Mainline Railways was a British model railway brand that operated between 1976 and 1983, introduced by Palitoy, the...
Cart 0 Product Products (empty)
No products
Free shipping! Shipping
£ 0.00 Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products (tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax excl.) Free shipping!
Total (tax incl.)
Search Tips
Tips categories
Latest Tips
-
What was the Mainline Railways company?Read more -
What is a Wickham Trolley?Read moreA Wickham Trolley is a small railway maintenance vehicle once widely used across Britain's railways. Built by D...
-
What was the Bachmann 'Blue Riband' subbrand ?Read moreThe Blue Riband subbrand was a significant step in the evolution of Bachmann Branchline, the UK division of Bachmann...
-
Do I need to apply a camber to a tight curve of track on my layout?Read moreApplying a camber to a tight curve of track on your model railway layout can help improve the realism and operation...
-
Avoiding the "Toy Train Look": Realistic Track ArrangementsRead moreA well-designed model railway is more than just a collection of tracks and trains: it’s a miniature world that...
How do I attach dropper wires to model railway track?
If you're considering installing dropper wires to your model railway track, you may be wondering where and how to attach them for the best results.
There are several ways you can attach dropper wires to your track, for example, power clips or special rail joiners with wires already attached. Both of those methods will get the job done with great convenience and little fuss, but for the best results, you can't beat soldering dropper wires directly to the track.
Soldering will create the greatest bond as the wire and metal rail become one, and that means no gaps or potential for dirt or oxidisation to affect connectivity over time. The best place to attach wires is the flat bottom of the rail. Installing your dropper wires there has the benefit of being discreet as well as providing the most surface area to make the connection.
Soldering wires to rails is not easy and wires will often refuse to adhere. If that happens to you, it is likely your rails or the wire you're using has not been prepared enough. Make sure that both are as clean as possible and try applying a little flux to the rail before soldering.
Another good tip is to use a powerful soldering iron to ensure it can heat the surface area quickly to avoid melting any surrounding sleepers. That may sound counterproductive, but a lesser-powered iron can take too long to heat the rail adequately, allowing heat time to traverse the rail and damage sleepers. A powerful iron will have the job done quickly minimising the heat's spread.
Posted in: Model Railway
Click here to receive the tips weekly in your mailbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related products
Related posts
-
What scale is Hornby?Hornby model railways are OO Scale or 1/76th that is 4 millimetres to the foot (12 inches). It runs on a track with... - How to weight my model so it does not tip?For wargaming figures, a small coin or washer glued to the under side of the base will usually to do the job. This...
- Is Bachmann compatible with Hornby?Yes, any OO scale loco, wagon or coach will work on any OO scale track, regardless of brand. Couplings are also...
- What are the model railway eras?According to Bachmann, as it states in their catalogue there are 9 eras. As they say in their catalogue this is not...
- Can a "DCC ready" train be used on analogue?Yes, you can use a DCC ready train on your analogue layout. DCC ready just means that the train has been factory...