# BAD connectivity on Bachmann track?



## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

We put together my grandson’s Bachmann train set and nailed it down to a plywood board about two years ago. It sat idle (due to broken wiring) in his bedroom for several months without running the trains and we are now trying to get it going again. The trains run in a balky manner and stop in various places around the layout.

I started checking the impedance of the connectivity of the sections of Bachmann track and the joining clips are not doing their job at all. The resistance on one rail section for about three section connected together is over 6 ohms (Not very good at all).

Short of removing all the track and physically cleaning each joiner and its rails, is there a way to clean these junctions? My first thought is automotive electrical cleaner squirted into each junction. 

*Anyone see this as a solution or as a problem?*

It is amazing how much trouble all of the Bachmann stuff has given us, from engines that destroy themselves to ones that never ran out of the box, to switches that do not function unless not nailed to the board under them, and to wiring that breaks at the connector ends. They can not even get their printed and online catalogs to specify the correct minimum turn radius of some of their engines. My opinion is don’t ever buy Bachmann products. Unfortunately that's what we have and we need to fix the layout.

Thanks for any input.

LDBennett


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## gator do 65 (Jan 27, 2014)

Lynn,
First off cool last name, although I model in ho I'm using bachmann and had the same problem. I found that using a small pair of side cutters to crimp the joiners to the rails worked for me!
Hope that helps.

P.M. Bennett


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## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

Another Bennett? We are probably are not related as my family tree is a single branch with me in it. We are originally from Omaha Nebraska (and Red Oak Iowa before that) and moved to So Cal after WWII.

I had not considered that fix. I think we'l try that first! Thanks!

LDBennett


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## gator do 65 (Jan 27, 2014)

Lynn,
If that don't work and your real good at soldering....
As for being related, my heritage comes from the mid west specifically the Cherokee belt. So one may never know!
I find it funny with bennett not being a very popular name none seem to be related!?
Good luck and let me know how it goes.


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## ftauss (Sep 18, 2012)

Couple things. Yes EZ track can be fussy, far fussier than a starter track should be. As to the rail joiners. If you assemble and disasemble it enough the joiners will weaken. But that can happen with any brand.

The undertrack terminals can be a PITA. Sometimes the wires come loose at the rail/wire junction but the wire doesn't pull out so it's not obvious. If you test them and they work it's OK but any loss of power that is the first place to look. I reccomend the rerailer terminals, which is what I'm using now. Do not use the curved rerailer terminal. There is something fundementally wrong with it. It's to tight at 11.25 for most engines and I think the rerailer section is to shallow, a double whammy guaranteed to derail.

Crimping the joiners CAREFULLY is a good idea as is soldering. You can also run power wires and solder them to the rail sides as an alternative. USE HEAT SINKS!

Keep the rails clean, isopropyl alcohol, available at drug stores is great, 90% or better. I use closed cell sponges and paper towels.

Are you running DC or DCC?


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## Lynn D Bennett (Jul 27, 2013)

ftauss:

Running DC. The problem is definitely with the connectivity between section of track. I'll try squeezing the joiners first then contact cleaner from the auto part store next. It all worked fine before the layout was left idle for that period of several months. The layout is inside the grandson's room so it can not be corrosion as we live in the desert with very low humidity.

Thanks for the comment.

LDBennett


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## ftauss (Sep 18, 2012)

Let us know.


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