18 GAUGE POWER TAPS FOR PLASTIC TRACK:
If you are building a large HO slot car track from plastic track, one of the hardest parts is the wiring to the track. Stock hook ups are inadequate, factory controllers are for kids and wall-pack power is inefficient. You will never enjoy your efforts of building a large layout until you get serious about power to the track. That means a
large power supply or batteries, multiple power taps and controller posts for alligator clips
.You'll need at least 18 ga copper wire for your HO track if you plan on running modified slot cars. Look for solid copper core, twin lead, home thermostat wire, purchased in large quantity of at least 100 feet. You can find spools of
this at Home Depot or other large home improvement stores at a decent price. Make sure it is individually insulated and color coded.
Hooking 18 GA Power Feeds to Plastic HO Track: You cannot pinch 18 ga wire in between the connections of HO plastic track. It's just too big. You have to permanently secure it. You could try to solder all of
your leads, but that can be very tedious not to melt the track and your connections can break when connecting the entire track. Here is a suggestion for a very efficient way of securing heavy wire to plastic HO track
and we have now used this method on all three of our club tracks. 1.)
You'll need to pre-cut lengths of wire for your power taps. Calculate the distance from your power feed to the track piece and then leave another foot or so extra. Don't forget the distance from the table down to the power supply! Cut four lengths for each lane in the track power piece.
  2.) Find the best place to mount the leads from underneath. Almost all HO track has little bosses along the rail where the plastic material is
fatter. This is where you want to mount your power feeds.
 3.) Chuck a 1/32 drill bit into a variable speed drill and drill
two holes right next to each side of the rail.
Do this for both lanes.
 
4.) Next take your Dremel tool with a fiber cut-off wheel attachment,
and cut small slots into the rail, between your drilled holes.
Only go as deep as the wire thickness. Check this as you go along.
You may have to cut into the plastic a bit, but don't sweat it.
5.)
Now take your 18 ga wire, and strip approximately 2 inches from the outer plastic sleeve. Now strip the wire insulation itself back about 1.5 inches from both wires. TIP:
Be a good electrician and be careful not to knick the wire or it may break when bending. 6.) Next, route the wires through your drilled holes from the bottom of the track. Push them all the way up to the
insulation. MAKE SURE YOUR NEUTRAL FEED IS ALWAYS ON THE LEFT RAIL OF EACH LANE. THIS IS IMPORTANT LATER ON!  7.)
Now you will need to bend each wire exactly in half, 180 degrees. Take needle-nose pliers to crimp the bend tightly. The bend needs to be as wide as the gap between your drilled holes.
8.)
Now route the ends of the wire back through the second holes on top of the track and pull the wire back into the grooves you cut. Take your pliers and pull the wire into the grooves snugly. 9.)
Next, carefully twist the wire end around the remaining stripped portion of your wire leads. Tighten until the wire on top seats into the groove you cut into the rails.  If the wire still leaves a "hump" that's OK as you will need to smooth these
later with a file. Just make sure the wire is in the groove. 10.) Now you will have to carefully position the wire feeds underneath the track support sections by bending the feeds
back to a point where you run them through pre-drilled holes in the table, approx 2-3 inches from the actual hook-up. You
want the wires to be tucked under the track section a bit to help secure it. If you run the wire straight down holes right
under the connection, you run the risk of breaking those connections if you bump or move the wires under  the track. 11.) Repeat steps 1-10 for all of your track power feed sections |
