Wiring Atlas Rigid track

BILL HUDSON posted:

When I started my "O" scale layout some 15 yrs ago I used exclusively Gargraves track and soldered all power wires.  Have never had a single power issue,  thus my soldering technique is apparently adequate.  I recently purchased three  40" rigid Atlas track sections to use with the Atlas TT, figuring they might mate better than GG track plus all 3 sections will be standalone track.  What I need to know is what soldering issues will I run into that are different from GG track?  I noticed that the rails are not made of a ferrous metal, plus the bottom of the center rail is covered with plastic.  Is soldering power wires to bottom of track doable?  Type of solder?

I use a resistant soldering unit.

Never soldered Atlas O track (have done plenty of HO and N track, however).  But it should be all nickel-silver rail, which generally solders very easy.  And with a resistance soldering unit, you're job should be REALLY easy.

With the center rail, you can cut away the plastic strip if you want to solder to the bottom of the rail.  Or, you can solder to the side of the rail.  Remember, there are no flanges on the center rollers, they only need to roll over the rail top.  In either case, don't forget to scrape/grind/sand the black oxide off of the rail first where you solder, like you would have done on GarGraves track (provided you had the phantom rail stuff).

As far as type of solder goes, almost any type should work, especially if it says "Not for water pipes", or something to that effect.  And of course, use rosin flux, not acid flux, if you want your wiring to last more than a year or so.

Best thing: Try a few joints on a scrap piece of track for practice.  Then go to town with your main stuff! 

One of the differences in soldering to the Atlas track vs. Gargraves is that you will need quite a bit more heat to get the solid atlas rail hot enough for the solder to flow.  I use an old 100w soldering gun on it which heats the localized area quite quickly.  Using a small soldering iron (15-25 w) will take along time as the heat dissipates through the rail like a heat sink, possibly melting the ties.

-Jim

Atlas O sells rail joiners with wires soldered to the underside - O scale Terminal Joiners - item #6090. See if you can use them. I have two layouts with Atlas O track and have used these for power connection on both. Never had to solder wires to the rails.

MELGAR

I don’t have the first wire soldered to any rails of my Atlas track......all I’ve ever done is carefully solder wires to the rail joiners themselves....I can control this action easily on my workbench.....I solder the leaders in such a position that they don’t interfere with flanges, or rollers....all of my track is assembled with a tiny dab of dialectical grease in the rail joiners.....never had an issue for many years now...no melting of plastic ties, no trying to get solid rail to near nuclear temperatures....😉........Pat

I agree with Mel. I just use the Atlas #6090 rail joiners with the feed wires already soldered to them. Very easy to do and no need for solder. Out of the dozens I used, I only had one wire break off a joiner from a bad solder joint or maybe just carelessness on my part. 

Donald

Thanks to all who responded.  Got the job done fast using my resistance soldering kit.  And did not melt the plastic ties.  Wiring to rail joiners sounds like a good idea and avoids working between ties.  In this case, however, I wanted to use preexisting holes in my table that lead to power wires.(hard to explain).

harmonyards posted:

I don’t have the first wire soldered to any rails of my Atlas track......all I’ve ever done is carefully solder wires to the rail joiners themselves....I can control this action easily on my workbench.....I solder the leaders in such a position that they don’t interfere with flanges, or rollers....all of my track is assembled with a tiny dab of dialectical grease in the rail joiners.....never had an issue for many years now...no melting of plastic ties, no trying to get solid rail to near nuclear temperatures....😉........Pat

Never had an issue?  I'm surprised. 

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-...ielectric-grease.htm

BILL HUDSON posted:

Thanks to all who responded.  Got the job done fast using my resistance soldering kit.  And did not melt the plastic ties.  Wiring to rail joiners sounds like a good idea and avoids working between ties.  In this case, however, I wanted to use preexisting holes in my table that lead to power wires.(hard to explain).

Never had, nor used, a resistance solderer.  But based on everything I've always read about them, I knew you'd be just fine.

Always best to solder to the rails, if possible.  Soldering to the connectors if fine, but over a period of time they can lose their tension and not adhere to the rails as good as when they're brand new.  And then the joints can oxidize and lose their conductivity.

Glad it worked out for you!