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Is it suppose to be this easy?

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  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: New Brighton, MN
  • 4,393 posts
Posted by ARTHILL on Friday, March 21, 2008 4:07 PM

Yup, its that easy. I did the same thing. I may have to add some feeders someday, maybe, but its been almost three years.

Welcome to the hobby and to the forum.

If you think you have it right, your standards are too low. my photos http://s12.photobucket.com/albums/a235/ARTHILL/ Art
  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Colorful Colorado
  • 8,639 posts
Posted by Texas Zepher on Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:41 PM

 Fire3240 wrote:
110' of ... track ...  I ... tie in two feeder wires to my .. power pack.  Low and behold it ran the train the entire way around.
That should not be any surprise. Think about it.  With 110 feet of track the furthest a train can be from the power is 55 feet. 

Yes it is supposed to be this easy.  Even with DCC, hook two wires to the track and run the trains.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:16 PM

Thank you very much for your input.  I know that this issue is probably very elementry to most of you.  But I am brand new to this stuff.  I appreciate the advise very much.

thanks

Mike

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:08 PM

Yes.  It works now, but things change over time.  One of the changes comes about by oxidation, and another comes about by the locomotives moving across joins between sections of track.  The joiners, if an where you use them, will weaken in the odd instance and splay enough that contact becomes intermittent.  At some point, the train will move over the joint and then mysteriously stop dead due to power loss beyond the faulty join.  Placing a wooden kabob skewer on the rails and pressing down under the cars still lying across the join will probably restore power with pressure applied, thus demonstrating that the joiner is moving and open...or even corroded.

So, the practise of using feeders every so often is a good one, even if it doesn't prove its worth right away.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Vail, AZ
  • 1,943 posts
Posted by Vail and Southwestern RR on Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:06 PM
Over time rail joiners will loosen, there will be a bit more dirt, dust and corrosion, and things will just not work quite as well as they do know.  A little extra work now could save a pain in the posterior later.

Jeff But it's a dry heat!

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Is it suppose to be this easy?
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:20 PM

   I built an HO layout for my boys two bedrooms.  It has 110' of code 100 flex track glued to cut plexi-glass.  It is one track line that travels in one direction.  It travels around the upper walls of their rooms tunneling through the walls.  I layed the track down and used terminal track connectors about every 4-5'.   Today I planned to lay out a bus wire to connect to the feeders.  Just to see a train move on our new track, I decided to tie in two feeder wires to my 1370 power pack.  Low and behold it ran the train the entire way around.  I then stacked on a few cars behind the loco, and it seems to run great.  My question is, if it is working this way, is there any reason to do anything different with the wiring of my layout?  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 Thanks,

 Mike

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