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Lockon ?

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Lockon ?
Posted by traindaddy1 on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:24 AM

Probably covered before but this "older" guy can't remember.  (Traditional ZW and Tubular Track)

Without "over-kill", what is the accepted distance between lockons? As always, many thanks.

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Posted by rtraincollector on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:46 AM

That acually can vary from layout to layout depending on tightness of joints if you solder your joints( some do) solder jumper wires at the joints ( again some do) but I believe with normal track noe of the above done its something like 8'

But as said it really depends on your layout. I remeber having a 5' x 9' layout with figure 8 in middle of loop and all with like 6 or so switches within the loop/figure 8 and I think I only had 2 lock ons

Life's hard, even harder if your stupid  John Wayne

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Posted by bigdogjeff on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 7:54 AM

my layout is 10x 6 and i have two lockons maybe could use a 3 but not hard to jump a line

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Posted by laz 57 on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:05 PM

I use lock ons every 4-6 feet.  I have used the star pattern for wiring my layout.  Main feeder from ZW to center of layout then wires out to the lock ons works real good.  Hope this helps.

laz57

  There's a race of men that don't fit in, A race that can't stay still; Robert Service. TCA 03-55991
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Posted by RockIsland52 on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 4:52 PM

Lionelsoni helped me with this one when my engines were slowing down when they approached either end of my Christmas layout, then hauled on the straightaways.  Added lockons without any success. 

Didn't have the heart to tell Bob that the problem wasn't electrical.  The 8' X 4' (unreinforced) plywood board I used for the past 20 years as an underlayment for the Christmas tree and the layout was as warped as a potato chip, curved up on both ends, probably about a 2 inch rise.  Put free weights on the four corners and everything was fine with beautiful slow operation all the way around.......until the wife saw the weights and unilaterally decided they didn't fit in with her Christmas decor.  Should have covered the weights up with some of her Christmas stuffed animals and told her the weights were actually platforms to give the stuffed animals more of a raised prominence. Big Smile

Jack.

IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.

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Posted by traindaddy1 on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 9:04 PM

RT; BD Jeff; Laz; Jack:     Hey guys, many thanks.   I knew you'd have the answer!  Smile

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Posted by rlplionel on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:22 PM

I started with one lockon many moons ago and then added them wherever the train slowed down.

Robert

http://www.robertstrains.com/

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Posted by phillyreading on Friday, May 14, 2010 2:56 PM

For power on my upper level track, the one that goes around the top of my train room( about 42 feet of 027 track), I have put a lock-on every third section of track. For the wires I use 16 AWG(16 gauge wire) from lock-on to lock-on and have 12 AWG coming off of my transformer going to the upper level and then connecting at both ends to the 16 AWG for a continuos loop of power.

The 12 AWG is probally overkill but I didn't want to buy any 14 AWG just for a small project, when I had 12 AWG on hand. The transformer is a Lionel type R, 110 watt.

Even with my O gauge track on the main layout I use about five to seven lock-ons for one continuos loop of track, the main layout is 8ft. by 12 ft.

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.

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