If you have a large layout, you should have more than one feeder. More important, every millimeter of rail should connect to a feeder through soldered joints. Rail joiners are, at best, indifferent electrical connectors, and they don't improve with age.
Some modelers solder all their rail joiners. I personally prefer to solder jumpers around the joiners and leave the rails free to slide. My longest electrical section with a single feeder is about six lengths of flex track, with soldered jumpers except at the insulated joiners separating it from adjacent sections.
The easiest possible way to keep track of rail polarity/phase is to use two diffeent colors of wire, all rails that meet end-on being wired with a single color.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Thank you for the info!! I appreciate it. I am very new to this. Been around it for ever but just starting to lay track and build.
Yes, just make sure to connect the rails to the correct +/- wire so you don't create a short. "Feeders" is the popular term for what you describe. Google "model railroad feeder wires"
Alan
Freelancing the LK&O Railroad
I have one controller is it possible to split the wire to two different pieces of track so I get more power around the whole thing?