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Locating Faulty Rail Connections
David has a question for readers on locating a faulty rail connection. David says (in his words):
“This question comes from a complete idiot where electrics are concerned! Is there an electrical meter I can purchase which will quickly locate a loose rail connection which in turn is causing loss of power to the track? Would a continuity meter be the answer or am I talking nonsense? I have never used a multimeter if indeed that is the answer so I am hoping for something even an idiot like me can use. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”
If you can assist David, then please add your comments below.
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David,
Your stalling locomotive is essentially acting as your poor circuit detector. Once it passes over a rail joint and ‘dies’ you know where the bad connection is. There is a product called electrical glue that acts just like solder except you don’t need a soldering iron to use it. It is applied to any electrical joint be it wire, track or components almost like you’re applying glue to a plastic model. Once it dries hard (over night), it will conduct electricity. If you are using it on rail joints, make sure that you don’t apply it so thick that it will cause your trains to derail.
Hope this helps,
Geof from the US