fake snow ( white fluff)

perhaps you could post a picture of the affected area?  this would likely result in some brain matter flowing.

Come on let the guy ask a question. What did you make your snow with. I have heard baking soda/baking powder will corrode the track and other things. Don

nope no banking power or soda.  it is the white fluff most people use at Christmas for there ceramic village display.  I believe it is called buffalo snow. it comes in a roll   you just unroll it and you are done. 

That's a good thing then. You need to find out what's corroding those wires. Don

Are you putting your track on top of the buffalo snow?

This might sound like a silly question, but are you sure that the 'snow' is the problem?  Is the 'melting' occurring in other places, or only where your power wire is connected?

If it's only where the power wire is connected, then it could be that a bad connection has caused over-heating of the wire, or even too thin a wire for the power being used.

paulp i did put the track right on the buffalo snow.  N.Q.D.Y.  only the connection with the power connecter had the problem. checked the other one and same thing happened.  the rest of the track has had no problems.  the wire i used on both connecters are the ones that came with the power track from Lionel.  so i am hoping it was not the wire.  

Well, I don't see a connection between the electrical problems and the "snow." 

Questions to clarify ?

1) What exactly, does the corrosion look like?  Is it the powerdery whiteish-yellow'green powder common when cathodic protection goes bad, or brown and scaly, more like rust, or is it just green weathering patina on copper wire?

2) Four wires?  Are you using two pairs of two each to two different feed points, or what?

Hi trainDork,

as the problem seems to only occur on the power connection, I suspect that it's either bad connections or an electrical overload problem, rather than anything to do with the 'snow'.

Have you had any short circuit problems? What kind of transformers are you using, and how much power have you been needing (Multiple locomotives, lots of illuminated cars etc.)

If "buffalo snow" material is common by manufacturers, then it is ground polystyrene or polyester fluff.

Either of those would not cause any kind of reaction with the wiring connections.

Let's look at what N.Q.D.Y. proposed-

(1) What gauge wires are you using for the power and common connections?

The Lionel power wires that come with terminal tracks are barely 18g, 20g to my assessment.

(2) What kind of train(s) and cars are running? (Older pulmor motors, lighted cars)

(3) What transformer are you using?

Visit an automotive store and get .110 quick disconnect connectors and at least 16g red and black wire and build your own power leads.

While I tend to agree with the bad connection/overloaded wire theory I wonder if the snow is the type that has glitter in it?  If it does could glitter be contacting your power connection causing a short or corrosion?

Thinking out of the box a bit here.

It is possible the Buffalo snow trapped moisture and made the corrosion worse?

A cold floor under the covering could condense dew like moisture and that can accelerate corrosion.

Now, If you have lighted passenger cars and a old pulmore motor engine, you are probably overloading the power wires on the Fastrack, See Moonman's fix above.

the corrosion is like a rust.  but not scaly.  i can update to a thicker gage wire that is no prob.  the red wire from lionel was  a bit burned.  and it did melt the plastic of fast track.  he transformer i am using is a 80 watt from like willams catalog.  i was running a willams version of a scale Hudson.  with the 20th century cars by them also.   

You are most likely pulling more amps than the wire can handle.

Well, you should use 12g, but 16g or 14g will help. Just have to enlarge the slot in the roadbed if you are using it. Just file it a little to enlarge it.

i am going to use a better gage wire but i fig while i am doing it i may as well change my layout a but and get a new track plane while i am at it.  

Hi traindork,

Personally I would never use the buffalo snow under my enclosed type of train tracks (fastrack)  I do believe that the buffalo snow under your tracks is the main problem. It is most likely collecting moisture possibly from humidity in the air or from the terminals on the track heating and cooling down during use.

I do use the buffalo snow for making quick and simple seasonal mountains during the holidays. For ground cover I use the loose snow like, Department 56's Fresh Fallen Snow and there are some other brands of this type of snow on the market. But the first thing I would is paint the areas that you want to have snowy white.

Here are some photos of a Christmas display I built about 9 years ago in a store front window. Only 1 of the photos where taken from the inside of the vacant store and all the rest were taken from the outside through the front windows. I did not use any of the buffalo snow on this display. All of the mountains were made by using Department 56 lighted snow blankets. And the bottom level was 40" wide with only one small access point as I had to work around existing walls and cabinets.  

paulp-

You aren't serious, are you?

Polystyrene and polyester fiber fill holding moisture? Sounds like another buffalo product.

It was more likely from a series of Coronal Mass Ejections.