I have the older Bachmann ho scale track and train set and don't know if it is code 100 or 83. I don't have a micrometer to measure the height of the track (I read some place that is how you tell the code). The curved tracks are gold with black rails, the straight are silver with black rails. I am a novice and ONLY setting this up for my Christmas village that I put out for a few months of the year. I can't afford to upgrade all the tracks or equipment. I do hope to find a few sections of flexible track to use with what I have. I am needing to make a few curves that I think the flex track should do. space is limited to what I am doing and from tutorials seems flex track may be what I need. does anyone have any suggestions and what track is the best for the price? I read Atlas is good but I would think I should stick to Bachmann since everything I have is Bachmann? Thanks for any suggestions or help.
As far as I know Bachmann tracjk is code 100.They do not have flex track so your best bet would be ATLAS or Model Power.The Model Power track is stiffer than the ATLAS and will hold a curve radius better,but qual;ity wise they are equal.
thanks, that helps alot.
Martha-
I'm not sure what you have. Perhaps there's a terminology problem. The rails are the long, skinny metal pieces on which the trains run. The ties are the cross pieces which hold the rails the correct distance apart. If I may be so bold as to presume that you had your descriptions reversed, your track with gold rails is brass. Brass is an excellent conductor but its oxidation is an insulator which leads to operational problems. The silver rails are either steel alloy or nickel-silver. The steel tracks aren't very good conductors but, more important, they rust which causes both appearance and operational difficulties. Nickel-silver rails are probably the best material used for rails though it too needs occasional cleaning for best reliability. You can discriminate whether you have steel alloy or nickel-silver by testing with a magnet. There is no problem mixing rail materials but use the same height rails to simplify construction.
Flex track is often an excellent choice; it's what I mostly use. It comes in three-foot sections. Get nickel-silver flex track. If your existing track is pre-mounted to plastic roadbed you'll need to mount the flex track on roadbed, too. Your best bet is cork which is also sold in three-foot lengths. You should buy rail the same size as what you have, which sounds like Code 100. If you aren't sure, take a section with you when you pick up the flex track. Be sure to buy a package of rail joiners, too. They are important for holding your rails together and in a smooth line through the joint.
Be aware that HO tracks which aren't permanently mounted tend to become disconnected, kinky and non-functional. The track with roadbed attached generally holds together pretty well but sectional or flex track on its own is problematic unless permanently mounted. You can glue or nail it to a piece of plywood or extruded foam insulation (blue or pink, not white). You can paint the ply or insulation and put your whole village on it. Don't try to permanently mount your buildings if they are breakable. They will surely get knocked off and broken, as well as being a storage problem.
You'll notice that your inside rail gets longer as you bend the flex track. It can be cut with a fine-toothed hack saw (or just use a blade with tape wrapped around one end so you can hold it safely) and cleaned up with a file. Most folks stagger the rail joints when they connect two curved pieces of flex track. That generally results in smoother curves. The best curves are smooth ones with the widest possible radius. I wouldn't suggest anything smaller than 18" radius (36" diameter).
Good luck with your project.
-- D
Yes I did describe the tracks incorrectly, I meant to say ties not rails. I was hoping to buy the flex track online as I doubt anyone in a 50 mile radius has flex track or I could afford it if they had it. Seems model railroading is expensive. You did answer a question I forgot to ask, rail joiners, they are important right? I have used small Philip head screws in the past but didn't think that was the best idea. I am revamping my old platform from plywood to the extruded foam (pink) and already happy with the results. I am also creating tunnels and mountains using plaster cloth instead of plywood as I had last year. The weight difference was the reasoning for the revamping. I have done some of my homework by searching out model railroading and the tips and hints available. As a novice the info I receive from people like you is invaluable. Your response on the conductivity of the brass vs steel alloy vs nickel silver got me to wondering if.... would it hurt if I was to duck tape all the rails when I am going to store this platform? Would that help reduce any rusting or oxidation? or would it be a waste of time? I generally store this uncovered in a dry location. I checked the steel track with a magnet, magnet doesn't stick. the track is not on a road bed, and not sure if I will put it on a road bed. I will get matching flex track (meaning no road bed attached to it) so I can either add road bed later or not. Its good to know I can cut the flex track if needed and have the appropriate tools to do that. I have to laugh a bit as these projects do tend to leave some bleeding, burns and slivers all three of which I experienced last week while working on the platform. A saw blade hopping off the wood ouch, hot glue holy crap and where there is wood there are splinters just waiting to slip under that fingernail! But heck it's all worth it. My Christmas village started out on my coffee table with a few ceramic houses, a couple of people and a few trees. It is now being revamped and increased to 4' x 6'. At the rate I am going this "village" will be a large metropolis and who knows modern ddc trains or whatever the new things are called running around my entire home! Oh one more question, I have lights, lots of lights once this is all set up. I have adapters spliced together and splices here and there and one thing I hate is visible wires and second crappy connections. All of these lights are mini with very small strand wire, I am going to say around 20 gauge. do you know of a supplier that sells quick disconnect or small splicers? I want to be able to easily disconnect the lighting for storage purposes. I've tried to find suppliers on line without much luck. Once again thank you for your help!
Yes, model railroading can get to be an expensive proposition both in time and money.
I would not put duct tape on the rails as I suspect this will leave the sticky stuff from the duct tape on there for you to have to clean off at a later date and could make the job tougher for you. It could also stick to the "ties" making it a hard task to take the tape off when you need to and may take some of the outside ties off with the tape. If you have a concern over oxidation in storage, maybe store the track in the zip lock airtight bag or something similar? After track comes out of being stored for a time, it is likely it will need cleaned anyway, so my suggestion is not make that harder by having to clean sticky gunk off-it's is easier with all the methods out there, to clean off oxidation alone.
Sounds like you are having a blast :D, as it should be.
Track of the same code (that is not on colored plastic grey or black roadbed) can be mixed together from different makes, no need to use all one brand. You can even mix types of metals if need requires. The brass and steel will need more frequent cleaning than n/s.
Martha-
It sounds like you have excellent and achievable plans. Going to foam and plaster cloth is an excellent idea.
There are a variety of ways to build up your "terrain" from underneath. The easiest is to use wadded up newspaper. You can just pile it up, gluing only when it's necessary to hold the paper clumps together. Be sure to remove all of the paper after the plaster cloth sets because there is a potential for the paper to get musty over time. Even though the mildew probably wouldn't show, you'll still end up with the odor. You can cover the newspaper hills with food wrap, wax paper or bags from the cleaners to make it easy to remove the papers. You can also build up hills with strips of cardboard cut from boxes. Weave the cardboard together, holding the crossing places with a staple or some hot glue. You can also build up gross levels with scraps of foam, including white Styrofoam, and smooth out the contours with plaster cloth. Unlike newspaper, the cardboard strips and foam can remain in place. Be sure to fold your plaster cloth into the tunnel entrances a few inches so they don't look like what they are, holes in a thin shell. Paint the inside of the tunnel entrances black. (You can use cheap acrylics from a crafts store.
I think you'll like your contours and tunnels best if you have some places for buildings above the base foam level, and if the tunnels conceal at least some of the curves on the ends of your railroad. You'd be surprised how much not seeing the trains turning back on themselves makes it seem like they are actually going to and coming from someplace. Also, the effects of your trains will be better if they don't run parallel to the edges of the foam base but are at a bit of an angle instead.
Lights. This can be easy or tricky. A big part of that is the voltage of the lights you will use. If they are 110 volt lights from a Christmas tree string you'll have to be careful because you'll have wall power and heat issues. Safety must be your first concern, especially so with full house power. It's much, much safer to use low-voltage power on the order of 12-16 volts. Not only is this much safer, it's also easier and cheaper to work with. Best of all are LEDs. They use very little current, produce almost no heat and last forever. In any case, make sure that your power supplies don't exceed the rated voltage of your bulbs. It's even better if the power is a bit less than the ratings for your bulbs because that will help them to last much longer.
You can use an old train power pack or wall warts from old electronics like cell phones, laptops or cameras. Just make sure that the voltage output is no higher than your bulbs' capacities and that they have enough ampacity to cover the needs of your lights. This another way in which LEDs shine. (Pun shamelessly intended.) LEDs draw so little current that you may be able to run all of them from a single power supply. Remember that LEDs are diodes which means that they are polarity sensitive and will only light when the electricity flows through them in the "right direction."
You can get all kinds of connectors at Radio Shack. They have connectors for various voltages and with just about any number of conductors. The time to buy them is after your lighting system is designed. Otherwise, you might waste money on expensive components which you don't use. Of course, you can return any surplus equipment as long as you haven't opened or used it.
I and others on this board will be happy to help you plan your lighting scheme if you tell us what equipment you will be using and what you are trying to accomplish.
-- D
Sorry Martha, I meant to, but forgot to include this in my above response-yes rail joiners are essential to join the track together, no matter what code or make you are going to be using, they'll be needed. One on each rail when joining 2 pieces of track together.
Doneldon: I tried to attach a photo of this platform but I got some message folder to large, contact administrator so gave up on it. how does one attach photos? in the meantime.............
The platform I am using: 6' long and widest in center is 4' It is an odd shape, due to limitations to where this is placed between 2 door openings. I am attempting to attach a photo of the old one that I am revamping. the new one is longer and wider. The frame is 1.5 in by 3/4 in wood lengths giving it about a 1 inch void to run wires, allow some air flow between the top (extruded pink foam board) and the back a large sheet of cardboard. Sandwiching them together so I can move and store the platform separate from all the homes, vehicles, accessories, etc that are placed on the platform. The train track will be attached to the platform and stay on it when stored. Due to its size I will wrap it in either visqueen or bubble wrap to protect it.
My lightening will be well lets just say a lot! I have ac/dc lemax miniature strands of lights, hedges with lights, trees with lights, light post, spot lights and very low voltage soft lights. all are powered with ac/dc adapters from lemax. The problem I had last year was trying to figure out how to make them quick disconnect so when I take this apart to store, the lights can be easily disconnected and stored in the bins I have for all the other stuff. I didn't want to have to undo the back of the platform and pull wires or cut wires. Does that make sense? Just have easy connections on top the platform where I can hide them with trees or other things but easy to get to. The other bigger issue is the houses and lighting them. I have about 20 small ceramic house, buildings, store all of which I light up. The houses when purchase do come with a single 110v night light bulb and socket to stick inside of it, well that would be over kill not to mention probably a good weeny roast as my home burns to the ground from all that current and heat. What I used last year was a string of clear Christmas lights. 100 to be exact. I drilled 2 holes for each house and fed them from underneath the platform and set the house over the two mini lights. (see attached photo) It did the job but... a lot of work. Storing it, many of the lights broke off an so now I am left with a partially working string of lights that I won't be using. Not all the lights were in the houses due to the space between the strand so some just laid inside on the cardboard. I didn't have the lights on for long period of time but it still probably wasn't the safest way to go. Now this year, LEDs are probably the way to go, as you said they don't create the heat, cheap to use and last a long time. I am not sure how this foam and heat from lights will work out. Will it melt the foam? or ignite it? All the houses will have lighting in them one way or another, I am addicted to Christmas lighting, and quite possible you can see my outside decorations from the space station. I noticed on my power box for the train there is a dc side and ac side and you can connect wires to both. is it possible to use it to run my lighting???? I just experimented and the ac side did light up one of my lighted hedges. but is that a safe thing to do? am I over powering these low volted lights?
Forming using foam and plaster cloth. Wish I knew your advice on the newspaper part before I made the stuff. I did use newspaper for the forming and didn't know to remove it. Now the back of both the mountain and the tunnel are open and air can get to the newspaper all the time, think that will help eliminate the mildew smell? Heck if not, I had so much fun making these wouldn't hurt my feelings to redo them again next year. Terrific suggestion on the black inside of tunnel, I did bring the plaster cloth inside, painted stacked rock on the front sides of the tunnel and there will be houses, lights, trees etc on top the tunnel. Actually molded a switch back road up to the top of the tunnel to get to the homes. I am going to build another mountain or some thing on the far end of the platform, removable like the others but need to get that flex track and all the track installed so I know where this will go. Might of found a place locally for the track, sure hope so, its holding everything up right now.
Oh note: I paint the entire platform with popcorn ceiling texture dry mix with water to give it the snow effect. really does a good job, I can build it up for snow drifts. it is easy enough to scrape away to lay the track. I know dust is a bugger, doesn't go well with trains and tracks.
Track and lighting are my two focal points right now, need to have both on hand and devise a plan for both. Radio Shack is three blocks away! So I may be making a few trips back and forth if need be. do you have a specific vendor you buy from? not sure where to get the rail joiners? Your last post confirmed they are an important factor to all of this track laying. Thanks!
jbbrock27 thanks for the info on the rail joiners, learning they are important things. Do you have a specific vendor you buy from? Thanks for the support.
I do not have a favorite Martha no sorry. Many that come to this board swear by THE FAVORITE SPOT, who list thru both EBay and AMAZON. Sometimes their prices can be good, but sometimes bc of their popularity with people, here for instance, it makes for greater competition when an item on EBay is one that is bid on and ends up driving up the price considerably as opposed to just looking elsewhere. I have bought from them thru AMAZON. I have bought railjoiners, brass, from EBay and just searched for a deal on a package of them. Sadly, the local hobby shop I have, has little in the way of model train items-he's into RC cars, boats and planes.
Bottom line, it pays to shop around and be patient. That's my advice.
PS-I would like to see your pictures.
To partly answer your question about AC/DC (done dirt cheap): yes you can run LEDs off the DC and the X-mas lights off the AC. What I will defer to have someone else with greater ability explain further is that for LEDs you will likely need a resistor on one leg of the LEDs or somewhere in line from the power connection to one leg of the LED to limit the amount of power to it so it does not burn out. You will also need beforehand to set the dial on the power pack to be at the amount of power you want running to the LEDs (10 volts, 12 volts or 8 volts for example). Also, you would have to leave the direction switch in the same position on the power pack; if you changed the direction switch, then the LEDs will turn off. You will need to know the "specs" on the LED you are using. If they are different for ones you are using, this might make makes more complicated. For the X-mas lights you will need to know what the lights are rated to receive for power, but should not need a resistor for them and you would need to know the AC power output of the power pack. I hope this helps you.
the resistor makes some what sense as I have a real nice set of LED lights that do have a resistor in the line of lights. I failed to mention I actually have two power switches of the same model, so i could use one for just lights and the other for the train operations. I don't know how to attach a photo, I tried a few times and made sure is was less that 128 kb but still said folder to large blah blah blah. so maybe someone can walk me through it. as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I am trying to attach it to my replies, isn't that where I want to attach it? not in the photo gallery section of this site.
Now i need to find small connectors, some of the wires is probably 22 guage, real thin wire. I might have to study up on soldering them and using the shrink wrap. any views/opinions on that subject? or just crimping them?
I have not posted pictures myself Martha but if you do a search on the Forum, you will find people have given instructions on how to use Photo Bucket and then you can post the pics here.
At Radio Shack, they sell small crimp connectors that are used to connect phone line wire, very small gauge, around the size you have. They may work for you if you do not want to solder wire together and then use shrink wrap. You could probably crimp and use shrink wrap over the crimp if you were concerned about strengthening the connection to keep it from coming apart.
Martha.
I only have one eye, thus soldiering is a little challenging as I have no depth perception.
I don't see close up too well out of the other eye either.
So, if I can do it, so can you. Give it a try. There's lots of video on line if you Google "soldering".
Martha, using 1 power pack to run trains and another to run accessories, is always a good idea.
I think I will be in business next week, yippee! flex track, rail joiners and 2 pin male/female connectors should be here Tuesday. All of these are crucial to my Christmas Village layout. I am not going to sleep well until they arrive. I don't sleep well now plotting and planning it all. I actually wake up in the middle of the night wiring something or plastering a stand alone something or other. Last night was adding "waterfalls" and pond "water" to the layout. That Water Effects and Realistic Water is pretty cool. I also added a 'dirt road" winding up the hill that will house a house or two over the train tunnel. I bought a string of LED soft white Christmas lights to use instead of the night light bulbs that go inside those ceramic house to light them up. The houses I have are small 3 to 4 inches long. they don't need much to give them a glow. Now I need to research if I can shorten the string. I pray the flex track will do what I hope it will do. If not you might see me offering some trains, tracks and trestles and X crossings and box cars etc etc really cheap! I am on such a budget to do this project, the last thing I need is stuff that doesn't work for what I want. I am keeping positive the flex track will do the trick. Is it here yet!???? Well guess I better go and untangle all those mini lights and hedges and bushes and trees, some how they all became one over the course of them being stored! Going to make a couple of wreaths to hand on the tunnel. Might add a light or two to them. Thanks for the tip about looking how to share photos. After all the hours and hours I put into something that is set up for a few months, I'd like to share it. I think people on this site understand the time, effort, imagination, expense, lack of sleep, detail, detail detail that goes into something like what you all do and what I am doing with a simple Christmas Village.
Hey martha, how about another cup of coffee? ;D
have you ever considered leaving it up all year round? it is a shame to redo it every year, when if it was permanent you could add to what you've already done.
Martha-
Craft stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby have inexpensive acrylic paints which are great for Christmas villages. Among them are white and clear paints with very fine glitter. The white adds a believable sparkle to snow and the clear makes great ice, including icicles if you build it up layer by layer. You can also use the clear for waterfalls. (Another trick with waterfalls is to put lights behind them. Keep the lights small so they don't overwhelm the whole thing.)
Stay positive about the flex track. The size platform you described should be large enough for the flex track and, more important, the trains you will run. Stick with small locomotives and rolling stock for both operational ease and a cute, funky look with your village. The village items I've seen tend to be smaller structures so large train cars will ruin the effect.
If you have the option, use LEDs as much as possible. They are safer than any other kind of lights, don't generate potentially damaging heat and are a snap to wire, as long as you pay attention to polarity.
I'm guessing that you are under construction by now. I hope things are going smoothly for you.
-- D
To martha : they now make night light bulbs as LED s . I recently boought some at Menards to relamp strangely enough for nightlights . John2.
Well I got the flex track and thought it would be easy to install but I am having some problems and any and all advice is welcomed. going to ask questions.
1. how do I get the track to stay in place for me to mark it and see if it will work properly? I have been trying to use long headed straight pins but the locomotive won't go over them obviously. Do I just trust in faith I will get the track laid down right the first time and the the locomotive and cars will go around like I want?
2. once I get it in place and trace out its layout, how do I attach the track to the foam board? (I am not using track bed, I think that is what it's called, just laying it directly on the foam board). I don't plan on removing it from this foam board. Nail it or glue it?
3. How to I get each rail to move? I know the outside rail will curve more than the inside rail, is there a tool to use? I can't seem to get the rail, rail joiners and the other rail to line up. is there a trick?
4. Solder the rails together or not? Solder some of them and leave others unsolder in case I need to adjust or move them?
5. Is flux something I have to have to solder? If so do I need it to solder my wiring I am working on? or just use it for the rails (if I decided to solder them in place.).
I was so excited to get the flex track delivered yesterday and then so disappointed I was having such a hard time figuring it out. Gave up on it and went to soldering my light connections, got the 2 pin connectors in, just what I was looking for. I know I am not the first person to realize soldering takes three or more hands, my cat isn't obliging and so now I think I need one of those contraptions that looks like something Dr Loveless in a James West series invented.
I appreciate all the input everyone has given me. I may not comment on it all but I am taking note of all of it. Someone asked why don't I leave it up all year long. Well I live in a one bedroom apartment that is about 600 square feet total. The top of my entertainment center is where I place this. I have a front door to one side and the door leading to the bedroom/bathroom. As it is now when this is in place, one has to turn sideways to get past this monster!Three months of doing this is enough plus I put out a Fall Village and an Easter Village on top the center, neither of them are the size of this. Trust me if I could leave Christmas up all year long without fear of being committed to a hospital, I would!
I experimented using my additional ac/dc train power box to operate the lights, not sure what watt or volt they were but I tried it on these two tiny bulbs inside a train tower, originally they were lighted with a adapter that was plugged into 110 power. I eliminated the adapter and well long story short, the bulbs got real bright, started to smoke and then tiny flames shot out of them before they burned out. So, since I don't know enough about current, voltage, wattage, adapters, transformers and resistors. I will just stick with what I did last year but with the new 2 pin connectors will make it a much nicer wire layout. Some things I have to admit defeat and that is one of them.
Thanks for any and all advice!
Martha,if you have not dicovered it by now one rail of your flex track will not move.The other rail will slide ,always lay the flex with the sliding rail as the inside rail then after you have formed your curve the inside rail will stick out from the end cut this piece off even with the other rail .If your curves are big enough to need more than one piece of track try to stagger the joints to help relieve and kinks at the joints.
Watched a very good step by step video of a novice model railroader and he explained how to tell the rail that should go inside. Also discussed joining them and laying them out. Unfortunately for me I have no one to help me hold the tracks while I try to lay it out. I've tried pretty much everything and it is still laying on the platform incomplete. Now I think I have bitten off more than I can chew and will probably just give up and put it all for sale on craigs list. I am also disgusted with some yea who on ebay who i purchased rail joiners from . cheap price, brand new in the package and cheap shipping only problem is they never bothered to ship them until I put in a formal complaint today (six days after purchase) with ebay and wow just like that they are supposed to be on their way. What really ******* me off is the comment from the seller saying they are coming from Michigan to Nevada 2000 miles apart and will take some time getting here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What?????????????????? they are being sent first class mail not on a Conestoga Covered Wagon. So I am down in the dumps and probably shouldn't take it out on this forum. I just wanted to thank everyone who has responded to my questions.
Hey, Martha! We all get bummed from time to time. Just ride through it and imagine how neat your Christmas village will look with a train chugging through it. And remember that some eBayers have no business running a business because they don't understand the fundamental need to take care of their customers. Don't let such a jerk to discourage you or influence your behavior.
As for bending the flex track, you can use push pins to temporarily hold the track in position. Once you have your basic configuration figured out and track cut to size, glue it to your layout with clear caulk or plastic-safe construction adhesive. Run a small bead of caulk down the centerline of your track, spread it thin and put your track in place. Because flex track has a tendency to straighten itself out a bit, use the push pins to control the track until the caulk sets.
-- D
Martha, I would likely be frustrated like you, over the shipping time from that seller. But maybe this can be turned around into a positive. Perhaps it turns out the delay is better bc of your frustration level. It is never a good thing to continue to try to work on something when frustrated with it. Bad things can happen more times than not. With this delay, you can step away for a while, and this will give you a break as well as time to think, maybe come up and or research some methods that will help you. Maybe if you think that it does not matter that the joiners come in 6 days or 12 days time, as you still will have plenty of time to get this ready for Christmas, you will feel better about it. I would look at it that way, especially if I thought I got a great price for them-I would trade longer shipping time for better price, any day of the week.
Doc's suggestion of keeping the track down is a good one. You are using foam board under the track, correct? It is my understanding you can also secure the track down with white glue (a good friend of mine uses white glue for just about everything). I am referring to Elmer's or any generic brand that is like Elmer's.
Now, if I understand correctly, you would like to try to run the train on the track first, before securing the track down, correct? To make sure it operates correctly, which makes sense to me. I know, putting pins in the middle of your track will not assist you in that. Maybe what you can do is use the pins to set the track they way you would like, mark the outside and inside of the track with a marker (like a giant outline) then take painters tape and tape the track down to the foam board by taping the outside, where the ties are (not tape over the rails) to the foam board, then once secure, take the pins out so you can run the train w/o interference several times to make sure everything runs like it is supposed to. If no adjustments are needed, you can take the track up, put whatever adhesive you chose down between the lines you marked and lay the track back down, holding it in place with the pins until the glue dries.
i have a couple of questions for you.
1. do you not have a hobby shop nearby? even hobbytown usa sells rail joinars. unless you live in an area without a hobby shop, there is no reason to buy rail joiners online. you won't save enough to cover the shipping.
2. have you tried doing something else when you get frustrated, then coming back to what you were doing asfter you've calmed down? sometimes, stepping away then coming back clears your mind so that you can see things you didn't before.
3. not a question but a comment. don't feel like you have to know everything. none of us do. I've spent a lifetime in the hobby and still learn new things all the time.
One reason to buy on line would be not having a hobby shop close enough buy to justify the cost in gas to drive there. When compared to the cost of gas used to shipping fees in these instances, paying the shipping cost is the better deal. This is what I am faced with all the time. While there is a LHS in town, the guy stocks very little HO stuff bc it is no longer popular like radio controlled cars, boats and planes are now. I understand he has to use the space he has for what gives him the most bang for his buck.
To MARTHA : regarding flux . you do need it to solder . It cleans the joint and removes contaminants to allow proper bonding . Rosin core solder is the type solder you will need. it has the correct type of flux . Soldering is something that you do have to practice to get good results . Every hobby has aspects that provide frustration aglore ,triumphing over them is what gives you that feeling of satisfaction . So take a breather , rest , and start anew . J2.
Martha-
A good soldering technique for newbies (it's a useful technique for just about everyone in some circumstances) is to tin both pieces separately and then solder them together.
First clean both contact points. Then either put a tiny bit of flux on each piece (NEVER use acid core solder or acid flux) and heat the pieces (NOT the solder) separately, touching the solder to the heated material, not the soldering gun or iron. This lets a small amount of solder make a good bond with the pieces to be attached to one another. Last, put the tinned surfaces together and apply heat to the larger of the two pieces, as close to the contact point as possible. Hold the heat source on that point until enough heat transfers to melt both tinned surfaces so you get a good bond. You can add a little solder if needed to strengthen the connection but add it by touching the solder to the heated joint, not the heat source. Don't let the soldered pieces move even a little bit until the joint cools and the solder hardens to a shiny surface. A frosty surface means a bad connection and the need to redo the job; the main cause of that is movement between the two surfaces before the solder hardens. You can usually succeed without additional preparation. Just hold the two pieces still and apply heat.
You'll have a few so-called cold joints at first but keep at it and you'll quickly have the hang of it.
-- D
I'm Back!!!! Still having problems getting the results I want but as someone commented, walking away when frustrated is the way. I do have a few hobby/model railroading shops in town however they charge quite a bit for their stuff so I went online. The rail joiners including shipping was under $4.00 it didn't seem like an expensive item. Just annoyed me I needed them and only after I put in a formal complaint (6 days AFTER purchased)did the person ship them. So I am at a stand still until I get them. I think my frustration today is the joints aren't tight due to old bent joiners I am trying to use. The flex trac, well lets just say its piled up in the middle of the platform with all the other stuff I am not using. I went back to the old track, gave up on the R X R crossing piece and the trestle piece I purposely bought to add to the layout this year. Couldn't get the track and them to work out so they are in the middle of the platform too. The positive part of this is the lay out is done. The train should work once the new rail joiners are in place and its' glued, pinned down in place, but I do have a question I just remembered. There are part of the track the train just stops on, if I nudge it along it will take off again. Now it doesn't happen all the time and I sit there scratching my head in wonder, why did it stop this time? I have read and seen video talking about adding direct power to those tracks? How would one do that? or is that just for advanced lay outs? I have cleaned the tracks numerous times, actually after every adjustment I am touching the tracks. Another thing I notice is locomotive will go along at a good speed and then slow up or go faster on some of the track. Is that a clue there is power issues? the track is flat no hills to climb. It just doesn't move at the same speed around the track continuously. As to gluing it down, I did do that last night using silicone, worked good but had to pull it all up for the replacement tracks and other issues, at least I know that will work and how easy it was to do once it was outlined, pinned and left alone to dry.
Now that the layout is done I can move on to adding more of the village aspects of the project. I think another mountain or level up for more houses is the next step. Had to wait to see where the tracks laid in proportion to what I can add, like a mountain, etc. That foam and plaster cloth is the cats meow! I have been practicing soldering on the electrical connections I am putting in to this project. THANKS for the great advice on doing that.
Another question..... I will end up with cars extra cars, trestles, track, etc etc is there a site anyone recommends to put them up for sale, or just do it locally like Craigslist or do it on Ebay? I know I won't expand this, have no place to expand it unless I move into someplace bigger and well if that happens then I can go look for stuff then. I just lost my part time job so glad I have all the stuff I need to complete this years project. I am off, to plan the addition to the platform, hmm what will it be ????????? :)
I am glad you found our advice helpful.
My suggestion on those bent/loose joiners you mentioned, is to toss them, especially if you will have enough replacements in what is coming to you via the mail. They will only be trouble by not conducting electricity from one section of track to the other. The only way I can see they could still be used, is if you decided you were also going to use your soldering tool to solder the rail joiner to the sections of track it is joining. But, if they are so loose the rails don't line up properly, then I think that is more headache than worth.
On that subject, since you mentioned loose joiners, I am going to say I believe that is why your loco slows down on certain sections and why, when you put your hand on the loco, what you are also doing is moving the track together enough, to resume electrical continuity. Does that make sense based on what you are experiencing?
Regarding selling, I know you said your place is small, but maybe you want to consider hanging onto those items if you can figure a way to. Perhaps a friend or relatives place? If selling, EBay probably has more exposure than Etsy or Craigslist, but I hear sellers complain all the time about costs from shipping and EBay fees, eating into their profits (boo hoo).
Martha-
You might find it helpful to connect your power pack to your rails at two or three locations. You can run separate wires from the screws of the power pack to the different connection points or run a single pair of wires which are themselves connected to your rails by short jumpers. Just be sure that you mind your polarity so there are no short circuits between the rails.
You can attach the wires by soldering them to the undersides of some rail joiners or by soldering them to the outsides of your rails. There's no good reason to purchase expensive terminal track sections when rail joiners or a simple soldering job will do the trick.
Craig's List isn't a particularly good marketplace for the kinds of surplus model railroad items you have. It's OK for train sets for children but not enough model railroaders look on Craig's List for the kinds of things you have. eBay should be pretty good but you won't net much after you sell used items, ship them and pay eBay and Paypal fees. As jb mentioned, you might want to hang on to the stuff at least for a little while, or maybe give the things to a child.
It does sound like you're making progress. Good for you!
-- D
Soldering could well be defined as an acquired art in that it takes developed skill that for the most part, is readily available in mostof us. It is very similar to brazing and welding in that respect. To do a good job, it is like most anything else: You first contemplate the project, coordinate the operation, plan some contingencies, and if you are new, to the subject, do be patient and go easy.
Rich C.
Yippee I finally got the rail joiners in the mail. replaced all the old ones and what an improvement! I do notice they are much loser than the original ones and that may be so they work on both 100 and 83 track (just a guess know so little about MR) no big deal but now have a question. Theoretically if I glue down the track with tight connections, I won't need to solder the rail joiners? I am having a hard time soldering, not sure why. the solder doesn't seem to want to "melt". I am using the stuff that came with my soldering kit. and I have to admit I don't have flux. I watched a video that showed the guy was heating up the rail with the soldering iron and then placing the solder on the rail (he didn't use flux or they didn't show he did). it just melted right into that rail. then he used the iron to smooth out the solder along that joiner. what a nice looking result he had. Mine well looks like a first grader did it. Actually it wasn't that bad but very little solder was actually on the rail. How much do I need on it to make it secure? I'm not trying to short cut the procedure, by not soldering I just don't know if it will be that necessary if the track is nice and secure.
Another question is IF after I glue it down, secure the joints and there is still power issues, can someone direct me to a video or explain how I go about running extra power to each rail or to rails that seem to lose power. Think I understand the process but sure don't want to screw anything up this far down the road. Oh issue I had yesterday. The power/control box just quit. Do they over heat? I have 2 so I just hooked up the other one and used it. In the past when I had my first power issues with the locomotive I had dropped and the wheels were on wrong, it tripped the built in circuit breaker, is that what might be happening now? These are the old style control box.
I do have to admit I was acting like a child yesterday when I actually was able to have the locomotive, a box car and the caboose go around the track several times before it derailed. (joints separated of course). I was clapping and doing a happy dance. Then I was even more happy when I won on ebay auction 7 sets of mini chasing lights to add to the village (they have been shipped not placed on the wagon train for delivery). Which is now know as Jamestown, named after my daddy who passed in 1995 and was my hero. So yesterday was a good day. Guess I will hang onto the other stuff as many of you have suggested who knows, I am looking to move any how! Thanks again for all your help! :)
Martha: A few tips about soldering. You need to heat the items (in this case the rails and joiners) hot enough to melt the solder. This means placing the iron at the spot to be soldered, wait a little bit, then touch the solder NEAR the iron. If and when it melts it will flow into the joint. In the video, it is likely that the solder being used had flux already inside it, which is common. I always use a little dab extra, partly becuase when that dab starts to bubble, it means that the metal is getting close to solder-melting heat. As noted earlier, if you use separate flux, make sure it is electronics-safe.
In the meantime, ahead of polishing your soldering skills, you should take a pair of needle-nose pliers and crimp the loose rail joiners as tightly as you can to the rails. It wil help prevent open circuits. A lot of folks recommend soldering power leads onto each length of flex track so that you don't have any worries about power feeding through the rail joiners. The wires have to soldered to the outside of the rails so as not to intefere with the wheels on the inside of the rails.
Martha-
Your rail joiners should not be loose. Loose joiners will allow your track sections to separate (which you will control once you have the track glued in place) and will fail to transfer electricity from one rail to the next. The problem shouldn't be that your joiners work for both Codes 83 and 100; the difference is in the height of the rail, not the foot. (Rails have three parts from top to bottom: head, web and foot.) The best way to fix this is to squeeze the joiners just a little to make the opening a bit thinner. You can try pinching the joiners onto the track ends but it's tough to make them tight enough while they are actually on the rails. This is a fiddle with thing. You'll probably squeeze one or two joiners too much but you'll quickly get the hang of it. With good, tight rail joiners, you shouldn't need more than two or three feeders.
You can add additional power supplies in three way: purchase terminal rails sections, solder your feeders to rail joiners or solder your feeders directly to the rails. I wouldn't waste the money on terminal track sections if you are happy with your current configuration. I believe the best alternative is soldering feeders to the bottom (best) or outside flap of your rail joiners. To do this, clean the bottom surface of the rail joiner with a pencil eraser until it shines, blow off any residue, put a tiny dab of resin flux on the polished surface and on your wire end, touch your soldering gun/iron to the wire end, heat your wire end with your soldering gun/iron, touch the solder to the wire until a bit of solder flows into the wire, heat the rail joiner with your soldering gun/iron, touch the hot joiner with your solder until a bit of solder flows onto the joiner, keep the soldering gun/iron in contact with the rail joiner while you touch the wire end to the soldered area on the rail joiner, and remove the heat source while holding the wire in motionless contact with the melted solder on the rail joiner. I know that sounds like a lot of steps but it should take less than a minute per solder job. To solder your feeders to the rails, follow the same procedure except clean, flux and solder to the outside of the rail web and/or foot instead of the rail joiner bottom. The reason I prefer to solder feeders to rail joiners is that slow soldering jobs risks melting the plastic ties in your track. This is especially likely to happen if your soldering iron/gun is full of crud so it can't heat the rail quickly.
That's another other issue: Your soldering iron/gun needs to have a clean tip in order to transfer heat efficiently. I'm guessing that's the source of the difficulty you are having now. The way to fix this is to turn on your soldering gin/iron until it gets plenty hot and then rub the tip on a damp natural sponge or rag. After the crud is removed, put a little flux on the heated tip and then touch your solder to it until the tip has a thin coating of solder. It's not a bad idea to regularly wipe the hot tip on a damp rag or sponge from time to time while you are soldering but you don't need to do a thorough cleaning or add flux and solder unless the tip gets coated with lots of crud or loses its ability to heat your joints quickly. Don't use a synthetic sponge because your gun/iron will melt it making a stinky mess and a difficult clean-up job.
I believe the best way to run additional feeders is with two wires under your layout with short feeders running up to the rails or rail joiners. The feeders can be tine wires. Your layout is small enough that you can run the supply wire with just some normal bell wire. Larger size wire is okay but not necessary for a small set-up like yours. Strip a small area off of your supply wire (all the way around -- a knife works well) and then flux, heat and solder following the steps outlined above.
There is a thermal protection feature in most power supplies which will cause the unit to shut down if your system demands excessive current. They restart automatically when they have cooled. It's analogous to the circuit breaker which opens when you have a short circuit. So ... the operation is probably normal. I am troubled a bit, however, because you aren't running a big demand with your power source. Are you certain it wasn't your circuit breaker which blew?
-- D
Well I think I learned many things with these resent replies. One thing I know for sure and learned it after the fact is the tip of that soldering iron. I am sure that is why I am not having the sucesse I should be. I didn't know about cleaning the tip, wondered why there was a sponge included, now I know! the tip, well it ended up with this tiny long skinny metal like thing at the end. Hard as a nail and I eventually snipped it off with a wire cutter. So I think the tip is history and a second one came with it but of course can't seem to lay my hands on it so ..... I will need to get more tips and flux. I am sure that is probably another reason why I am having the difficult in a good solder. I know I didn't flip a house breaker with the control box, I just think they are old, I turn them on they sit for long periods and are quite warm to the touch on the bottom of them. and I'm not even running the train, so I need to stop doing that. doubt it's a good thing. Once it's all said and done. glued down, joiners crimped tighter, soldered, leads run if needed, I will be so happy. It's been a long venture one, I didn't expect to take so long but all in all its not been that bad. Once Jamestown is complete, up and running I will figure out a way to post it so those of you interested can view it, probably on YouTube. Tonight I finished detailing Jamestown Mountain. Has fire tower, deer, rocks, shrubs, snow, a miner and his three legged donkey (so I dropped it and it broke, can't find the leg!) its lighted, has twinkling lighted tree, its just cool and I am very pleased on how it turned out, it will be the third removable addition to the platform. thanks again for all the help. will keep you up to date on the progress.
Martha-
If I had to guess, I would say that the appendage you cut off of the tip of your soldering iron is solder. I don't know that you should assume that you need to install a new tip.
Although it's generally not a good idea to use abrasives on a soldering iron tip, you can try filing off most of what is attached to the tip. When you go too far you'll see bare copper. STOP THERE and file on the other surfaces of the tip until the whole thing is bright metal. Then flux and tin. Do note that your final filing or sanding on the tip should be done with fairly fine abrasives; you don't want a bunch of deep scars on the copper tip of your soldering iron.
You are almost certainly correct in saying that you didn't blow a circuit breaker in your service entrance panel. The power packs themselves have breakers inside.
It does sound like you're making good progress on the rest of your layout and as though it is looking pretty cool. I'm looking forward to seeing the final result. I must say, too, that you are showing great patience and tenacity with your project. I know you have had several frustrations and disappointments. I admire the way you've hung in there.
-- D
I know I didn't flip a house breaker with the control box, I just think they are old, I turn them on they sit for long periods and are quite warm to the touch on the bottom of them. and I'm not even running the train, so I need to stop doing that. doubt it's a good thing.
What kind of power pack are you using? if its the cheap train set type power pack I would replace it with a good power pack like a model rectifier corp (MRC) power pack assuming your set up is DC Those cheapo train set power packs do get hot and my experience with them is that they will shut down as a protection when they do get hot.
I remember running my Christmas round the tree train with a life like train set pp and having it shut down after a few minute due to heat. Once I replaced the pp it would go for hours without trouble.
hello there, been busy with "Jamestown". I think I have most of the bugs worked out on the train layout. I do have a question for you. is there a "trick" to keeping the caboose on the track? Seems too light weight, is shorter than the other cars and they have those tiny plastic wheels and couplers and the slightest bump or on some curves it will derail. It doesn't do it each and every time but it does it more often than not. The box car and tanker cars seem to be heavier and stay on the track, they are also a longer wheel base. I could just eliminate it however to me a train going down that ole track isn't a train without that caboose at the end. So any suggestions would be appreciated. I am working on the lighting now for the town, oy, that is so tedious and I am trying to tie it all in to only a few quick disconnects, which is working out quite nicely (the quick disconnects). Taking it down after the holiday is going to make it so much easier and better to store. Will keep you updated on the progress, you seem interested and I like sharing the progress with people who understand the time and effort it takes to set things up like this.
Martha,you might try adding some weight to the caboose to see if that helps.I would recomend that you put it as close to the ends of the car as you can get it.I would also suggest that you add equal amounts a little at a time till you obtain your goal.One last tip check to make sure the trucks are not contacting the underframe or the caboose steps.
To amplify Catt's note, make sure the trucks are swiveling freely. Sometimes the screw or pin that holds the trucks to the frame is too tight. Adding weight is also recommended. If the caboose comes off at the same place each time, look for some irregularity in the track - a misaligned rail joiner or maybe a kink in the rails. Also make sure that the uncoupling pin that hangs down below the coupler is not too low, where it might snag on a turnout.
Martha-
The NMRA (National Model Railroading Association) has a long list of approved practices, specifications and requirements, including weights of rolling stock. For HO, the rule is one ounce plus a half-ounce for each inch of length. Standard cabeese are around 28-30 feet long which translates to about five inches. That means a standard caboose would need to weigh about 3.5 ounces. If you have one of the real short ones (like a four-wheel caboose), the weight should be about 2.5 ounces. However, in my experience, a little extra weight is better than a little too little. That's especially true for cabeese because they can get tossed around at the end of the train if it's going along too briskly. In any event, add weight as low in a car as possible. You can use anything for weight. Handy possibilities are surplus hardware, BBs, fishing weights or pennies. Pennies are the cheapest option after random hardware. Whatever you use, glue it down.
Metal wheels, in addition to keeping tracks cleaner than plastic, add weight down low where it does the most for stability. The axles should rotate freely in their trucks and be in gauge. The usual practice with attaching the trucks to the car body is to make one loose enough that the car can rock a little and the other tight enough that it turns freely but does not rock.
-- D
Ho Ho Ho. I Finally have my Christmas Village up and running. I doubt I would have if I didn't find this forum, so good to my word. Here is a link to my youtube post. If this link does not work, search youtube My Christmas Village Jamestown. http://youtu.be/oUJ_GeMuWbo be sure to use jamestown in the search.
Be Sure to watch to the end.
I know things I did wrong, I know things I will redo next year, I know I want a Steam chugging locomotive not the diesel I have now. Love that chug chug, steam release bell clanging critter. Yeah can you tell I am NOT a model railroader! I do thank all of you for the support. I wish you all A Merry Christmas or whatever you may celebrate at this time of year. and Peace on Earth so our troops can come home. Happy New Year. Thanks once again.
Martha-
Nice! Very festive and fun. I like that you will shift to a steam loco next year. Everybody knows (though some refuse to admit it) that real trains are pulled by steam the way the good Lord intended. If He had wanted trains pulled by diesels he'd have made those first. Have great holidays and thank you for showing us your Christmas layout.
-- D
Martha,
Very nice Christmas layout and video. Reminds me of the Christmas layouts we had as kids. I too like the idea of adding a steam engine, maybe a Santa Train.
Well done and Merry Christmas.
Rod in PA