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Electrical probelm

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Electrical probelm
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 4, 2008 9:04 AM

I created a layout with a standard oval track with two bachman ez-lock switches. Instead of having an inner oval, I faced the switches so that the track would leave the main oval to the outside of it, go around a mountain, and then come back onto the main oval. The probelm is that when the switches are both set for a continuous loop on this route, I lose power on different parts of the track. I have a link below to a drawing of it that I placed on my website. Can anybody tell me what my mistake was and how to remedy it. Thanks.

http://www.kpsart.com/trainlayoutproblem.htm

 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Monday, February 4, 2008 9:36 AM

I don't use the Bachmann switches but it looks like they must be power routing switches.  If you want to maintain power for the entire layout at all times you will need to run some additional power feeders to somewhere between A -B and between C-D.

If you don't want to do that, then move the power feed from the current location to between A-B.  Then at least the entire loop  A-B-C-D or A-B-E-E will have power depending on which way the switches are set.

This 2nd option would allow you to run a train around the layout.  Switch it into one of the sections C-D or E-E and park it while you run another train on the other complete loop.

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 4, 2008 10:34 AM
Simon, Thank You. That was very detailed and easy to understand. I didn't realize I actually had that many options. Now I just have to figure out which one will be more fun to work with!
  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Monday, February 4, 2008 2:35 PM
Just move your terminal track to the area between A an B and you should be fine.

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

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