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Model Railway Electrics
Guides, tutorials, reviews and advice on installing, building and fixing model railway electrics and wiring.
Spaghetti free wiring
Here's a handy little tip to reduce cable chaos on your layout. [...]
Layout wiring
For a change I decided not to break anything on my exhibition layout. [...]
Ferrules, how and why to use them
Want to improve your electrical wiring contacts? Meet the electrical ferrule. [...]
Heat shrink protecting T junction cable joins
How to insulate wire T solder joints with heat shrink tubbing. You can't just slide heat shrink tubing over a T joint. [...]
A primer on wire sizes
Using the right wire for a model railway will not only be cheaper it'll make the wiring easier. But what are the right sizes of wire to use. [...]
Best wire stripping tool for model railways and household electrics
The easiest, fastest and best way to cut and strip wires for electrical work. [...]
Layout soldeirng tips for wiring you can trust
A step-by-step pictorial guide to soldering strong, reliable, wiring. [...]
How to wire Circuitron Tortoise Point Motors
Here's a quick simple guide to how I wire my Tortoise slow-motion point motors and use them with Lever operated passing contact switches. [...]
DC or DCC? What do you prefer and why
This is one of those topics that everyone has a view on. But what do real-world modellers prefer? [...]
Fixing & connecting wires together without soldering
If you struggle with joining wires — such as track feeders to bus wiring — this is for you. [...]
How to join and solder wires for the most reliable connections
How have I missed this? [...]
Electrics, an update on the £35 Model Railway Project, part 4
The electrics: A gamble that worked but I'm behind schedule. [...]
Point Wiring: A quick tip to eliminate stalling
I get a lot of email around wiring points. They seem to cause endless problems. I'm working on a guide but in the meantime, here's a quick walkthrough and tip [...]
Boosting power on a Hornby model railway
If you've expanded a Hornby DC model railway set beyond the basic circle you may find your trains slow down in places. [...]
Baseboard tips: make wiring easier with a splash of paint
I wish I'd done this before my most recent journey to the dark side of my layout!
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Why and should I solder my track — Reader Q&A
On the back of this reader question on track offcuts Steve Boughton reached out to ask if he should shoulder his track together.
Here's the wisdom from [...]
How to master perfect soldering for trouble-free track and wiring – the definitive guide
Want to improve your model railway track work, wiring, and electrics? Soldering is the only way. But what's the best solder to use? What's the best soldering [...]
Project Update – Layout, Bedding, Wiring and Track Laying
I admit it. It's true I haven't posted an update on my layouts for a while and since the last report a lot has changed. So here's what's gone since then [...]
How To Avoid The Two Ugly Sisters of Track Soldering Hell
Tried soldering wires to your model train rails? Fed up with melted sleepers and solder globules ruining the look of your track. Here's a handy tip for quick, [...]
Watch track soldering done the simples way
Track soldering doesn't have to be difficult. Watch this tip-packed video for trouble-free track soldering. [...]