A video I saw only shows Pecos code 075 has the loose silver wires, four of them – two middle for the feeders and two coming from the frogs, to the point motors!

This goes for the straight/curve frogs -on the electrofrog points

Nigel

Nigel

Nigel

,Frank Bsays:

I had to tear up all the layout I already done, build and glue down the riser/incline-as shown in the picture, One of the riser I glued down going up. with the other incline going back down the other way!..Should I had left a straight section between the two down inclines? –showing the rolling stock as they are..{Back to back the two down inclies}
Please note! why I ribbed the parcel layout up, because..” the long coaches keeps on touching each other”
I put the straws down, like you said in the last train bloc-massage! on the incline set for the wires, drilled four holes in the 3/4 inch plywood-was not that easy

Please can you help me out, as I am trying to do thing right, I keep on tearing up the layout and not getting anywhere

Nigel

“My question is:- Ihave a peco code 100 ‘Electrofrog Points’, straight/curve and a 3 way point, and I would like help with the the Pecos insulating fishplates; do have a left hand straight point
from the inner track leading into the sidings the that’s joins up with my other two points.. A small left point with a small 1/2 inch curve/ then a 3 way point
Would like to know, if I have to put the “Insulating Fishplates” on all four rails or just near the frogs

Thanks
Nigel

How about using a nail punch or nail set and hammer? Are you spiking down the actual rails to the ties? My benchwork has 1 inch foam on top. I discovered that if I smear a streak of foam tack glue – like Loctite 100 foam board, down the center line of my track plan, and then set down the roadbed and track, I am able to drill a small hole thru the members and push down a 1 inch sewing pin, with a small flat head. The tact smear dries very stiff and hard, forming a tough skin, that grabs very well to the pin. You can still pull these pins and move your track around if necessary and save destroying all your track otherwise. However if you glue down ballast, then it becomes a very permanent thing. Maybe you want to live with foam subroadbed so you can get it back up.

I have an incline that I am laying s scale track on and it runs along the backboar dor 400 inches – -up to 7.5 inches. The incline is 4 inch wide 1/2 inch plywood on foam supports. I take a plywood section and bring it down towards me where i can work on it. I screw down the track with small screws thru the ties. Then a pair of small holes on the outside of the rails for the droppers. Then set this section back in place. Drop a stiff wire down the holes until the touch the benchwork underneath and mark the spot. Remove the section. Drill the benchwork.

Attach the droppers to the rails with solder and set back in place. Run the droppers down thru the incline thru the benchwork and attach to your buss lines. Other wise you can not see your backside of the far rail for soldering.

As this is on an already built layout, to avoid major dismantling, I suggest simply soldering the rail joiners to both rails they join to improve fishplate contact. This will give good electrical continuity without drilling and digging.

Anther possibility is to just push the the additional supply wires through and tuck them under the edge of the underlay, then run them to a point where you can easily connect to the next convenient supply node. (Very much as cables are sometimes laid beside real railroads !)

Or here’s a sneaky trick I just thought of: with a few little twigs and paint, disguise wires to the side of the track as fallen tree branches !

My question is:- I have two inclines/risers-close together, the cap between the two rails on my inclines. Do I drill two holes into the track underlay down through the inclines, to the 3/4 inch plywood? Without ripping them up, I had wasted quiet a few! I had laid the rails with “foam tact glue and pined some down-with Peco nails” used a pin vise tool and the bits that came with it, they kept breaking, and now I was told this tool is not for hard plywood.
Please what can I do to knock the nails into the rails and plywood?

Nigel

Remove the bit and then run a drinking straw through the hole and secure it with your favorite glue. Your dropper will then slide though without snagging on the structure as it does so.

A side benefit is that the insulation on the wire will not be in contact with any polystyrene foam, which I am led to believe eats the insulation off wire and so creates a fire hazard.