I'm running conventional control on my layout using 18 gauge wire for my feeders to my track, hot and common, every 6 pieces of Fastrack, tin the wires, put a drop of rosin core solder directly on the metal tabs that hold the track to the plastic roadies, connect an TVS Diode at every track feeder to track connection from hot to common to protect the locomotives from voltage spikes and cover the connections with a good quality electrical tape. I also solder jumper wires from one piece of Fastrack metal tabs, hot and common, to the next piece of track in that six piece section of Fastrack and cover those connections also with good quality electrical tape. I try to be as close to center of the six pieces of Fastrack for best power conductivity. My opinion only, you can't get a better connection than a good soldered connection. Even when I use crimp spade connectors to connect to my barrier strips I still solder the wire to the crimp connectors. Overkill? Maybe, but the less times I need to get down under the layout and back up is going to be much better on my bad knees, legs and back. I also use 12 gauge wires fused from my MTH Z-1000 transformers and an TVS Diode from hot to common at the transformers track outputs for my power and common feeds to my barrier strips for both my loops. It's very time consuming but I hope everything will work as planned when I do get the first loop finished. Then on to the second loop. One day at a time. 👍
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