I'm laying some two rail Atlas flex for DCS layout and the slide connectors aren't carrying power. Can I solder jumper wires on for easier changes or do I have to solder the track connectors to track? Joe

The AtlasO flex track rail joiners are just a bad design. The tit on the base allows the joiners to rock in the verticle plane, while the grip on the rail isn't sufficient to provide good alignment and electrical connectivity. I toss all of them and use either original (1970's) Atlas flex track rail joiners or similar design ones from Micro Engineering.

Ed Rappe

Good rule of thumb for track:
If it doesn't have a wire soldered to it, it's unpowered, or it will be soon.

Any track piece that relies on a friction connection (rail joiners, switch point hinges, etc) will eventually fail.

Ken.

Ken,

Amen to that. As we rewire the DSMR narrow gauge for DCC, we are dropping a feeder wire from every section of rail. Even those sections only 6" long. Same will happen on the standard gauge.

ChipR

Here is a method I used. I kept the rail joiners as a bonding metal between the rails to be soldered together. I used a dremel wheel to just buff the surface where rail joiner and the rails meet. Put a little flux at the joint between the two rails and rail joiner heat it up with a large iron putting more heat on the rails and let the solder flow. Its quick and easy but important to have a good flowing solder joint. The expansion/contraction joints are where you gap the blocks.

Thanks guys, I read that some were having trouble with the joiners so I knew I would. I'll probably end up soldering the joints, I thought wires might be better for changes. Joe

Well I did some soldering and moved the connections and everthings working for now! Here's the changes:
http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve...=694103972#694103972
Oh yeah, this Atlas flex solders super easy with extra flux and 40w iron! I was worried. After soldering my G gauge track this is easy.
Joe