Track Connections

[Anonymous]

Finally got around to soldering the track connections using a 20/40 dual heat soldering iron from Radio Shack ($21 bucks and it works great). Seamonster (Bob) brought up wet tissues on both sides of the joint as a heat sink. I used folded over damp paper towels and it worked well. You get a slight sizzeling sound if you keep the iron on for to long.

After soldering 4 or 5 sections decide to run a train over that section expecting a smooth operation. Well the train derailed once and then a second time. Took a real close look and realized I used to much solder and the wheel flanges were hitting it on the inside of the rail. A quick touch of the iron to the outside of the rail at the joint pulled the solder right over.

On now to some serious scenery making, hills, a lake (crossed by a bridge) and a tunnel coming up!

Thanks all for the input.

Jim

[selector]

I wonder if it would be useful, and worthwile, to acquire one of those dentist-type picks, the ones with two ends, each with a curved section like a sickle, but with a hardened sharp point. I've seen refinishers use them, and probably other hobbies have a use for them. They should be relatively cheap, but the point is that the sharp ends could easily get into the webbing of the smallest rails and score the paint enough to get at areas that can be soldered.

[HAZMAT9]

It would be difficult to use a small brush I would think, especially with N scale. You can't get the leverage of digging to get the paint out. That brush would have to be pretty small, plus it'll take you quite a while if you've got a lot of track. You can pick up an Dremel with a modest set of bits fairly cheap. Plus, as a model railroader, you'll use that Dremel many times like your fork! [:D] Steve

[Anonymous]

Never having owned a dremel tool, do they have a brush small enough to actually get into that tiny space between the rail end and the ties?

TIA

Jim

[Medina1128]

Well, since you didn't solder the rail joiners anyway, I would just slide them off, pop on my safety glasses and fire up the Dremel with a small wire wheel in it. Voila!

[BR60103]

From a latecomer to this discussion:
Floquil paint is a monster to remove from most metal parts -- it was intended to be. You'll have to scrape it from the rails where you want to solder, also from where the railjoiners go. Depending on the volume, you need either a fiberglass brush or a Dremel tool. I don't think any chemicals will take off the Floquil gently -- UnDecIt or equivalent might.

[Anonymous]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the thoughtful post. I found it useful.
I have also inhaled more welding (arc & gas), brazing, and soldering fume over the last 30 years then I care to think about.

Jim

[selector]

Excellent post, Bob!! [tup] Thanks, and your use of the plumbing comparison was very useful.

[Seamonster]

A 40 watt iron may be a bit too hot for N scale rail. Having said that, I admit to using a 45 watt iron on mine, but I've had about 45 years practice soldering. I'm not trying to say I'm an expert at it, but after doing it that many times, you're bound to get something right. [:I] I use 0.75 mm/0.030" dia solder, but that's a fine solder that I also use for electronic work. 1mm solder should be fine.

I get the impression you're new to soldering, so here's some tricks I've learned for soldering without causing a meltdown of the surrounding territority (the plastic ties). Make sure the rail where you're going to solder is clean, clean, clean. No grease, oil, paint or dirt. A light touch with a Dremel wire brush would be okay if it's really grungy. Some people apply a little bit of soldering paste (NOT the acid kind!) to the rail to clean it and make the solder flow better. That's what the core in the solder is for, and I've never used paste, but you could try it. Tin the spot on the rail first. That means, melt a little bit of solder onto the rail and let it cool. Tin the end of the wire--melt a little bit of solder onto it and let it cool. Hold the tinned wire against the tinned rail with a toothpick and touch the soldering iron to the joint--don't add any more solder. The two previous applications of solder should melt and flow together instantly. Remove the iron and continue holding the wire against the rail without jiggling it for a few seconds.

A few words about soldering iron care which will make soldering jobs easier. Keep the tip clean. If you bought or got a holder with your iron, and you really should, it should have a sponge attached to it. Keep the sponge damp and frequently wipe the tip off on the sponge. Every time you clean the tip, lightly touch the solder to both sides of the tip to keep it wet. That's just wet with solder, not dripping. A wet tip transfers heat better than a dry tip. So does a clean tip. When soldering electronic components, and the same applies to soldering feeder wires to rails, a short application of a hot iron will do less damage than a long application of a less hot iron in order to get the solder to melt. My 45 watt iron is in contact with the rail for only a couple of seconds, not long enough to melt the plastic ties, and I don't use any kind of heat sink to protect the ties. Some people advocate putting a lump of wet tissue on either side of where they're soldering to absorb the heat and keep it away from the ties. If you're in and out fast with the iron and you let the rail cool down between applications, you shouldn't need this and you shouldn't melt any ties.

The most important technique in soldering is to get the material that you're soldering together hot enough for it to melt the solder, not the iron. If you just apply the solder to the iron tip, it will melt on the tip, and probably just ball up there, and maybe some of it will run down to the joint. You'll think it's soldered, but it's not a good joint. The iron's job is to heat the joint so that IT will melt the solder. It's like soldering copper plumbing pipe. Have you ever watched a plumber? He'll heat the joint from one side with his torch and apply the solder from the other side, 180 deg. opposite to the torch. When the pipe is hot enough to melt the solder, it will instantly flow completely aound the joint. Same idea here.

Practice these techniques on some scrap rail to get the feel of it. Better to damage some scraps than what's already laid down.

Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

OK guys, I'm convinced. Is a 40 watt soldering iron about right? And what size (diameter) rosin core solder is good.

TIA

Jim

[Seamonster]

You're much better off not depending on rail joiners to carry the current between sections of rail. Consider them just as mechanical rail joiners, not electrical. You got some good advice above--either solder jumper wires around the joiners on each rail or solder a feeder wire from the power bus under your layout up to each section of rail. However, that's going to require cleaning off a bit of paint where you want to solder. You might try this if you painted the rails before you laid them and haven't laid them yet. Cut away the web between two ties under the bottom of the rail. Solder some #22 bare solid wire to the bottom of the rail. Drill 1/16" holes where those wires will be when you lay the rail and slip the wires down through the holes. There should be no paint on the bottom of the rail where the plastic covered it, so you'd be able to solder to it.

I'm afraid you're not going to completely avoid soldering. I model in N scale, and I don't depend on rail joiners to carry current at all. I either solder the sections of track together at the joiners or solder jumpers around the joiners or provide feeders for each piece of track. It's not hard to solder to N scale rail. I haven't melted any ties yet.

Oh, and welcome to the forum. It is a great place to get answers.

[Medina1128]

Uh oh... well, you could get some TV tuner cleaner and a small bru***o clean your physical connections (rail joiners). Use this stuff sparingly, as it can attack the plastic ties. Why not save that energy scrubbing the rail joiners and solder feeders to the rails. It will provide a much better connection and in the future, you're still going to have to clean the rail joiner connections. If you've ever run your trains at night and noticed sparks and arcs under your wheels, that's from marginally clean rails/wheels. Your rail joiners will do the same thing, on a smaller scale, but the results are the same; diminished electrical contact.

[Blind Bruce]

A Dremel type rotary tool fitted with a stainless steel wire wheel works for me. Safety glasses are a must however.
I advise against using solvent to remove tha paint as it will deform the ties no matter how careful you are.
BB

[Anonymous]

Maybe should clarify a couple of things. First, I’m trying to do this with plain mechanical joints, no solder. Second, I made a mistake in spray-painting the track (Floquil “Railroad Tie Brown”) without much thought or protection of the rails. Got the rail tops cleaned off and the bottoms of the track ends are clean, but am having some difficulty getting the “flange” (?) where the connector slips over clean. It is real tedious work and was hoping there was a short cut or easy way to clean the track ends. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

Jim

[selector]

I work in HO (GAAADDSS!!! I mean I PLAY in HO!) but the rules are the same. The way to ensure safety from shorts problems is to solder feeder wires to sections of track that are otherwise isolated from one another. That way, each section gets no voltage drop to speak of (because each short section has its own feeder), and if you encounter a short in one section, it won't shut down the whole layout or fry decoders in other DCC-equipped locos nearby. If you use joiners between those sections, you are not isolating sections reliably, and therefore negate any short protection afforded by the isolated method. The joiners do help with alignment, but plastic joiners will do that AND give you the short protection because they isolate each section by virtue of their material.

Just a thought.

[ndbprr]

Well there are basically two trains of thought (pun not intended). One way is to solder all the connections so there is no doubt it will conduct current. The other is to solder a feeder wire to the side of each rail and just use the rail joiner for allignment and expansion issues.

[Anonymous]

This is my first post and find this a great forum.
My questions concern minimizing electrical resistance in track connections. Cleanliness is important but are there any tips or tweaks for N scale Atlas track connectors to improve current flow through the joint? How about techniques or tools to clean the end of the track where the connectors slip over the track?

TIA

Jim