Track conductivity

When we relaid the track last we cleaned the fishplates and the rail contact points, then put graphite paste ( a mix of the lgb stuff and a tin of the Castrol stuff from yore) in all the rail joiners. This has made the track more reliable and generally a an hour or so of running trains each April and a light clean is enough for my layout.
 
Gizzy said:
Hullo Ade,

Good to hear from you again.

Railclamps are the way to go, but even these can work loose and need tightening.

I've most makes on my line. Hillman, Massoth and Split Jaw. I personally find the later harder to fit but they work well once installed.

The easiest to install, and obtain, are probably the Massoth version....
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Hello Garry...Hope all is well....
 
"Conductivity paste" is not conductive, lest there be any confusion. It if we're we would all be experiencing loads of short outs. It's only purpose is to aid in excluding water and grime from the conductive joint between a conventional rail joiner, a rail clamp over joiner or a direct to rail clamp joint. Whatever you do start with clean and bright metal surfaces on both rail surface and joiner/clamp that mate. Now use your preferred "conductive paste" smeared on both the surfaces rail and clamp (and clamp's screw threads, don't ask). If using LGB rail make sure you have removed the plastic tabs on the sleeper nearest joins - they muck up alignment and joints.

Dependent on how you lay your track - full/part sun or shade, well or poorly drained under ballast - will affect the rate at which your conductivity at rail joins will eventually fail, no matter how much care you have taken in jointing. The only totally bullet proof way is soldering in jumper wires at each join. Me - after 18 years I went dead rail, i.e. battery and live steam with radio control. Max
 
Software Tools said:
Depending on its specific origin it may contain an electrically conductive component, typically copper or graphite, which does make it "conductive".
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I have to say that is what I thought until a, former, member of this forum with apparently HD electrical qualifications seemed to suggest otherwise whenever the subject reared it's head. On multiple posts. This is how folk tales arise it seems. Yes, counterintuitive I agree. But the rest of it I stand by. Just be sparing with it and clean your hands between polarities :)
 
maxi-model said:
I have to say that is what I thought until a, former, member of this forum with apparently HD electrical qualifications seemed to suggest otherwise whenever the subject reared it's head. On multiple posts. This is how folk tales arise it seems. Yes, counterintuitive I agree. But the rest of it I stand by. Just be sparing with it and clean your hands between polarities :)
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I think the real description is "aids conductivity", the problem with both copper and graphite pastes is they are often described, or even called grease. Having studied hydrocarbons, I can tell you they are not grease, and the amount of copper or graphite in them does not always give continuity in conductivity, but provide a barrier to oxidisation.
 
maxi-model said:
I have to say that is what I thought until a, former, member of this forum with apparently HD electrical qualifications seemed to suggest otherwise whenever the subject reared it's head. On multiple posts. This is how folk tales arise it seems. Yes, counterintuitive I agree. But the rest of it I stand by. Just be sparing with it and clean your hands between polarities :)
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Oh could that have been someone not with us any more who’s way was his way or no way?
 
maxi-model said:
The only totally bullet proof way is soldering in jumper wires at each join.
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MMmmmm - possibly.

I would still argue that screwed fishplates or rail clamps without paste will suffice. Mine have been in-situ for just over ten years now, and to prove the point (well, more because I wanted to) I ran track power yesterday without any issues.
 
Hi mr Postman,

I used copper paste when applying my fishplates and Massoth clamps and haven't had any issues with conductivity since then (7 years now). Massoth clamps are in my experience not essential for conductivity when using copper paste, but they work very well when removal of track is necessary for any other reason and they better keep the rails together.

Pre-Cleaning of the rail ends is essential, i use a steel brush making the rails ends bright shining clean. The essence of the copper paste is primarily providing a fysical layer that blocks water and oxygen reaching the brass surface in the joint. Second the paste will not be flushed away by heavy raining. Third the paste can also withstand extreme high temperatures up to 300 degrees Celcius so the paste will not vanish by sun heat either. These three characteristics will keep the brass surface inside the joints bright shining clean.

When applying the paste the best is to add a solvent to the paste in a small plastic bottle with a narrow tube end. This makes the paste more fluid so it creeps into every corner and narrow space. After evaporating of the solvent there will be a good continuous layer of copper grease on the brass surfaces inside the joint.

The brand name of the paste is: "M molykote Cu-7439 plus" and it is delivered in a 100 g tube.
Made by: Dow Corning Corporation, Midland-Michigan, USA
www.dowcorning.com
www.molykote.com
Telephone contact in the UK: 0044(0)14 46 73 23 50 (24 hours)

Of course is cleaning of the rail essential for smooth running after a long period of stand still. I use a special Rail Clean Locomotive with a fast rotating cleaning soft brush drum at the front and a vibrating scouring pad in the middle on top of the rails. See also my book "Our Model Garden Railway" at Amazon (Asin B0FGXJ5G7S) for a more detailed description and a lot of other interesting advice.

When heavy rail cleaning is necessary after winter at the start of the running season i use a flexible P800 scouring pad on a stick. One walk around the track will do the job. Be aware that it is not necessary to clean the track up to a bright shiny brass surface. Only the removal of the dull-coloured top of the dark brown oxidation layer is necessary, so as soon as the top of the rail reflects the light the cleaning is sufficient.

I hope these tips and suggestions will help you further!
Kind Regards
Gerard
glm@vanderschrieck.nl
 
dunnyrail said:
Oh could that have been someone not with us any more who’s way was his way or no way?
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Oh nooo ! I'm suffering flashbacks. The horror ! The horror !


From one of my favourite films. My sincere apologies if my jest offends those who may be suffering trauma in their lives.
 
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Using battery power is a second best solution, you must use wireless technolgy with separate channels for each locomotive. A digital system has a lot advantages. I use Zymo for about 7 years now with great succes, yhanks to the Molykote copper paste.
(Check my book “Our Model Garden Railway” at Amazon. The Ebook version cost you only 9.95.)

Gerard
 
Mobi said:
May be the solution is changing to battery powered locos instead of track powered :)
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Charging battery locomotives via a plug conveniently camouflaged/hidden out of sight somewhere is a workable solution, yes being able to leave on the track to power up somewhere would work but would need something to make the locomotive not leach power whilst running your services. Complex, but I guess a challenge to you. I guess it all depends on what you want to do with your railway, run trains or spend all your time finding solutions to complex problems or things that have not worked?
 
Funny how some of us progress through this hobby. Over 20 years ago I started track powered, using the 10 amp Crest Train Engineer to control my locos. My line is laid anywhere from full sun to full shade. And with that came the growing issues of continuity of power. So in went the rail clamps. But the rail heads still required a a buff up with my abrasive pad on a stick before each session, sometimes during. No problem but some of the foliage, like firethorn, was giving some access issues too. Early on I started dabbling with RC operated live steam, which led me to the 16 mm NGM. And there's my "lazy days" battery powered "Exe" with a sound card. Then came a fateful recalcitrant 2nd hand Accucraft K-27, it found every electrical fault line in the track. Add in advancing age and the seeds were sown.

5 years ago I made the decision to go all RC, battery and sound. Trying to keep my line reliably operational track powered was just too much of a faff. And my joints were getting creaky (no sniggering at the back). Kept the live steam for days out at other 16 mm NGM members lines, some kept set at 32 mm gauge, instead of my native 45. I have a mix of good old fashioned Sierra sound cards and newer MyLocoSound ones that can handle deisel and railcar noises with DC ESC's. The wirless control bits are a mix of Fosworks, RCS, whatever Roundhouse are fitting and now Micron/RC Trains. Some can operate mutiple locos, saves money on TX's. Now have the latest wizzy ESU DCC/ESC cards too that some of my Fosworks TX's can access 12 functions on. ESU's sound library matches most of my loco roster. Now just have to manage a recharging routine on all those battery packs. Well, maybe not ideal for some but as I keep on saying "horses for courses". It suits my needs and keeps me enjoying watching the trains go round. For now. Max
 
maxi-model said:
Funny how some of us progress through this hobby. Over 20 years ago I started track powered, using the 10 amp Crest Train Engineer to control my locos. My line is laid anywhere from full sun to full shade. And with that came the growing issues of continuity of power. So in went the rail clamps. But the rail heads still required a a buff up with my abrasive pad on a stick before each session, sometimes during. No problem but some of the foliage, like firethorn, was giving some access issues too. Early on I started dabbling with RC operated live steam, which led me to the 16 mm NGM. And there's my "lazy days" battery powered "Exe" with a sound card. Then came a fateful recalcitrant 2nd hand Accucraft K-27, it found every electrical fault line in the track. Add in advancing age and the seeds were sown.

5 years ago I made the decision to go all RC, battery and sound. Trying to keep my line reliably operational track powered was just too much of a faff. And my joints were getting creaky (no sniggering at the back). Kept the live steam for days out at other 16 mm NGM members lines, some kept set at 32 mm gauge, instead of my native 45. I have a mix of good old fashioned Sierra sound cards and newer MyLocoSound ones that can handle deisel and railcar noises with DC ESC's. The wirless control bits are a mix of Fosworks, RCS, whatever Roundhouse are fitting and now Micron/RC Trains. Some can operate mutiple locos, saves money on TX's. Now have the latest wizzy ESU DCC/ESC cards too that some of my Fosworks TX's can access 12 functions on. ESU's sound library matches most of my loco roster. Now just have to manage a recharging routine on all those battery packs. Well, maybe not ideal for some but as I keep on saying "horses for courses". It suits my needs and keeps me enjoying watching the trains go round. For now. Max
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Like you I have gravitated to battery power. As for charging regime, some use spreadsheets I use a low tech card system. Recording how long run with a charge note as well. When batteries are early in their life (I use NiMh exclusively) I find I get 2 operating days out of most locomotives, this equates to 9-10 hours. But these days to save running out part way through that 2nd operating session I tend to charge after each one though for the set up pilot that does around an hour at each session I let that go to near flat before a charge.image.jpg
 
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