To Solder Or Not To Solder.....That Is The Question ?

[Freight Train]

Haven't even started building the layout yet but arm chair modeling and trying to determine if I should solder the rails were they meet with rail joiners or just for go it ? On my last N scale layout I used Kato Unitrack and I solder the track together. I ended up doing this after a while when I notice I was getting power drops in certain sections of track. I found the power routing feature of the turnouts to be the fault of the problem. Over the years the electrical contacts inside must have oxided creating a insulating effect inhibiting the flow of electricity inside the track pieces. Now since I'm in the planning stages of building a HO self layout that will not extend past 10 feet I wonder if I need to solder the track together or not ? I plan on using Atlas Code 83 and would like to get your suggestions. Is this something I need to be concerned about or should I just for go it ? Anyone used the Code 83 track ever experienced any power dropping at rail connections or does the track tend to hold up over time ?
                                                          Rick

[Philip H]

So a few questions to guide your thoughts:

Is this primarily flex track with a few turn outs or sectional?
Where and how many track feeders do you intend to drop?
Any complicated track - eg crossovers etc?
How good is the climate control  in your space?
Will your turnout frogs be powered?

[Freight Train]

Track  will be all sectional as the track plan is from a Atlas track plan book. They also sell the track plan as a complete package ( HO-10026 Southside Connecting). The track plan has 6 separate blocks with the use of the Atlas Selector switch panels which will not be used as this will be wired for DCC. I live in Arizona near Phoenix and the humidity is always low. When I built the N scale layout I was living in California were the humidity was high. I was planning to drop just the 6 sets of feeders as shown in the layout plan . The layout is only 16 inches wide X 10 feet long. No crossovers but does have 3 crossings..

[Freight Train]

Not sure about the turnouts and whether the frogs are live or not. Haven't got the track yet to tell ?

[mighalpern]

On my first N scale layout, which was code 83atlas and peco turnouts.  I did solder everything, which made it strong and bullet proof and I ran a feeder about every three feet.  everything worked ok, but when it came time to remove the track or redo an area it was a mess on the turnouts.
My current layout is also N with code 55 atlas track and flex.  I have only soldered in a few complex places and still drop feeders every three feet.  I have no operational issues.  I have a few little gaps as the track is placed and cut by my crew and it doesn't bother the locos.  not soldering has saved my butt already when I damaged a turnout and had to remove it and replace it.  slid the joiners to the side and took out.  my layout is not large or in a temperature controlled room, so it gets cold and hot in my garage and so far my trains run good.  I DO solder in my helix  if the joint is in the curve.  Several of my round robin guys which model in N and HO have large layouts and we do not solder either.  no issues either.  I guess its built in expansion joints.
good luck.

[peteski]

You don't have to solder *ANY* track joints for super-reliable operation. Installing feeders to every section instead, will make it just as reliable.

[Freight Train]

Thanks Peteski !