First post here, hope i get it out right.
I want to put a HO train set around my son's room (on a shelf near the seeling). His room is 9' X 10' so the track will be about 40' - 50'long . I am looking in to buying a set to start that comes with train, track, controller etc..... and then buying additional track to make up the lenth. My question is.... will the transformer a speed control put out ehough power for the whole track or will I have to get every thing seperate.
Any help would be great
Thank you
Andy
Dear Andy,
A bigger power pack than the one in a starter set will be a good idea, but you will still need to run feeders to various points around the loop. The loco will then pick up power from the closest feeder.
Happy Holidays!
the Bach-man
Thank you for the quick response. I am new to the hobby so if you could point me in the direction of some products that you talked about. Are the feeders actual track sections with a terminal a connecter.....
Thanks in advanced
Andy
After posting my last comment I searched for feeders and found this thread......
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,6405.0.html (http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,6405.0.html)
Is this the sort of thing you are talking about. I kinda like the idea of the buss wire for neatness. What are your thoughts on using terminals and wiring them to a buss/extension cord.
Can you suggest some bigger power packs please.
Andy
One of the best HO around the ceiling layouts I've seen had mirrors mounted at 45 degrees from the ceiling/wall joint to allow those below to see things better. It really worked well- Mike
Andy, there are three ways to connect feeder wires to tracks. As expense goes down, complexity goes up! :D The first is a piece of terminal track like you get in a train set. It's a nine inch piece of track with what looks like a grade crossing and you run the wires to the terminals. The second are sets of rail joiners with a wire attached. Slip in the rail joiners, then join the wires to them to your feeder wires. The third is to solder your feeder wires to the INSIDE of your track.
With a room that size, you might want to consider flex track. There are two reasons for flex track. One, it's a lot less expensive than sectional track, even without roadbed. Second, you may make the corner curves as broad as you want. The broader the curve, the less chance of a derailment.
BTW, my standard for the feeder wires is one set of feeders every nine feet. In other words, the center section of every three pieces of flex track or equivalent gets a feeder. If, for some reason, I have several areas where, because of turnouts or something, I have many small pieces of track, I add additional feeders.
Gene
Dear Gene,
If you solder to the inside of the track rails, you run the risk of having a solder/wire blob that interferes with the wheel flanges, bouncing the car or de-railing it. I suppose you could file the blob until the wheel flanges cleared.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Joe - I have no idea why I made that mistake. OUTSIDE of the track. OUTSIDE. (And below the railhead.)
Gene
Dear Andy,
MRC makes excellent power packs.
Most local hobby shops carry them.
Happy Holidays!
the Bach-man
First, thank you Bach-man, Joe, Mike and Gene for the great tips and suggestions. I have learnt so much in the last few days. I can't believe how much cheaper the flex track is than the EZ track. Will be posting some pics as I get building.
thanks again.
Andy
PS Merry Christmas to all. Allthe best for 2009
The link below shows how I would like it to look. My only concern is wiring the feeders. Is it best to wire them in order (MT to T6) or MT to T2 and them MT to T3.
www.hidesertbikes.net/toppage1.htm (http://www.hidesertbikes.net/toppage1.htm)
Andy
Dear EM,
Consider doing your siding as a ladder instead, as it eliminates the "S" curve formed by the divergent route and the curve to get the siding back to parallel. As an added bonus your siding will be longer.
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Sorry it's backwards from your drawing. The straight route of the turnout leads to the "siding" close to the wall. The divergent route of the turnout leads to the main route far away from the wall.
Using 18" radius-30 degree (regular) curve sections, the Atlas "snap switch" or Bachmann "EZ-Track" remote switch would replace the last curve in the 90 degree corner. It's a little more complicated with numbered switches.
What are the turnouts that you are using in your diagram?
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Edit: fixed ascii drawing, added "bonus" sentence
I was planning on using Atlas 284 and 283 turnouts and then connecting them with flex track.
Dear All,
Just as a reference, the 283 and 284 turnouts are the left and right Atlas code 100 custom line #6 turnouts, 9.5 degree frog angle/angle of departure. Metal frog can be powered. Black ties, Nickel silver rails.
EM,
You may have to change your corner shelf pieces if you use the ladder configuration..
Watch the parallel spacing between tracks. At least 2" centerline to centerline. (see nmra.org website.)
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
I want a part of the track to be 'parking spot' (right side of the diagram) for a train that im not running. I only want the spot to have power when I want to move the train on to the main thack (left side of diagram)
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Can the turnouts get power from the mian track when it comes into contact with it. I have heard some thing about 'frogs'. Can some one explain what these are and any other help with turnouts.
Thank You
EM.
You could put plastic rail joiners at the switches where they go to the siding. T5 could be then connected to a double pole on/off switch, then to the bus wire. The bus system is sort of like the telephone poles and wires set upside down. The telephone wires would be you bus wires, a + and -. The poles would be like the feeder wires going to the track. The bus should be a heavy gauge like 18 or even 16, while the feeders could be 20 or 22 gauge.
If you go to this location, you'll find free software for track planning from Atlas
http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm (http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm)
Dear EM,
You are asking for a "power routing" turnout. The 283-284's are not.
You would need to isolate one rail on both ends of your siding with insulative rail joiners (Atlas #55), and turn the power on and off with a Single Pole-Single Throw (SPST) electrical switch between that insulated rail and the power source for that rail.
An Atlas #205 selector switch has three SPST electrical switches, (you would use one, the other two would be spares) or you could just buy a single SPST switch from Radio Shack or other source of electrical parts. (Auto parts stores have them, too.)
I hate to push Atlas products too much on the Bachmann board, but a great book to have is their #12 "The Complete Atlas Wiring Book" available at most hobby shops.
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A frog is the spot on the turnout where the rails cross. Most are insulative, some are metal, as in the case of your 283-284 turnouts.
Some hobbyists will power the frog if they have short wheelbase locos, which can lose power over a long frog, or lose power if they have faulty electrical pickup on the rest of the wheels on that side of the loco.
If you power the metal frog, (not recommended for beginners), you would need a SPDT (Single Pole - Double Throw) switch connected with your throwout mechanism. Whenever the turnout moves its point rails, the SPDT switch MUST be thrown along with it (and in the proper direction) or electrical shorts will occur at the frog. Tortoise turnout motors have those switches built in.
Again, I recommend the "ladder" configuration from my above post. This avoids "S" curves that raise havoc.
If you must run the parallel siding with the built in "S" curves, lengthen the straight (between the turnout and the curve that takes you back to parallel with the main) to at least as long as your longest car or loco. This may require a wider shelf on that side of the room.
Math: Assume 12" longest car or loco. #6 turnout moves 6 down the track and 1 sideways. (6:1) 12" / 6 = 2". So, you would add 2" width between the main and the siding to get 12 more inches of straight between the turnout and the curve back to parallel. Assuming 2" previous spacing, +2" = 4" centerline to centerline spacing between main and siding.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik
Dear EM,
Another disadvantage to powering a frog: Operator Error.
If you approach from the 2 track end and the turnout is in the wrong position (bashing? or slamming? through), you will cause and electrical short to the powered frog.
Hope this helps.
Sincerely,
Joe Satnik