Woodlock Logging

viaEstrecha

Spanish metre gauge in G scale (on the cheap)
25 Oct 2009
1,978
263
Bedfordshire
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United-Kingdom
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Not marked? That's very brave of you!
Yep all marked and every terminal and cable etc painstakingly logged on a SQL database :giggle:
 

duncan1_9_8_4

Jack of all trades on the Railway
25 Oct 2009
3,222
492
39
Pontefract, West Yorkshire
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Don’t the brass rail clamps take power to all areas ? Preserving electrical continuity?
Hmmmm, nearly is my answer. They get just as dirty as fishplates, and totally reliable on a super tight screw. Problem is, if you screw them too hard, the screw head can come off. After putting power in at the locations above, the standing current has fallen yet again to 0.24, not much, but it's done some good.
 

duncan1_9_8_4

Jack of all trades on the Railway
25 Oct 2009
3,222
492
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Pontefract, West Yorkshire
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Yes, and no..
They are subject to the vagaries of weather (damp, hence corrosion) and movement (thermal expansion) so can deteriorate over time.

Extra feeds, are belt and braces..
Gives you a longer period before track continuity problems force you to perform maintenance.

PhilP
Yes, It's always noticeable how the amps in the circuit go up when the track is damp.
 

dunnyrail

DOGS, Garden Railways, Steam Trains, Jive Dancing,
Staff member
GSC Moderator
25 Oct 2009
25,394
4,882
75
St.Neots Cambridgeshire UK
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Hmmmm, nearly is my answer. They get just as dirty as fishplates, and totally reliable on a super tight screw. Problem is, if you screw them too hard, the screw head can come off. After putting power in at the locations above, the standing current has fallen yet again to 0.24, not much, but it's done some good.
Have to say I used both Hillman and Massoth clamps on my line with never any loss of power except the odd occasion, on investigation without exception they were clamps not tightened up at all. They had worked on just push fit for a few years. My only reason for changing to dead rail was cleaning the surface for shunting and slow running which became a choir. But all the clamps are still present though my wire to certain parts of the line has been removed so cant test out now. But on re-fitting clamps after my move in 2012 I cleaned the bottom part of the rails where they were excessively tarnished, but much was ok as it had LGB Graphite used when laid on my previous line in Hemel around 2001. I gave a new application of the paste when laying the new line.
 

Paul M

Registered
25 Oct 2016
11,329
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Royston
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Theresalways going to a chance of a dodgy connection, matter how you make the joint. There's always going to be avery small gap that water, crud, etc will work its way into, especially as the track moves over time. Sometimes 24V isn't enough to jump the gap, as it were.
 

duncan1_9_8_4

Jack of all trades on the Railway
25 Oct 2009
3,222
492
39
Pontefract, West Yorkshire
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Quick test today. Best reading ever for amps through the track with no trains on the circuit. And I thought 0.24 was good last week!
cs3_screenshot_2023_11_24_14_16_09.png
 

AustrianNG

Director of my railway
16 Sep 2015
1,380
1,713
Wirral
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Yes, and no..
They are subject to the vagaries of weather (damp, hence corrosion) and movement (thermal expansion) so can deteriorate over time.

Extra feeds, are belt and braces..
Gives you a longer period before track continuity problems force you to perform maintenance.

PhilP

That’s not my experience Phil. All my joints are rail clamps. No jumper wires anywhere and 450 feet of track. The line has been down for 5 years….