Do I need a bus?

With 36 total feet, if you apply the basic Fastrack reliability techniques, you should be find.

You might also consider just running a second power feed to the opposite side of the loop which would solve any power drop problems.

Here's a video by Mike Reagan previously from Lionel.  Do this to every piece before you put it together.

Thanks.

Regarding a ‘second power feed’, can you give me just a little more detail, eg, what gauge wire, assume I solder a wire underneath the fastrack from the hot rail near the 180 Powerhouse connected track piece to underneath the farthest piece of fastrack hot rail and same for one of the outer rails?  Any easier way to do without solder (eg use two Lionel power wires to clip underneath and splice wire between the two to get the total length needed, etc).

I've been told I need the short bus.

erdnA

@NoviceBen posted:

Thanks.

Regarding a ‘second power feed’, can you give me just a little more detail, eg, what gauge wire, assume I solder a wire underneath the fastrack from the hot rail near the 180 Powerhouse connected track piece to underneath the farthest piece of fastrack hot rail and same for one of the outer rails?  Any easier way to do without solder (eg use two Lionel power wires to clip underneath and splice wire between the two to get the total length needed, etc).

You have it correct, you can use most any decent sized wire.  For what you're doing, #16 or larger wire would be fine.  You can use the Lionel power leads and a solderless connector to splice it to the power feed wires.