Good morning from the UK
- Thread starter tonyevans
- Start date
Hi back to you, and a big welcome to the Gauge. As you've found out, there's a bunch of friendly and talented people that hang around here so glad to see you aboard.
Do not hesitate to ask questions of anykind, someone (or many ones) will usually have an answer in no time at all.
Do not hesitate to ask questions of anykind, someone (or many ones) will usually have an answer in no time at all.Chessie6459
Gauge Oldtimer
Your likely to get many answers. Me, I use the joiners, and some brads to lay track until I'm happy with it. Once I have everything just so I like to ditch the joiners and silver solder the rails right before I weather them. Takes longer, but spending time to solder and then file each joint only to change things up can take a lot more time.
My only complaint on the joiners is that they look horrid, and lets face it, they are at best a compromise between ease and conductivity, not a good tradeoff in my mind. Of course I'm used to dealing with microwave circuits where a bad connection can drive you completely insane!
My only complaint on the joiners is that they look horrid, and lets face it, they are at best a compromise between ease and conductivity, not a good tradeoff in my mind. Of course I'm used to dealing with microwave circuits where a bad connection can drive you completely insane!
Hello Tony where in merry England or UK are you ?
I use the rail joiners then when the track plan is a go I solder each one carfully, as the road bed will melt! Using the joiners to carry the solder in to place, I then cut off road ties and groove out where the rail fits the slide then in to the space where the joiners are.
This does help in hiding the joiners.
I use the rail joiners then when the track plan is a go I solder each one carfully, as the road bed will melt! Using the joiners to carry the solder in to place, I then cut off road ties and groove out where the rail fits the slide then in to the space where the joiners are.
This does help in hiding the joiners.
Well, just a word, but if you're not use to soldering electronic or electrical connections, let us know because there's a world of difference between that and soldering copper pipes. Since you're into RC planes, I think you probably know this already, but soldering iron, temperature, solder and flux, all are different and could cause problems, no, make that, will cause problems if you use your plumber's equipment for this job.tonyevans said:Thank you fore the tips Boys. I have my soldering iron out already (Retired Plumber).I am in Hayes next door to Heathrow airport I also fly model R/C Planes in the summer.I think I am going to enjoy this,...Tony
I say that just in case anyone else sees this that hasn't soldered before and needs a bit of help getting started.
And yeah, I do use rail joiners and I do solder them as I go just to be sure I get a good electrical and mechanical connection. The balast for the most part will hide the joiners.
G`day tony, from down under...I to am in "N" and I use peco rail joiners, they are far better than some others that I could mention, I have not solderd them at all, and my track has been down, up, and down again for about 5 years... the reason I dont solder is 2 fold, first, the temp here flutuates quite a bit, and we leave about 1-11/2mil between the connections to allow expansion and contraction I have sean guys mrr that have solderd them and lost the lot in summer because of the buckleing... the second, and for me the most inportant.... If I have to replace a point, or leangth of track, I dont have to desolder anything, just slide the joiners to one side and lift the rail and replace( after I ease the ballast)... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
as you were told before there are many people with as many answers to your questions. .... by the way welcome to the gauge...have a good one..steve
as you were told before there are many people with as many answers to your questions.
.... by the way welcome to the gauge...have a good one..steveCor .!!! This is GREAT, you really are a friendly lot.I think its a modelling thing.the R/C.flying club guys as the same.I'm using electrical solder for the job ,it flows good.But now your all going to think I'm a right plonker.I have fitted a set of points.as I switch them it kills the power to the other section
.as I intend to use 7/8 points for sidings and other loops mmmmmmmmmmm.((HELP}}
Tony - just a guess, but are you using live fog (electrofrog) points? they need wiring differently - if you don't have a diagram ring Peco and ask - assuming you are using Peco points. If not I need a track diagram to tell you where you are wron - it may just be that you need an extra feed or insulated joiners somewhere
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
Hi Jack. is that the highlands of Bonny Scotland? Yes they are peco points .I was just reading about them in the other forum (the one I was directed to from here)it tells of fitting a diode ,a reverse loop I think .its half sunk in(you know what us sasanaks are like a bit thick ) am I allowed to put a URL on here to direct you to my intended layout,please
:thumb:
) am I allowed to put a URL on here to direct you to my intended layout,please:thumb:
Sure Tony or you can email me direct chacmool at lineone dot net - and it is up in the land of the Haggis!
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
Tony,
Welcome to the gauge. in the five years we've been here, there's been a ton and a quarter of information heaped all around. With a little patience you might actually be able to get through it! Or.............ask, and someone will answer.
Mike.............yeah, and a quarter wavelength away from that bad connection, is a partial short!
Welcome to the gauge. in the five years we've been here, there's been a ton and a quarter of information heaped all around. With a little patience you might actually be able to get through it! Or.............ask, and someone will answer.
Mike.............yeah, and a quarter wavelength away from that bad connection, is a partial short!
Tony: Peco make 2 types of points -- Electrofrog and Insulfrog. The Insulfrog have a plastic frog (place where the rails cross a.k.a. common crossing). Both of them can kill your circuit but different ways.
Picture a loop of track with one point making a siding inside. The electrofrog point is all rail. when you turn the point to the siding, the rail connects the frog to the outside rail, causing a short circuit (all the way around the layout to your feeders.) Whne you turn the point to the loop, the two rails on the siding are the same polarity, and nothing runs on the siding. The short is cured with a plastic rail joiner between the frog and the feeders.
With Insulfrog, the point that doesn't touch the stock rail is neutral -- open circuit. If it's set for the loop, the rails in the siding are one live, one dead. Siding is dead. If it's set for the siding, NO PROBLEM. The inside rail current does not meet the outside rail. You can even run a train through it and just have a derailment.
You said something about a reversing loop. That's a topic for another day.
Picture a loop of track with one point making a siding inside. The electrofrog point is all rail. when you turn the point to the siding, the rail connects the frog to the outside rail, causing a short circuit (all the way around the layout to your feeders.) Whne you turn the point to the loop, the two rails on the siding are the same polarity, and nothing runs on the siding. The short is cured with a plastic rail joiner between the frog and the feeders.
With Insulfrog, the point that doesn't touch the stock rail is neutral -- open circuit. If it's set for the loop, the rails in the siding are one live, one dead. Siding is dead. If it's set for the siding, NO PROBLEM. The inside rail current does not meet the outside rail. You can even run a train through it and just have a derailment.
You said something about a reversing loop. That's a topic for another day.
If you look at it as a presurized heating system, you can probably do it -- there's a low pressure rail and a high pressure rail.
Do not solder rail joints together. Changes in temperature will cause the track to buckle. The advice given by "advanced" modellers for solving poor-conduction problems would be: Run wires under the table, connecting feeders to every other section, or ideally every section, of rail. This assumes you're using 3' flextrack sections. It also probably assumes a large layout with a long mainline...