Lifelike Power Loc Vs Bachmann Conductivity

[Texas Zepher]

alloboard

     I noticed that the lights in my DCC lighted HOWalthers coaches do flicker when on Bachmann track, amazingly they don't  flicker on Lifelike's Power Loc track, how come? I'm using a Digitrax DB150 and I run track wire feeders on my layout so I have evenly distributed power.

In theory I like the power loc concept.  It is too bad that it is so cheaply manufactured.  That difference in behavior could be many things aside from the track design.  Both Bachmann and Lifelike make both steel and NS rails.  That would be one thing to check.  On Bachmann it is easy to tell because the steel rails use the black "roadbed" while the NS use the grey.  I don't know how to tell with the Power-Loc but I would think a magnet would work if nothing else.

The next question is what type of wheels are on the Walther's coaches.  Are they factory nickel-silver or are they plated brass, or pot metal (aka Athearn), stainless steel.   It could be the interaction (or lack thereof) of the metal of the wheels vs the metal of the track.

It could also be the condition of the top of the rail.  If one set has been cleaned with a "bright boy" or similar abrasive substance it could be scratched and pitted.

Then how about the simple cleanliness of the rail head?   Cleaning them with the "same" cleaner might not have the same results if they are different metals.

Are the coaches flickering on the curves only or also on straight?  If so is the radius of the curve the same?  Bachmann makes many more different curvature of rail than does Life-like.  A tight curve can often wedge the trucks and actually make better electrical contact that it would on a less agressive curve or straight.

And of course there are combinations of all of the above.

  

[rrinker]

 Never used the Power-Lok but while buildingmy previous layout I set up a simple 4x8 oval with the Bachmann stuff and even with 4 feeders spaced around the loop I had slowdowns and power problems, but with DC and DCC. Enough that I determined never to use that junk again. It was the black roadbed steel track, so that was part of the problem. Huge difference on my actual layout laid with flex track. 8x12 and it ran fine with just one pair of feeders connected as a test before I ran the power bus.

        --Randy

 

[alloboard]

     I noticed that the lights in my DCC lighted HOWalthers coaches do flicker when on Bachmann track, amazingly they don't  flicker on Lifelike's Power Loc track, how come? I'm using a Digitrax DB150 and I run track wire feeders on my layout so I have evenly distributed power.