@eddiem posted:I built an outdoor O layout a few years ago. 3 loops, Atlas track.
One piece of advice: I should have soldered the track joiners. When winter in CT is over, I have to work for a while to make all the connections work again. Problem is that the joiners get corroded where they meet the track sections. Had I soldered then joints when new, it would have been easy. Now I would have to take the track apart, clean the ends, add joiners and solder while clean. Joints won't solder once a layer of corrosion is on them.
Other than that, the trains run great outside! Mostly MTH DCS running...
You do not have to solder the rail joints using Atlas track. Soldering rail joints eventually breaks your track because it prevents the track from expanding and contracting as it expands and contracts.
The best practice is solder a jumper wire across the rail joint and leave a small loop in the jumper. We have been doing this on the G&O layout for over 10 years. This is also the way real railroads connect their track circuits across rail joiners except, of course, they weld the track jumper. NH Joe
