You can't solder to Hornby track, so how do you get the electricity in?

Phil answers: Hornby steel track is coated with a lacquer to stop it rusting. I think this applies to both old and new rails - the coating helps keep the track clean (good) but you really need to to use one of the companies proprietary methods of attaching wires to it. Either the R602 power clip or  the more substantial section of track with screw terminals applied with some sets, are the solutions. 

That's fine except where you need lots of feeds. On nickel-silver track I'll happily solder wires to the side in a matter of seconds. Here, it wasn't working. 

After much head scratching, the chap I'm building the layout for reminded me that the local model shop had supplied him with some Peco pre-wired fishplates. 

Perfect! OK, the track had to be lifted and the existing fishplates replaced but the result was very neat and effective. With small holes drilled beside each one, the wires poked below the board, any obvious wire could be painted or covered with ballast. 

Maybe on finescale I'd still prefer solder, the wires don't bend much so you can't route them directly down under the board for total invisibility, but here they were the idea solution to the problem.