| Whether you've purchased a Lionel train set or | | | | to just use a rail joiner purchased from a hobby shop, |
| another brand of model railroad trains, you will need to | | | | or at least solder them to a rail joiner if you already |
| know a few things about the power supply. This article | | | | have soldering equipment. Soldering to the joiner |
| offers some helpful tips from the National Model | | | | yourself has the advantage that you can keep the |
| Railroad Association which can help you get off to a | | | | color-coding purchased rail joiners have the same color |
| good start. | | | | wire on both sides. |
| Something to remember is that the more intricate your | | | | With multiple feeder wires connected to your track to |
| layout, the more turns and other pieces, the more | | | | give that power boost so the train doesn't slow down |
| places you will need to add power, since those rail | | | | after getting further from the power pack, you may be |
| joints cause some resistance and the train will tend to | | | | tempted to double up the wires on the original terminals |
| slow down as it gets further away from the feeder | | | | of the power pack. But the problem is the power pack |
| wires coming from the original power source. | | | | vibrates, since it's running on alternating current (AC). |
| When adding power, always remember the "right-hand | | | | Some people have had problems such as wires |
| rule". What this means is that, looking from the direction | | | | coming off, etc. So the best plan is to go with an 8 |
| of the power pack, when you push the direction | | | | terminal block and connect the wires to that instead of |
| switch to the right, the engine will travel the track | | | | overloading the terminals in the power pack. You can |
| counterclockwise. | | | | buy one from a hobby shop or an electronics store - |
| This rule is important to remember, so that you when | | | | or even an auto parts store. |
| you add any additional feeders, you wire them just the | | | | Now just strip back the insulation on each wire a little |
| same, otherwise it will short-circuit. When following the | | | | bit so you can wire the feeders from the power pack |
| right-hand rule, the outside rail is positive and the inside | | | | across to the new terminal block. Then, make a loop |
| negative. Two rail model locos all operate on Direct | | | | with the wiring from the first terminal screw of the |
| Current (DC). | | | | positive half of the board to the second one and |
| The best way to keep track of your wires so that | | | | follow up with the negative on the negative side. After |
| positive and negatives match up is to use color-coded | | | | that, it's simple to just connect the feeder wires from |
| wire. Doorbell wire works well. It normally comes in | | | | the track to the screws opposite the ones already |
| small coils of 25 to 50 feet and #18 gauge, meaning it | | | | used. And this way, each terminal screw will only have |
| can handle the normal draw for a model railroad - | | | | one wire on it. You'll avoid the vibrations from the |
| telephone wire is too small a gauge, stick with doorbell | | | | power pack and have a lot fewer problems with wires |
| wire. The insulating jacket on doorbell wire is red or | | | | coming loose, etc. |
| white. You can use the red wire for positive and the | | | | For adding power to your first model railroad layout, |
| white for negative. Then you just have to remember | | | | that's about all there is to it. Once you've completed |
| red for the outside rail, white for the inside rail. | | | | this project, you can begin to think about expansions. |
| Remember, the rails are just extensions of the power | | | | Most enthusiasts don't want to stop with their first |
| pack wires, and provide the electricity to the engine. | | | | Lionel train set, but go on to build expansions, which get |
| Next, you will need to connect the wires to the rails in | | | | into some interesting scenarios with adding feeder |
| your layout. The best way is to solder on the feeder | | | | wires for switches and other more advanced |
| wire to the outside rail, but since this is your first layout | | | | connections. |
| and that can get complicated, it's probably a good idea | | | | |