EZ track for DCC

[Jazman49]

Hello everyone,

 I want to start a layout (an L shape with a basic loop and a figure 8 running from the loop- approx 50 linear feet). I know that it is recommended that each piece should be wired for DCC (I will be using Bachmann EZ track Gray). Can you solder sections together to cut down on the amount of wiring? Has anyone used this track for DCC?

 Thanks, Dennis

[wholeman]

I am currently using EZ track.  I don't have a layout right now so I set up a temporary oval to get my train fix.  You shouldn't need to solder every piece.  The way you are describing your track plan, you should get by with the electrical conductivity through the rail joiners.  You might want to use flextrack.  It is cheaper than EZ track.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 You came to the right place. My layout is all Bachmann EZ-Track with Digitrax DCC. The layout was originally built for DC so it was set up in blocks. All track sections in each block are soldered together so I only have to use two feeder wires for each block. This gives me solid electrical connections and provides for some expansion and contraction. Be careful with the EZ-Track. Just because they call it that doesn't make it easy. Inspect each piece to make sure it's not bowed. If it is that bow will cause the ends of your cars to rise and fall and possibly uncouple. Some of the turnouts may require some work also. I've rarely had to do more than file the points a little though on one turnout I had to bend the point rail rail a little because it was to far away from the stock rail.

[ripvanwnkl]

My grandson and I have used HO EZ track exclusively for DCC temporary layouts for the last six years.  We run the track on the floor through several rooms in the house for hundreds of feet using turnouts, crossings, and elevated crossovers.  We have set up for a week, two weeks, or even four weeks at a time, then Grandma wants all her floors back.   We don't do scenery, just track and trains. 

We have never soldered a single piece of track, just use rail joiners and a lot of 36" EZ one piece straight track in additon to shorter straights and whole gamut of EZ curve track, from 15" to 35.5" radius.   One wiring plug in on an EZ track terminal rerailer does the trick for command and control.    My grandson, now a sophomore in Engineering at college, loves to experiment with different elaborate layouts and freight train operations.   I do passenger trains.  We started out with EZ Command, graduated to wireless Prodigy Advance 2.  No conductivity problems to speak of, just have to replace loose rail joiners sporadically due to multiple setups and teardowns.   Oh yeah . . . We have a lot of FUN! 

Some caveats:  EZ track is expensive but some deals can be found (we picked up a bunch on clearance when a LHS shut down and another LHS downsized); rails and loco wheels have to be kept clean (we clean 'em at each teardown); couplers have to be large and reliable (we use only full size Kadees wherever possible) to stand up to any bowed and uneven track especially on carpet; and large steamers are very sensitive to EZ track irregularities.  We concentrate primarily on diesels and electric. 

Good luck!    

 

[rrinker]

 Hopefully the grey nickel silver is much better than the black roadbed steel track - I built a simple 4x8 oval from the black roadbed track to use as a test track for DCC and even with 4 feeder spaced equally around it I had power problems. When I built my full layout, which was 8x12, with Atlas code 83 flex, with feeders to each piece of track, I hooked up just one set of feeders and I had no problems at all! I did connect ALL the feeders tot he power bus, I wasn;t going to just hope it would KEEP working fine, but a huge difference with FEWER feeders on a BIGGER layout compared to the Bachmann track.

                                      --Randy

 

[jeffrey-wimberly]

rrinker

Hopefully the grey nickel silver is much better than the black roadbed steel track - I built a simple 4x8 oval from the black roadbed track to use as a test track for DCC and even with 4 feeder spaced equally around it I had power problems.

Which is exactly why I'm so against Bachmann's steel track. O used it initially and had no end of problems, so I spent the extra money and got the nickel silver and haven't had those problems since.

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 The basic problem with Easy Track, Life Like power lock track and the like besides the noise factor is poor electrical conductivity. With Kato uni track I think it's called conventional rail joiners are used but in any case soldering feeder wires to the outside of the rails will only greatly improve it's reliability. There should be no difference between doing with easy track as opposed to conventional flex track etc. Actually if you think about it Easy track should be easier to do as you can do it on the work bench before hand with the aid of a lighted magnifying glass etc. take a hand full of straight or curved pieces and drill you holes and cut your feeder wires and solder them all to the outside web of each rail. Sort of an assembly line process. It actually may not be a bad idea to do every piece or every couple of pieces. The true fault shows up when people keep assembling and then disassembling the track. Causing the connection to each time become weaker or make less contact. The biggest drawback of using Easy Track and the like is that it limits you to what you can do. But like we used to say in drag racing run what cha brung

[Jazman49]

Thanks everyone! This is my first experience with this forum. A great start!