dumb question

[Anonymous]

hi i just started my first real ho model trian layout. my question is can you sodder your wires onto the terminal joiners or is there another way?

[Anonymous]

there are a couple of things you can do:

1) solder the wires to the outside surfaces of the rails. If you run the main bus wires under the layout using 14 gauge wire, then you can run shorter lengths of 22 or 24 gauge wire from the main bus to the rails through holes drilled through the roadbed at intervals of six to eight feet.

2) solder the wires to the undersides of the rail joiners

3) your LHS might stock Atlas rail joiners with the wires already soldered to them.

However you do it is a matter of your own choice. I prefer to solder to the outsides of the rails. The advantage of using 14 gauge wire for the main bus is that you can extend the current further since it's not fighting against the higher resistance of the smaller wire jumpers. You would want to space the jumpers about 6 - 8 feet, but each individual jumper shouldn't be much longer than 12".

[willy6]

joe just answered your question,i used those ATLAS terminal joiners.....pre soldered.

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by willy6

joe just answered your question,i used those ATLAS terminal joiners.....pre soldered.

But, you should still solder the terminal joiners to the rails. Dave

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by willy6

joe just answered your question,i used those ATLAS terminal joiners.....pre soldered.

yes there are those, but they cost about 200 times as much as it'd cost you to do it yourself.

Jay

[Anonymous]

they are expensive.

[Anonymous]

Tylers dad,

I see this is your first post. Welcome! to the forum!

You can solder the wires to the joiners or to the rails. I think most of us solder to the rail.

Just curious. How large is your layout going to be and are you going with DC or DCC?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Snake

Tylers dad,

I see this is your first post. Welcome! to the forum!

You can solder the wires to the joiners or to the rails. I think most of us solder to the rail.

Just curious. How large is your layout going to be and are you going with DC or DCC?

[Anonymous]

hey snake my layout is going to be a standard 4x8with a 3x3 L for a possible train yard. only because thats all the space i have right now. and also i havent decided on dc or dcc probably dc because this is my first serious layout and im not to familiar with dcc it seems too complicated[%-)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tylers dad
im not to familiar with dcc it seems too complicated

Actually it's far simpler to do than standard DC, you should really look into it, visit a club or hobby shop with a DCC system, see how it works, how it's different and better than a DC layout.

You'll be pleasently suprised, you can get a decent begineers system for under $150, and be up and running in less than 30 minutes.

Jay

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tylers dad
Im not to familiar with dcc it seems too complicated.

As an advocate and forthrite supporter of DCC i assure that the wiring for DCC is vastly more simple than standard DC wiring. On a typical 4X8 Layout there is rouly 1/3 the total wiring involved with DCC vs, what is involved with conventional DCC. DCC only requires a 14 gauge main bus with all the feeders tieing into at at about 6 foot intervals. (You can go longer but DCC signals are suceptible to dirty track. 6 feet between ensures relaibility) with no toggle switches for block control, or the complicated rail cutting and togle switch wiring for common rail cab control (DC) As for the Decoders in Locomotives. That is a Plug in the chip and go installation in almost every locomotive made today. So you do not have complicated wiring of decoders to worry about. THe only place wiring can get a little messy in DCC is with Reverse loops and "Wye" tracks for turning trains. But automatic reversing units are made to handle that should you wi***o employ them. Again, with alot simpler of a wiring arangment than what is found in standard DC power.

[Anonymous]

Definately go DCC. It is much simpler, especially with the starter kits. You will probably never need complicated controls, blocks, etc... so DCC will actually only require minimal wiring and electrical knowledge.

DCC is the answer, now what was the question?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tylers dad

hey snake my layout is going to be a standard 4x8with a 3x3 L for a possible train yard. only because thats all the space i have right now. and also i havent decided on dc or dcc probably dc because this is my first serious layout and im not to familiar with dcc it seems too complicated[%-)]

My layout is sorta the same size as yours it is 5x12. I did all the layout planning for DC and started construction. Then after reading all the posts about the pros of DCC these folks convinced me that DCC was easier to wire so I converted to DCC. I am glad I did! It is much easier to wire and you have control over more of the loco's features.

[Anonymous]

thanks alot guys for the valuable info ive now decided to go dcc!

[der5997]

tylersdad: If you go for soldering the wires to the track, you may find the job goes better if you do a couple of things.
1) get hold of some non-acid soldering flux. Paste or liquid, but I prefer the paste as it stays more or less where you put it. The flux really helps the solder flow into the joins.
2) put damp tissue on the track ties near the join. This will act as a heat sink and you can take longer over the join if necessary before the track tie plastic begins to melt. Melted ties happen to just about everybody sooner or later it seems, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say.[:D]

Point 2 is avoided if you go for the wires soldered to the joiners, but the cost is high from the LHS, because the job of making them can be fiddly. One of those gadgets with alligator clips mounted on arms on a stand can reduce the fiddlyness.

Have fun, and I hope your project works well. BTW, there are no dumb questions.

[Anonymous]

Go for it! Have fun building and operating your layout! Some of the comments I hear about DCC, always by those who have not tried it yet, seem funny. I'm sure when the automatic transmission came out there were drivers who said, "it's too complex, nobody will understand how to operate it. Give me my good ol' stick shift!" DCC is like a microwave oven. It may seem like overkill and something you'll never need UNTIL YOU TRY IT. Then it's "how did I live without it?".

Have fun!