will make a complement to the Tiki torch that keeps the bugs away!

Nothing like getting fired up about garden railroading.

[Anonymous]

HJ gave me the info a couple of weeks ago about drilling the rail and threading the wire through. I did this and soldered with a small butane soldering iron which worked a treat and didn't melt the sleepers. Took the precaution of using low temperature solder.

John

[ttrigg]

[8D]
When I need to solder track, I break out the oxy/accet rig, drop the acetylene to 7 lb., oxy to 12 lb., and then go to town. Yes I remove ALL ties first, so the only thing I'm heating is the rail. With those settings it takes about four seconds and the job is done. Fast enough that there is no track distortion or any real discoloration.

[Tom The Brat]

I like that idea of drilling a hole in the rail and soldering a wire into it.

[Dick Friedman]

Since it's cold where you are, I'd crimp a terminal onto the wires indoors, then take the finished wire outside with a rail clamp. Put terminal under machine screw, put clamp on rail. Tighten things down, then go back inside for a nice hot chocolate.. or something.

BTW, depending on the size of your railway, I'd put at least a couple of power feeds around it. Depending on slip joiners to carry electricity is an invitation to frustration. Don't ask me how I know this!

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Torby

I like that idea of drilling a hole in the rail and soldering a wire into it.

Thank you Torby! [bow][bow][bow]

It works equally well for jumper wires at rail joints. While we're on the soldering , the butane fired irons work nicely in relatively warm conditions and having the parts which are to be soldered very clean helps a great deal.
This is one item that many overlook, don't ask me why!
Take a battery powered Dremel with a wire wheel or do it with emery cloth, but clean the rail!

[Puckdropper]

***, that sounds like a good idea for getting things going. I'd like to be able to "play trains" long before the weather's warm and I've got some free time at home (can you all say "June?")

I won't ask how you know about the joiner troubles, wouldn't have had to... I already know. That's why my small scale stuff has a power drop at least every 4 ft. I intend to do simular with G, perhaps getting Power Pole connectors to permanently temporarily connect the track together and take it apart when we enivetably move next.

[Tom The Brat]

Clean rail and paste flux[;)]