Hello again to everyone and a big thank you to everyone for their advice on my previous posts they've proven to be most helpful. Here's something that may be obvious to experienced modellers and to those of you who understand electrics, I'm a returner and sorry to say that my electrical knowledge is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorcycle. Here goes and try not to laugh, in a former incarnation I used power clips is there something more aesthetically pleasing, but not too complicated? 

Many thanks. 

I have never used clips - always soldered wires to rails.

Hi there,
Just straight soldering wires to the track at the sides of the rail on the outside!  If you are using set track, you could solder short droppers which you can join to wiring from your control panel

There is an earlier thread on a similar topic

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=9494&forum_id=6

as well as 

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=9970&forum_id=21

Ok it is the same Original poster and yes I figure in it but it is a useful tackle on a couple of issues.

When you have your track plan worked out a bit, we can then do a wiring diagram for it… the ball is then in your court!

Cheers from Oz

Trevor

Hi Box
I have always soldered to the bottom of rail joiners and despite adverse opinion I have never had any issues. That said I have feeds every other joiner so that might compensate!

Barry

I think when powering and connecting to the track is concerned especially after many years being away from it one has to realise things have moved on a a lot yes years ago people did use power clips and you can still buy them but to be fair most would regard that as a childs trainset connection.

If you intend it to be a proper model rail layout you need to be looking at the suggestions being made here.

Brian

Soldered to the bottom of the rail. Cut the web,  move the sleepers out of the way, cover with damp kitchen towel to prevent the iron melting the plastic. Tin the rail and the wire, bend the end of the wire through 90°, hold to the rail, apply end of iron. I usually stagger the wires.
Nigel

Hello there again, and once more a big thank you, I guess then soldering it is, I'll check out some tutorials.Cheers. 

Hi Box

Lots of sound advice here, which I can only advise you follow.  I solder dropper wires to the bottom of track before I lay it, which I have found to be easy and effective.  Be careful when looking for advice about soldering on the internet, it is not all as helpful as it might suggest.  But plenty of wisdom here to prevent errors.  If you are new to soldering, don't panic, I was a complete newbie and hardly practical in such things and even I managed the process painlessly.

The bigger question is actually about how you connect the droppers to the main bus (power) wires.  That is a much more divisive issue.  Do you solder to the bus wires, or use some form of connector?  The latter is easier and, in my opinion, quicker, but the former is for the purists.  There are lots of bold statements about connectors and the build up of resistance over time, but no actual evidence or time scales that I can find.  A friend of mine has a boat, which he bought new in 1962.  The electrics rely on "suitcase" connectors…. the boat has crossed the Atlantic numerous times, to the Caribbean,  and back again to the Mediterranean…. and the connectors have never been a problem   He has, however, had to replace ropes, engine parts and sails.  Take from that what you will!

Whatever you choose, good luck with the layout and we will all look forward to seeing it develop.  We love a photo, so don't forget to keep us posted.

Regards

Michael

For the main power bus I have for (many) years used self adhesive copper tape as sold for dolls house lighting circuits as the power bus with all my droppers and other wires, isolators on DC layouts for example, soldered to it. the only weakness I have found is that sometimes the adhesive fails but that is easy to cure. At baseboard ends I use plug and sockets which came from maplins a long time ago but in the past I used old 2 pin mains plug and sockets (round pins - showing my age!). 

Hi Simon

Does this tape have a maximum voltage/ampere rating?

Barry

[user=2006]Barry Miltenburg[/user] wrote:

Hi Simon

Does this tape have a maximum voltage/ampere rating?

Barry

Good point Barry.

I used it as a part of the bus on my old layout without any problems and I think ZTC actually recommend it as the bus.

I used it in short sections - linked by a core stripped out from a 2.5mm "domestic" twin and earth cable - mainly to attach the droppers to.

It is quite thin so I'd guess there must be a limit but I didn't find it ………………  A big advantage with it is it's an absolute dream to solder to.  :cool:

0.5" wide is good for 4-5 amp, 1" wide is good for 13 amp. 

Nigel