Steps for improving TMCC/Legacy "Track" signal

[Dale M]

I recently posted a case study of troubleshooting and improving the TMCC/Legacy track signal on a large club layout.  http://www.trainfacts.com/trainfacts/?p=691  This information may be helpful to others who have signal problems.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Dale,

From what I read on your blog, the common ground wire for TMCC/Legacy needs to have some distance between it and the other wires on the layout.  My ground wire is separated by at least 1 1/2" from the other wires and I have not experienced a problem with signal loss except when the track is filthy dirty.  Since I used L-girder, joist construction, there are several (8-10)holes drilled in the joists a 2" centers that hold all my wires. 

Is this a case of a blind squirrel sometimes finding the acorn. 

Thanks for the info.  

[Dale M]

Yes, sometimes we just get lucky! All those poor people who have very neat, tightly bundled cables are at a disadvantage because of their neatness.

[rtraincollector]

Cool I did it right. I ran all my power lines first then came back and ran all my grounds seperately and my holes threw the wood to route them and support them so there not hanging are at least an 1" apart away from each other. I actually found it easier to run one and then go back and run the other.

[Dale M]

The spacing reduces the capacitance loading on the Base, and it also increases the open area of the "antenna" formed by the power and earth-ground wires.

[anjdevil2]

This is just food for thought....if I was a hi-railer and duplicated the telegraph lines that ran along the ROW and those lines were ground wires, would the signal be better? 

This is just a question, I'm sure there would be other ways to run ground wires above the layout board, this is just one that struck me as a workable solution.

[Dale M]

Indeed, folks have already tried "telephone" wires or even grounding unused overhead catenary wires with good results. Getting the wire up in the air gives a better position that is readily "visible" by the antenna inside the loco or the insulated handrails on a steamer.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Dale M

Yes, sometimes we just get lucky! All those poor people who have very neat, tightly bundled cables are at a disadvantage because of their neatness.