Making wiring easier.

[footplate1947]

I have just finished most of my Baseboards and ready to put down some track and a thought came to me.
It would be great if when you purchased new track and points they came with short wires already fitted to the rails so all you had to do was drill a small hole in baseboard and drop the wires through. Then all you had to do was solder or join to your droppers and take them to where ever the supply is.
Hornby have gone some way toward that by supplying their power supply thing which plugs under the sleepers (that's if you can find the fiddly little holes to plug them into) Then you are stuck with a lump of plastic next to the track which resembles nothing. It is quite a ridicules design when simple short piece of wire fixed to each rail would be much tidier.
It would also make wiring up quicker as well.
Just an idea where the manufacturers could make life a little simpler for the modellers to use.

[RFS]

Easy enough to solder droppers on yourself, especially as you get to choose whether you need one on that piece of track (not everyone is necessarily using DCC) and where. Track with pre-attached wires will occur additional cost which I suspect most modellers would prefer to avoid by doing it themselves.

[footplate1947]

Easy enough to solder droppers on yourself, especially as you get to choose whether you need one on that piece of track (not everyone is necessarily using DCC) and where. Track with pre-attached wires will occur additional cost which I suspect most modellers would prefer to avoid by doing it themselves.

Yes I know it is RFS but it would be less time-consuming and easier laying lots of tracks if track came from the factory with couple of short droppers already fitted on the rails. They only need to be 6inches (ca. 15 cm) long. Remember a lot of people are not very good at soldering. Please don't tell me how easy soldering is, I know it is easy for us who have been doing it for years, but not for some people who are new to the hobby. To be honest soldering wires to rails pushing the sleepers out the way and all that fiddling around I would prefer not to have to bother to do it and have dropper starters already fitted.
Also it is not so easy to solder droppers to points is it. Some dropper on points are in not so easy to get to places.

[Dad-1]

Hi footplate 1947,

If you're that keen to buy rather than build why not use the Peco wired rail joiners ?
While not the bullet proof connections of soldered on droppers they offer what you're
suggesting, fast & easy installation..
The weakness of any push on connections are the possibilities of your ballasting mix
seeping between rail & joiner, or paint getting in, particularly if like me you weather
ballast by washing paint in with copious amounts of thinners.

Geoff T.

[footplate1947]

Hi footplate 1947,

If you're that keen to buy rather than build why not use the Peco wired rail joiners ?
While not the bullet proof connections of soldered on droppers they offer what you're
suggesting, fast & easy installation..
The weakness of any push on connections are the possibilities of your ballasting mix
seeping between rail & joiner, or paint getting in, particularly if like me you weather
ballast by washing paint in with copious amounts of thinners.

Geoff T.

[footplate1947]

Hi footplate 1947,

If you're that keen to buy rather than build why not use the Peco wired rail joiners ?
While not the bullet proof connections of soldered on droppers they offer what you're
suggesting, fast & easy installation..
The weakness of any push on connections are the possibilities of your ballasting mix
seeping between rail & joiner, or paint getting in, particularly if like me you weather
ballast by washing paint in with copious amounts of thinners.

Geoff T.

I just put forward an idea which I thought would make life easier especially for younger beginners and anyone else who may see the advantage of having factory fitted wired rails and points out of the box. If you dont agree with the idea you could cut them off easy enough, then spend time soldering them back on.

[footplate1947]

Also Dad the reason to have droppers is mainly to do away with troublesome fishplate connections. Is it not. ..........John

[footplate1947]

I would be very careful putting loads of thinners on track as it can do harm to plastics. I have never tested it but if it can harm track plastic sleepers .

[Dad-1]

Hi footplate1947

I started washing Matt black enamel into my tracks as far back as 2012 on this layout.
Being a lifetime project it's still ongoing, but no signs of any degradation yet. You do need
a good % PVA/Water mix to hold fast against the 'washing out'



You're quite right, you use multi droppers, I use on every piece of track, even just 4, or 5
sleepers long to give you the most secure track power feeds as possible. One reason why I
wouldn't use the Peco 'Dropper Rail-Joiners'.
However if you're requirement is speed and ease it is an answer.

Geoff T.

[footplate1947]

Hello Geoff,,,,Must complement you on that nice work.
I did not suggest short wires ready to join up your droppers was essential. I just thought it was a good idea and it would help chaps new to the hobby and those who buy their own admission don't like soldering for what ever reason. It would make it easier for some people. That was all. Far as I am concerned fish plates have only one purpose and that is to hold the track in a straight line.