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Opening Flaps Electrics
Jim has a question for readers:
“My double oo rail layout is entered by a removable section at the door entrance. Can some one advise me as to the best way to wire the removable section so as to provide a reliable electrical connection?”
Comment below.
4 Responses to Opening Flaps Electrics
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Jim,
You may want to try soldering a short piece of wire to each end of the rail section, that is one wire for EACH stationary and removable rail piece that will reach its ‘mate’ and use an alligator clip to make the electrical connection.
As an example, for just one removable track section, you would need a total of eight wires and four alligator clips, two wires each for the left & right stationary ends and another two each for the left & right sides of the removable piece. Arrange them so that they are underneath the table top so they can’t be seen from above. On one pair of wires (say the set that is on the stationary side of the opening)attach or solder one of alligator clips. When the movable section is in place, clasp the corresponding wire with the alligator clip(s) to electrify that movable section’s rail. Be sure to color code the wires in some way so you won’t accidentally swap them and create a short circuit.
There may be electrical hobby shops in your area (we have something called Radio Shack in the States) that you could even buy little plug & socket arrangements to do what I described above. It might cost more than using alligator clips but it would look a little more professional if that is important to you.
Hope this helps,
Geof from the US
The neatest solution is to connect the tracks each side of the hinge with flexible wires soldered to the underside of the rails, down through the baseboard and under the hinge.
If there are several tracks, computer ribbon cable will do a neat job.
It is better if you hinge your lift out section instead of removing it. I have a lift UP section on my layout that is also at the door and it uses a method where the section drops onto a set of contact points that came from the rear door of an old Cadillac. Chrysler and lincoln also use these contact points. You could also make your own contacts as long as they are spring loaded.
It is best if you use rerailers on all the joints by cutting them in half. This gives the trains a chance to enter the liftup straight.
This method is the far easiest I have found in my 40 years of making train layouts and it has never derailed a train once since I put it there several years ago.
I hope this helps you…
p.s. I do have digital pictures I can show…
Ihave two sections in my attic that lift out for access.I start by making sure the lift out base is a good fit between wooden lugs on the fixed ends,then lay my track as I would normaly,making sure it’s fixed down well.Then solder a one inch long brass tube,two millimetre internal diameter,to the outside of the rails where the cut is going to be so that there is half an inch each side.Then when you’re sure the tube is secure cut the rail and tube with a mini disc cutter.Then using some brass rod that fits fairly tight cut a piece one and a half inches long,bend one end at right angles half an inch long to make a handle.Then when you slide the rod through the tube the circuit is complete and the rails are lined up stopping any possible de-rail problems.The brass tube can be painted rusty the same as the rails and almost dissappears.