# Sanity Check



## rwslater (Oct 25, 2017)

Hi everyone I am getting ready to lay my track into place for the first time and wanted to run past you all my plan and see if I am on the right path and not missing something.

I am using Atlas code 55 snap track with atlas turnouts. My plan is to solder up a bunch of rail connectors with my feeder wires. I plan to use wired connectors on all the rails for my turnouts and solder a wire to power the frogs. Then I plan to solder 3 sections of snap track to gather and use a wired rail connector to connect each section together. I plan to do as much of the soldering as I can at the work bench. Then I will mount the track with woodland scenic’s foam tack glue. 

I am I missing any issues with this general installation plan. 

Thanks
Robert


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I’m sure it’ll be fine, the more power feeds the better, but sanity?
Groucho: It's all right. That's, that's in every contract. That's, that's what they call a sanity clause. Chico: Ha-ha- ha-ha-ha! You can't fool me. There ain't no Sanity Claus. 
Good luck.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

rwslater said:


> ...Then I plan to solder 3 sections of snap track to gather and use a wired rail connector to connect each section together. I plan to do as much of the soldering as I can at the work bench. Then I will mount the track with woodland scenic’s foam tack glue.
> 
> I am I missing any issues with this general installation plan.
> 
> ...


Not sure I understand your plan, because you reuse the word "section". Will you have one feeder at each end of a 3' length of flex track, or one for every roughly 9' section? If the latter, then fine (although, honestly, unless your turnouts are spaced very far apart, the feeders you're planning to put there will probably be adequate). Cycleops says more feeders are better, and I agree, to a point. I think you can go too crazy with it.

As far as the Foam Tack glue is concerned, it will work fine, but I'm afraid you've succumbed to marketing. Adhesive latex caulk from your local big box store will do a better job, and costs about half as much. It's not always necessary to buy the specialized hobby product.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Wired rail connectors?*



rwslater said:


> Hi everyone I am getting ready to lay my track into place for the first time and wanted to run past you all my plan and see if I am on the right path and not missing something.
> 
> I am using Atlas code 55 snap track with atlas turnouts. My plan is to solder up a bunch of rail connectors with my feeder wires. I plan to use wired connectors on all the rails for my turnouts and solder a wire to power the frogs. Then I plan to solder 3 sections of snap track to gather and use a wired rail connector to connect each section together. I plan to do as much of the soldering as I can at the work bench. Then I will mount the track with woodland scenic’s foam tack glue.
> 
> ...


rwslater;

I assume that by"wired rail connector" you mean a rail joiner with a feed wire soldered to it. There is a better way. One reason for soldering some of your sectional track pieces together, and having several feed wires, is to avoid using rail joiners as electrical connectors. That is a good practice since, with time, they may become oxidized, and just plain dirty enough to make a poor electrical contact. Why not solder a set of feeders directly to the outside of the rails? With one set of feeder wires soldered to each of your three-piece sections, and each set of feeders soldered to bus wires below the layout, you would have perfect electrical connections to all of your track. I would leave the rail joints between your three-piece sections unsoldered to allow for expansion and contraction from temperature and humidity variations. You might also consider using three foot pieces of flex track instead of sectional, "snap track." The flex track will mean fewer rail joiners, can be shaped to gentler curves than the "snap track" pieces, and is also a bit cheaper than sectional snap track. If you do elect to use flex track, I would suggest soldering the joiners on curved track, and leaving the joints of straight track unsoldered. The best way to solder two pieces of flex track, that will be used to form a curve, is to solder them while they are still straight, and then bend the assembled track to the desired curve. This helps avoid kinks at the joints on curves.

The pdf files, attached below, contain a lot of useful information for beginners, like you. Read through them as your schedule permits. Start with "Where Do I Start", then "Model Railroading on a Budget." The third file is basically a dictionary of model railroad terms that you may see here on the forum.

Above all, Have Fun!

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:

View attachment Where do I start (revised version).pdf


View attachment MODEL RAILROADING ON A BUDGET.pdf


View attachment Model Railroad Terminology 2.1.pdf


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