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Track Feeder Wires

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  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: US
  • 971 posts
Track Feeder Wires
Posted by alloboard on Sunday, December 25, 2011 1:12 AM

I once had a bunch of track feeder wires that I purchased from a hobby shop but I ran out. Where can I find those wires in HO scale that's connected to the metal rail joiners? I Googled then and found nothing. What online retailer has these so I can buy them?

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Sunday, December 25, 2011 2:40 AM

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, December 25, 2011 5:11 AM

Alton Junction

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, December 25, 2011 6:38 AM

TA462

Why not make your own?

So true.

That's what I do.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2011
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Posted by PennCentral99 on Sunday, December 25, 2011 9:36 AM

A google search of "terminal rail joiners" (the exact product name) revealed numerous hits.

As others have stated, you can solder your own.  I prefer making my own because I solder the wire parallel to the the rail joiner instead of a "T".  It makes it easier to conceal and once the ballast is down, the wire is unseen.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, December 25, 2011 10:12 AM

The pre-made ones from Atlas use very thin wire.  I make my own with 22-gauge wire instead.  I make half of them with red, and half with black so I can color-code the two rails, which makes it a lot easier to connect them properly under the layout.

I take a small section of scrap track and loosely install rail joiners on all 4 rail ends.  This gives me a solid, convenient support for the joiners.  Then I solder the wires on.  LET THEM COOL.  Otherwise, you'll find how much heat the connection will transfer to your fingers right after soldering.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
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  • From: North Dakota
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Posted by BroadwayLion on Sunday, December 25, 2011 1:47 PM

the LION just solders the feeders to the rails, almost NEVER to the joiners.

Can the be seen, well duh! subway systems have all kinds of wires hanging off of the tracks and infrastructure. I could surface mount a 12 ga wire, and it would just look like part of the scenery.

Indeed, just for the fun of it I surface mounted a huge 5.1Ω 5W sand resistor on the railroad. (It attenuates the speed on the down hill side of the main helix.)

 

LIONS have no problem hiding wires in plain sight.

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

Here there be cats.                                LIONS with CAMERAS

  • Member since
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  • From: US
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Posted by alloboard on Sunday, December 25, 2011 2:10 PM

Thanks all for the links and information.

  • Member since
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  • From: upstate NY
  • 9,236 posts
Posted by galaxy on Monday, December 26, 2011 7:13 AM

Here is yet another link to the rail joiners with feeder wires attatched:

{and you won't pay the hgh $3.95 or $4.50 per}

code 100:

http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=150TRACK100&offset=50&ID=20012095

code 83:

http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=150TRACK83&offset=25&ID=20014771

{If you wnat N scale, go to the Atlas section of the N scale lisitings}

Geeked

-G .

Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.

 HO and N Scale.

After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.

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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 10:31 PM

 Seriously, just make them. For the price of a couple pair of the Atlas ones, you can buy a pack of 4 dozen plain rail joiners and a spool of wire. In a couple of hours you can make a dozen pairs or more of feeders. You don;t have to be super duper neat when soldering wires to teh joiners, but it does help to have a set of those "helping hands" with the alligatoer clips o you can position the bared end of the wire and the joiner and hold them in place while your hands hold the solderign iron and solder.

                 --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 4:16 AM

rrinker

 Seriously, just make them. For the price of a couple pair of the Atlas ones, you can buy a pack of 4 dozen plain rail joiners and a spool of wire. In a couple of hours you can make a dozen pairs or more of feeders. You don;t have to be super duper neat when soldering wires to teh joiners, but it does help to have a set of those "helping hands" with the alligatoer clips o you can position the bared end of the wire and the joiner and hold them in place while your hands hold the solderign iron and solder.

                 --Randy

 

That's th truth.  It does takes three hands, or two hands and an alligator clip, to make your own feeder wires, although it is worth it.

Rich

Alton Junction

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    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 10:37 AM

 It helps _ I can do them without the helping hands gizmo, but it's MUCH easier with it. I can set up 2 at a time (joiner on desk, clip of the hands holding the wire in place) witht he tool, and churn out a batch in no time. Assembly-line style - first I cut a bunch of feeder wire to length, then I strip each piece, then bend the stripped end, then line up joiners and go to work.

                    --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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