I finally got started laying track today, and a big question popped into my head. What is the consensus on soldering rail joiners when laying track? I did it 40 years ago on the 4 x 8 layout in Mom & Dad’s basement, but when filling a basement is it a good or bad idea? Maybe just leave some small gaps every so many sections to allow for movement? What do most people do and why?
For just a little background the basement is 27’ x 49’, all poured concrete, with a large dehumidifier running at 45% humidity. There is a little heat vent coming off the main trunk to upstairs at one end, but I don’t really need it thus far.
If you wire a pair of feeders to every section of track, there is no reason to solder rail joiners for alignment purposes. The rail joiners will hold the rails in alignment without the need for soldering.
I soldered everything. But that just me, haha. What Rich says brings up a good point.
I didn’t solder feeders to each track, has I had a lot of smaller sections, for yards and spurs, but the main, is all sections of flex track, and all have feeders, so I could’ve not soldered the joiners and all would be fine.
I even soldered in little jumpers at the track joiners, just to be sure.!
I have a fair amount of hidden track, so I didn’t want any problems. So far, after 12 yrs. ? it’s been working fine.
I solder all rail joiners except those at the ends of bridges, as I want to be able to remove the bridges if I need to do scenic work around or under the bridges.
Six of the small towns on my layout have double track through them to allow passage of on-coming trains or room for trains passing in the same direction. Because I am the sole operator, it’s up to me to decide which train needs to be moving and which ones need to remain stationary, hence the feeder wires to both tracks through each town, and ON/OFF switches on the layout’s fascia for each of those tracks.
I’m also in the “solder everything” camp, and install my feeders every 10’ or so, or as required for complex trackwork. I’m currently in the “debug” stage of construction - while the basement layout sees a reasonably stable temperature, there have been a couple places where expansion has been an issue and gaps had to be cut - with additional feeders added as necessary.
According to Wiring For DCC with Allan Gartner, everything should be soldered to something. Meaning if it doesn’t have feeders soldered to it, it should be soldered to the next track that does. I followed this advice and have never had a problem.
In order to halve my work, or the chore if that is how you look at soldering feeders and joiners, I solder all along a curve and then only every other joiner. The ones not soldered act as aligners while still allowing for track wiggling. Soldering every other joiner allows for six contiguous feet of assured and reliable electrical power along the length.
Logically, and schematically:
x- are soldered, o- are open/sliding
======x===========o===========x=========o========
As you can plainly see, each soldered joiner, an X, powers 180 deg on either side for three full feet. The next on either side are open and sliding, but we don’t care that they are electrically unreliable because…next to them are the required soldered/fed joiners.
The Club is in an uninsulated building that experiences over a year, a temperature range from 26°F to 86°F. It is also situated in an active geothermal area with the attendant hydrogen sulphide in the air.
Our practice is to only solder the joiners in the curves if required, but every length of track has its own soldered feed of 20 gauge wire. The bus is 14 gauge.
If laying track, Peco Code 100, in winter we use a credit card between the rail joins which seems to take care of any expansion during the summer.
I found out that it is best to solder everything and then cut any gaps needed. Now this is asuming track is laid on a stable base, plywood is not stable.
My 12’ demo layout that I use to test ideas on just has the ends of the tracks soldered No joiners. But I do have feeder wires in 6 locations. The layout is moved around a lot and sometimes I drop heavy MDF on top and then set heavy equipment on that. It’s endured basement floods, humidity, and dust from wood and metal working. Still always works and somehow trains continue to run smoothly on it.
When I set up a large permanent layout I’ll do the same thing. soldered ends and feeder wires. It’s just a pain to carefully flip like 10’ of track that’s been soldered becauee it will break apart. I have to ask my friends or neighbors to help set up track in the past.