Originally Posted by rockstars1989:
This is OLD news.Fastrack has had continuity problems for years.You need feeds every 30".Nick
FALSE. On my 10'x16' I have a 14 gas buss with 14 ga feeders soldered directly to the "tabs" underneath every 10'-12'. Voltage anywhere on the layout is the same as it is on the output side of my TPC unit.
The only piece of track that gave me trouble was 1 1-3/8" fitter. I crimped the rails as necessary to tighten the connection and never had another problem.
There are alot of variables to consider as well, some folks wire their layout with puny18ga wire so they can use" removable" connectors on the fastrack tabs. Solder provides a much better connection, and 2 seconds with a hot iron will remove the wire if needed.
Lionel recommends 14 guage for an 18v command environment.
Fastrack can give a "false sense' of a good connection with the interlocking roadbed. If connection/pins seems loose tighten crimp as needed when assembling track, and it should be a non issue.