This might be over-the-top for most, but can be achieved even in crazy small Z-scale (1:220)

I have seen numerous people solder to the outside rail, which is easier and more convenient, but I have never seen it done under the rail.

I wanted a more realistic scene, so let's take this a level up - steady hands and magnifying glass ready ?


Cut a section out of the bottom between sleepers (if you wish, you can slide plastic sleepers further apart to avoid melting them with the soldering iron - make sure you have a very fine tip ~1mm)


'Tin' your wires with solder first, then bend them with a 1mm section at right angles and solder to the bottom of the rail (using regular electronics resin core 60/40 solder will do)


The wires should bend to the centre track position and then downwards


Drill a hole into baseboard to suit wire size (mine was 2-3mm)
Ballast and add scenic material as per usual (here I used some lightly brushed pastels over the track to add weathering effects)


This is what you get soldering on the outside of the rail.

It's a great idea. While one has the sleepers off silver solder all the rail together for realistic continuous track.

People conveniently blame thermal expansion for their poor layout quality.

You are only looking at 0.268mm over a metre with a change in 20°C.

Not to forget to factor in thermal & humidity changes for the layout base material which might even be a bit more, so then you need to subtract the rail from the base material.

Drill a hole in the bottom of rail to key in wire (sorry for the bush carpenter approach, this was done by hand with drill between fingers for a guide with cutting fluid. A drill press would do better job).

One could just pretend you simply have an earth connection, but to be authentic you need catenary.

I soldered the wire from the powered 8912 catenary mast into the 0.5mm hole drilled by hand (not ideal). The wire seem fairly good quality. If I was powering the rail I would then after a few cm attach a heavier gauge wire and then heatshrink.

It wasn't actually that difficult, other than I did stack a few pairs of reading glasses so I could actually see, and good lighting.

I have 2 of these soldering irons https://en.goot.jp/products/detail/px_335 (lead/tin solder is easier than tin only, and better from a long term technical issue with 'tin hairs').



Photo technical details: Canon 85mm f1.4 (brilliant, buy one even if Wifey is required to generate income (I had a Canon f1.8... sell daughter for f1.4). A B+W https://www.bhphotovideo..._77mm_Close_up_NL_4.html close up filter on the lens, plus a 12mm extension tube between a 1.4 extender (you can't fit extender directly on the 85mm lens, but for close up work it's not an issue). On tripod with mirror lockup and shutter release cable.

Two photos stacked f22, and f11 for the key area, doubled pixel size in LAB sharpening L chanel and a touch of Blur on AB channels (I did clone out the dust on the camera's sensor as it was embarrassing!). Half pixel size to original photo size (300dpi > 600 > 300 is the least thinking process).

Camera body is a prehistoric Canon 5D mk2 bought 2008.



There was a white piece of material used to bounce light back into the scene to help fill in shadows. White A4 or A3 paper will serve the purpose, or polystyrene foam offcut from foam box or packaging is brilliant for this task.