what is the best way to mount flex track without binding on insulation and how do you wire signals and avoid the spaghetti situation my wires are separated and run to the control board individually I do not want shorts or have to re-wire them.
I think your flextrack is moving around because you’re not putting it down right.
I don’t put track on foam. BUT. From what I’ve seen you glue it down. You DO NOT nail it down (without glue). First you glue the roadbed down. Then you glue the track to the roadbed. And you DO NOT glue the switches down. Someone who knows more about this will likely help you out.
It is AWFUL to fix glued track later (I think). So don’t make any mistakes when you glue it down.
Wiring problem: So it sounds like you’ve got a whole lot of spaghetti looking wiring and it’s ugly. And it’s hard to figure out and work on later.
Look at pictures. See what they do. Copy their ideas, or think of your own. Maybe get a layout wiring book.
Ed
I forgot to add this also. I built flipdowns and need to know what is the best proven way to secure tracks after cutting for proper board alignment and track alignment the tracks still move even with track nails. I also used nailed down computer circuit board under them that is also glued down for electrical conductivity purposes. the tracks meet on them and i have taken of a few ties to expose the rails.
Not entirely true… My last layout, blue foam, had flex track tacked down with straight pins (think sewing) and zero glue. Held extremely well. Only glued sections were where I got ballasting completed.
Track nails are shorter… That appears to be the reason from my experience.
(However, most recommend using some kind of adhesive. Once you are satisfied with placement, you can, and probably should, glue it into place. If you use minimum glue, it can be worked back off. Especially if you use something like latex caulking, thinly applied. I do have some experience with that as well, and, when done correctly, track can be removed later on, and reused.)
Wiring signals - My only signals I had gotten in, were wired in with Digitrax components. Signal went to adapter board just under layout, then cable kit to SE8C. So, I cannot be of help here.
[#welcome]
I’m with Rick. I didn’t glue down my track and I didn’t use foam board. I went with cork roadbed on plywood, I’m from the old school long before foam board. When I had finished laying track and operated my layout for enough time that I was sure I had everything right I used the ballasting glue to anchor the track in place. I used regular track nails to hold the track in place until after I had finished ballasting then removed the track nails.
As for wiring I use telephone frame wire for all my signals and lighting on my layout. I bought #22 gauge in 2, 4 and 6 pair and run it in telephone frame “D” rings under the outside edge of my layout. I’m not a telephone guy but the TELCOs do have it right for running multiple wires, it’s easy and fast to install or maintain later. The wire comes in multiple colors so it’s easy to work with and organize.
Others posted about the most effective way of mounting flex track. I use 2" foam with cork above that secure using white glue. The track is secure with Micro Engeering nails after I used long shirt pins to run the loco to ensure there weren’t derailments.
For wiring, can you pls send a pic? I use labels and different color wires.
Glue it down with acryiic caulk. I used T-pins on the edges to hold it down as I tested it. Then took it up put on the caulk and reset it into place with T-pins along the outside, tested one more time, straigtened ect. using Ribbonrail tools and then T-pined the center till the caulk dried, takes longer to explain than do, result, flawless trackwork.
For wiring I prefer telephone wire and (door) bell wire because they contain multiple wires, each a different color. This keeps things neater and easier to trouble shoot later. I use twist ties from plastic bags to keep wires together in a bundle. I run the wires straight towards the rear and then into the bundle which runs across the rear and connects to all the other devices.
Welcome to the forums.
I prefer latex caulk to hold down my roadbed and track. I think the problem most folks have lifting track is that they use too much caulk. A thin bead, spread so thin it is opaque is all I use. I don’t usually use pins, but do hold the track down with cans of vegetables. I will say that to date I have only worked with sectional track, flex track may need pins to help hold the curve until the caulk sets. However, it has an immediate good grip without them.
Wiring I will leave to others.
Good luck,
Richard
thanks guys I used nails in the past and had no problems it seems strange now to not hold and the pressure makes anchored things move at the joints. I marked my wires and they are individual but the lay overlapping each other hence possible shorting inside the wire looms ,will this cause problems or not please note here from experience again. 3 on wires extended from signal bridges from model power have you had good or bad experiences with wire extensions that are solidely crimped not suit case connectors here they are iffy to use through my experience with them at my automotive job they rattle loose in time for real.
LION used nails to mout track to pink foam, and they told me it could not be done. Well, the nails will fall out eventually, maybe. But that was not my experience for more than seven years. But when I added reed switches to enervate my signals and magnets under the trains to activate the reed switches, I pulled out most of my nice nails. So I just put a bead of Elmer’s glue down the middle of the track, with a special glob on the nails and perfection has been achieved.
AS FOR WIRING, allow me to introuduce you to
Before:
And After:
Your choice. Click here for the wiring manual for the Route of the Broadway LION.
ROAR
lion thanks that is a great idea ties and plastic sheaths from hardware stores. 2.has anybody had sucess with extra wire on block signals . I have 2 cross signals wired and working 4 track type. I am extending 2 model power block signals back to my control board and there wiring looks real thin and fragile so the question stands sucess or a disaster type and there 991,s g scale , I want succesful wiring with no glitches. 3 has anybody had good sucess with flip ups or down with pink insulation i need the track to line up exact with no derailments. I am thinking long screws and liquid tape,to cut down on shorting.
lion this a compliment to you. I love the new york style straight to the point, It allows more time for more projects winter summer etc. I have built a 18x28 basement layout of chicago southside plus north and southwest bound and east bound to the indiana dunes. oil refinery,steel mill factories and even a landfill. I also hand built the whole chicago l system . i found the parts at a swap meet over time and the build itself was rather easy. I have over 11 years of winter building in and the block signals are a matter that still needs attention. I have over time found that the quality of some parts has taken a down turn along with materials think liquid nails here. the old liquid nails from 8 to ten years ago holds excellent and the new fangled eco friendly stuff really is junk! so the question that still stands do model power block signals take nicely to wire extensions?
[Edited by Forum admin to remove implied profanity. Please don’t use adult language, even disguised by abbreviations and dashes. Thanks.]
You should be using wiring with insulation on it. With my DCC you twist the pair of wires together. Not sure what you mean by “wire looms”. Whatever those are I dont use them. Suitcase connectors are workable in a fixed model railroad that doesnt get moved around alot. I used them for the track feeders because I did not feel like pushing pieces of shrink tubing down the entire bus and I couldnt find cold shrinkwrap in my area. I have not had problems with suitcase connectors yet, however my electrical engineer girlfriend thinks we should not use them (she’s not doing the wiring so Im using them). If you are adding wire extensions I would solder them do not use suitcase connectors for this purpose. Also what do you mean by solidly crimped? If in a terminal block, wire nut or other similar device yes. Twisted together and pinched with vice grip, no dont do that.
As for holding down track, I use Liqiud Nails LP-903, cork and T-pins. Once the liquid nails is dry I pull the T-pins out.
Hi all
The Lion is correct you run your wires tidy and bunched into cables all neat and tidy
It makes finding problems a whole lot easier.
I also like to keep a colour code as well so black is all ways common return red with a green trace is always red on a signal green with a red trace is always green on a signal if yellow is on a signal that would be yellow with a red trace.
All the wires for that signal are tied together back to the pannel and so on forming cables as you work back to the pannel
I only use plain red and black where there is a definate positive and negative or active and neutral and they are marked BL and NL for DC and BX and NX for AC
So that would go to point switches and from the point switches on it goes into colour code so I know the wire is from a switch to a set of points or what ever it is going to.
run your wiring tidy from the word go, it can be very difficult to tidy up later if its set up as a rats nest of wiring to start with.
It is also a good idea to draw a wiring diagram for a complex wiring set up for later problem solving.
regards John
My terminal blocks differ from Broadway Lion’s only in using studs and nuts - my wiring tool is a small ratchet wrench. I also cable my wires - sort of. My steel stud benchwork provides natural wire runs, wires held in by a short length of cap strip (snapped on) every 15 - 20 inches.
The keys to keeping wiring easy to maintain are twofold:
- Label every terminal, and every wire connected to it.
- Document everything, in detail.
When you have an electrical glitch, you’ll thank yourself.
I found liquid electrical tape at my local big box home improvement emporium. That’s also the cheapest source for wire unless you purchase it by the mile from a specialized dealer.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with, hopefully, bulletproof electricals)
Proper capitalization and paragraph breaks are your friend.
LION does not use Model Power signals or equipment. All signals are made by the LION. My layout should have about four times as many signal blocks as I have put on it, but each signal block requires two relays, say about 6$ each. LION uses one signal block for every platform edge. Him has 42 platform edges, so is big system for the LION.
LION uses a 16v wall wart (a big one) for his signals / automation system. The relays are all in a central relay location…
Him uses cables to bring the necessary connections to the place on the layout where they will be used…
These white conductors came from a 1920s vintage pipe organ, so each cable had six bundles of 11 conductors each. Without being color coded, the LION had to do some testing to get them all correct. When I required more cabling, I found, and later bought som 25 pair cat 3 telephone cables to finish the project. I assure you that distance is not an issue with this system.
LION has a reed switch imbedded within the track gauge, and magnets on the underside of the trains of him. This detects the train, and pulls the relay on the main panel. It the displays a red aspect on the block signal. An auxiliary relay holds the main relay pulled untill… The train passes the next detector and causes the aux relay to drop the main relay to display an yellow aspect on the first signal and a red aspect on the second signal. The second relay being pulled causes the selection between the yellow and the green aspect on the first. The third detector carries on the process, except that in releasing the second relay, the first block now displays green.
ROAR
thanks for the new info guys the products out there have changed for real. I have 1 more question guys that needs answering. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP TRACK ALIGNED AFTER A FLIP UP OR FLIP DOWN IS ADDED. I am thinking longer screws and liquid electrical tape, The liquid tape would be for insulation the screws might touch electrified areas in time from simple physics, contraction expansion respectively. I am using a simple barrel latch for alignment for the boards. I am in confusion to what works best for the track movement and track nail points are not around the edges.