# Terminal Joiners or Soldering Wires or Both ?



## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

So this may seem like a dumb question. Maybe not ?

Need some help. 

Getting Ready to start on the wiring for my layout and I am trying to decide if I should use the Terminal Joiners with the wiring already on them, or if I should go with Soldering the Feeder wires directly to the rails. Or should I do a combination of both on my layout?

What have you all done on your layout? One or the other, or have you done a combination of using both the Terminal Joiners and Soldering Wires directly to the rails. 

Help. I already have a boat load of free wiring that I can use and I have also read that directly soldering the wire may be the better option but wondering what everyone has done for their layouts. 

Thank you in advance in helping me out.


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## buck71usa (Dec 27, 2011)

I have soldered to the rails and also to the track joiners! I pre soldered wires to the joiners before cutting them out if the package made them easier to handle!


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## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

buck71usa said:


> I have soldered to the rails and also to the track joiners! I pre soldered wires to the joiners before cutting them out if the package made them easier to handle!


So- basically you handmade some terminal joiners? That is genius. I didn't even think of that at all. I could do that. 

Hmmm... That gives me a good idea. 

What has everyone else done?


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## buck71usa (Dec 27, 2011)

I took a strip of rail joiners soldered wire to the bottom side of them then when I connected the track together further soldered the rail joiner to the track itself! Helped keep things nice and tidy but was a lil bit of a pain when putting the cork roadbed down!


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

I use the terminal joiners. I have no problems after 20 plus years with them.


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## spicercars (Sep 12, 2012)

I made made my own rail joiners by soldering wires right to them and they work great.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

For Atlas O-gauge solid track, I solder to the rails directly. Rail Joiners are used, but I don't solder to them, easier and more secure to solder directly to the rails.


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## Ren (May 31, 2012)

terminal joiners for me. One less thing i have to become proficient at.


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## ktcards (Sep 22, 2012)

hoscale37 said:


> So this may seem like a dumb question. Maybe not ?
> 
> Need some help.
> 
> ...


I made my own by installing the rail joiners on one piece of track, turning it over and putting a glob of solder with flux on each rail joiner. I the heated the solder and stuck a piece of wire coated with flux into it and held it until it cooled.

Ray


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

I solder wire to rail joiners too. Since my mind ( what's left of it) is always making changes to the track plan I like the joiners so i can pull them apart easily and reuse them when I make changes. However like John says it's always best to solder the wire right to the rail and solder all the rail joiners too. That's a lot of work though and if you use good tight joiners and keep the track ends lined up square I doubt that you will ever have any problems with the joiners not soldered. You also need to think about having to move the train layout too. Taking all soldered track apart is a lot more work and moving wires that are soldered to the rails is too. I'd stick with the joiners if I were you and make your own with the wires attached. pete


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