Any reason not to use pre-wired rail power joiners (Atlas?) as the leads from a PA Wireless system to the Program track?
All right for temporary work, or for use until you do a proper wiring job - but I have an abiding distrust of rail joiners as electrical connectors. Some people claim to have used them for years without problems. Others, myself included, insist that all power drops be connected to the rails by direct soldered joints.
I have direct-soldered drops on a module built in 1980 that are going strong and have never had a hiccup. Has anyone had powered rail joiners survive that long in regular service on something that has been moved across state lines six times in 28 years?
The worst part is that rail joiners can develop that most infuriating of problems, intermittent open circuits (as in, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - and which joiner is responsible for the doesn't?)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with bulletproof rail power feeders)
The wires are very thin, as David pointed out.
These are a "convenience item." If you take a look at the price, the cost far exceeds the materials and labor required. If you like to use them, get some thicker wire and make your own.
I have a scrap piece of track on my workbench. I put rail joiners on each end and turn it upside down. Then I solder wire crosswise, because it doesn't interfere with tracklaying later. I color-code these things - half red, half black, so that I can tell from underneath which rail a wire came from. By the way, after you solder the wire on, give it a few minutes to cool off. If you take this suggestion and use rail to support the joiners, the rail will hold the heat longer than the joiners alone.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Biggest disadvantage is cost. For the price of one pair of pre-wired ones, you can buy a pack of 48 regular joiners and solder your own wires to them, which is what I did. EVERY rail joiner on my prvious layout was a power feed (sounds like a lot but since it was mostly flex track, it really wasn't - but each turnout ended up with THREE sets of feeders). Some also say this is doomed to failure, but I had no problems even after painting the track (with a brush, so you KNOW paint got in the joiners). The only place the joiners were soldered to the rail was in the middle of curves, I pre-soldered two pieces of flex together and added the feeder wires before forming the curve. No other rail joints were soldered. The wire I used was about a #20, maybe #22 solid, sold as 'alarm wire'. It came as 2 loosely wrapped conductors, one with red insualtion and one with white, I merely cut it to length and untwisted it. The red and white matched the red and white of the #12 bus wires underneath.
-_Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I've used them in the past. I wire my own now. The Atlas ones are convenient but the wires are way to thin and I've had some cases where they have burned in two.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Thanks to all for the feedback. Good thoughts. Just seemed to me that they provided a quick way to set up a programming track that would likely not be used a great deal, or for extended periods, especially since I also have ops. mode programing available. Main concern was whether the small gague wire created an immediate problem.
For that purpose it would probably suffice. Although, I would urge you to find a way to include your programming track right on the layout as part of the entire track system. In my case, the lead to the turntable, located just inches from the main bench front, is gapped immediately after the turnout that permits access to the TT. I don't have to gap the other end because it rides up and ends right at the lip of the TT pit. To programme CV's, I just flip a toggle and the rest of the layout goes silent. The new or needy engine remains powered while I programme adjustments. To run it off onto the layout to join the pack, I flip the toggle back and all the noise commences everywhere.
A thought. It really is convenient, and permanent.
-Crandell