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How to Power Bachmann EZ Track
Linda has a question for HO enthusiasts:
“Hi – I want to have 3 HO trains running on 3 circle tracks. I want the roadbed type of track and have only been able to find 3 different size curves in the Bachmann EZ track. 15″ 18″ and 22″. The 18″ has a rerailer section that I can get to power that track. But I cannot find how to power the 15 and 22… I saw on a site that you can get the atlas terminal joiners, but do not see how you can install them with the EZ Track roadbed. Help please.”
3 Responses to How to Power Bachmann EZ Track
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Linda
it is pretty easy. The other track may not have rail wire connections. I use a flex track but it is the same thing, You should have rail joiners for those tracks. If they can be removed then you can wire wire drops from the bottom of the joiners I take a joiner and put solder flux on the joiner bottom and then lightly put some solder on the bottom of the joiner. Do the same with the wire lead and flux the bare wire and put some solder on it. You do not want to hover heat the joiner so put the solder on the joiner with as little heat as possible. When your ready lay the bare soldered wire end against the bottom of the joiner and touch the soldiering iron on top of both just long enough to to melt the solder and let it cool. You now have lead wires to your tracks but using the joiners instead of a pre-wired section of track. On mine I make these connections every 4 to 8 feet at the joints as I have long runs and if I only hooked up to the rails in one location the power would drop at the farthest point away from the power supply. So I use a buss wire system where the wires follow the rails under the layout and I connect to the rails at intervals by using wire drops like I have described. Your layout may not need more connections but if you ever expand then you may find a need to do the buss wire system. Hope this helps
from Newman Atkinson
Linda, As I reread my answer to you above You might not have been sure of the rail joiners in at the ends of your roadbed type track But there should be some that can be pulled off and do what I had suggested. You also said you had one tight radius track of 15 inches and to tell you the truth that is getting pretty tight radius for almost all engines and cars. If you would secide to try flex track Like I suggested because I use it It would eliminate several connectors. and you would want your radius-es to leave room for train overlap from the other tracks which usually require about 2 and 3/4 inches Center to Center of each track with that tight of turns. Better engines and longer cars can have a lot of trouble with the tighter turns you are suggesting. The outer track is a tight 18 inch radius and the inner track is tighter with a 15 and a half inch radius. That is what it took to stay on a 4 foot by 4 foot board. But most of my good cars and engines especially my 6 axle engines cannot run on this layout. The turns are just too tight. I take this to shows all the time but it is also an example of to tight is too tight when it comes to radius of turns. It also demonstrates what happens when running longer cars even if they can make these turns. The overhang out beyond the tracks can and will hit the cars on the other track (an example is the passenger coaches.)(A passenger coach on each track will hit each other.) I used to run the Hogg Warts Express on the outer track and they would scrape the cars on the inner track. But my tracks were never intended to run long cars .
from Newman Atkinson
difference in bachman eztrack part numbers example92123A3-1, 92123A5-1, 92123A6-2, 92123A3-2.. These are all 9 inch straight ns track they look identical