can i solder kline super snap track

deeredriver

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Aug 24, 2005
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im setting up an around the wall track in my kids room o scale using kline super snap track can i solder power to the shadow rail in the middle and how do i go about it do i by pass the piece of track that the power pack conects too
thx in advance
nick
 

Russ Bellinis

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Feb 13, 2003
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What is the rail made of? If the raills are solid copper or nickle silver, soldering should not be a problem. If it is the hollow tin with pin connectors like Lionel and Marx use, you probably need to use the factory power track sections. I model in ho, so I don't know what that track is made of.
 

deeredriver

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Aug 24, 2005
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well im not sure either what it is made from alls i know is the center rail is black
im using around 40 ft of track so im thinking that i will have a voltage drop if i just use the standard power track conector alone like this one i already have
thx nick
 

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pgandw

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Jul 9, 2005
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I'm assuming the rails are hollow and formed by rolling tin plated steel like other tubular track - that's what it looks like in the pictures on the web site. The rail is basically an inverted "U" at the top; the two sides of the "U" are crimped together to form the web in the middle; then the two sides spread out into flanges at the bottom to anchor the rail with.

If you turn the track over, you should be able to see a bottom-accessible slit where the 2 sides of the rail are crimped together to form the web. You can insert a home-made spade lug or even a solid-core wire directly into the slit to make your connection. This technique has been used with GarGraves and other tubular track for a long time. If need be, you can gently open the slit to get the lug or wire into the slit. I prefer to solder the wire to a home-made lug made of sheet nickel silver - I like .020 thickness - and then put the lug into the slit for my connection.

Soldering to tin-plated rail can be done using a good-sized soldering gun, flux, and resin core solder. It requires considerable heat, which may begin to melt the plastic ties. The blackened coating on the rail will have to be removed to solder wire to the rail. I have only soldered to tubular track with metal ties in the past.

I recommend using the lug in the bottom slit technique.

yours in wiring
 

Russ Bellinis

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An easy alternative might be to buy a few of the standard power connectors and place them strategically around the layout. Be sure to use a heavy gauge set of buss wires back to the throttle.