Power feeds to LGB track

tramwayknowledge

tramwayknowledge

Tramway Modelling
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I have all my track laid out, cut, cleaned and fitted with lovely bright new fishplates . I am building an Electric Tamway, so I want to have good, frequent power feeds to the track. However, I am having great trouble soldering leads to the rails to link them to a busbar. I have done all the 'right' things; ground the rail web back to bright brass, used good flux, rosin cored solder etc.

BUT an electric soldering iron does not produce enough heat to secure a clean flow of solder, a gas pencil torch also seems to lack the power to achieve a good 'wet' joint, conversely a Butane torch heats the rail, melts the sleepers and burns the wire. I admit that I have never got the hang of soldering, but I must be missing a trick here.... can anyone offer me a few hints - or come round and spot-weld tags to my rails!
 
You can solder the power leads to the fishplates, that is much easier. The rails are a very effective heat sink which makes soldering very difficult. Alternatively buy a few rail clamps with eye tags to which you can solder your power leads. Or use the LGB or PIKO power lead clamps, a bit ungainly but very effective.
 
Dave’s advice is Sound. But what Power of Iron are you using? You need a good chunky one in the region of 80 Amp or higher.
 
I agree, both Dave and Jon’s idea are sound..
 
dunnyrail said:
Dave’s advice is Sound. But what Power of Iron are you using? You need a good chunky one in the region of 80 Amp or higher.
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Jon, I think you mean 'watts' not amps! ..........not sure how you could get 80 amps !!
Dave
 
Agreed, a big iron is the way to go - and it doesn't need to be an expensive purchase. I bought a 100 watt iron from Rapid for around £20, specifically for soldering me power feeds to the rails - did the job outdoors, with the track in situ, and it worked just fine. Use good old leaded solder, not the lead-free rubbish, tin the rail foot and the cable end, then hold the wire in place with pliers while you firmly push the iron against the tinned end.

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
Agreed, a big iron is the way to go - and it doesn't need to be an expensive purchase. I bought a 100 watt iron from Rapid for around £20, specifically for soldering me power feeds to the rails - did the job outdoors, with the track in situ, and it worked just fine. Use good old leaded solder, not the lead-free rubbish, tin the rail foot and the cable end, then hold the wire in place with pliers while you firmly push the iron against the tinned end.

Jon.
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Well, my 100w soldering iron arrived from Rapid today...I'm busy on Thursday, but if it's not raining on Friday and Sunday I am having a soldering orgy!
 
To paraphrase Ferdinand Porsche. 'You've got to have the horsepower'.
My outdoor soldering iron, is 100W. A big beefy one, with a handle at one end..... and always take note of which end it is, too.
:cry:
 
Gavin Sowry said:
To paraphrase Ferdinand Porsche. 'You've got to have the horsepower'.
My outdoor soldering iron, is 100W. A big beefy one, with a handle at one end..... and always take note of which end it is, too.
:cry:
Click to expand...

Many a true word spoken in jest...... Ferdinand's greatest car, the VW Beetle, finishes on the production line today.
 
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