hi im trying to gather information on witch track is the best for HO scale. When i was younger I had brass and silver track mixed together, it seemed like I always had a connection problem threw out my track any help would be awesome!!
another issue is it possible to have to much track for your controller to handle? If so is there a law on how much a power pack can handle. Im looking at a new power pack but I'm looking a spending close to 300$ any thing else i could do?
It's probably hard to find brass track new, plus plenty of old around. You'd have to clean it, but if going brass, you might as well get used to it...
Having BTDT, it's well worth going with nickel-silver track. You'll never consider it a mistake anyway.
One power pack, no matter how small, can handle powering lots of track. Don't worry about that.
Are you talking DC or DCC for a "power pack"? If you just plan on one train operating at a time in DC, anything around 3 amps and up should work, unless you plan on running more than 3 or 4 diesels together at a time.
Most all the DCC systems start at the lower end with units that can handle at least two units operating separately at once.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Prepare for a heated debate about the 'best' of anything. Asking that is like asking 'what's the length of rope?' I use Micro Engineering code 83 weathered track.
The number of controllers you need is also dependent on the size of layout, what you want on that etc. Have you considered these things? Perhaps also good to pick up some intro to MR books and begin reading to get a stronger understanding.
LION uses only Nickle Silver track, Him buys Model Power by the box (100 x 3ft pcs) from Trainworld. (About $300.00) these days. Dest deal in town. But then LION has 14 miles of track on the layout of him.
Most of the switches of LION are 20 years old or more, and have seen three layouts and many rebuilds on these layouts. Atlas Custom Line switches for the most part.
A question you must ask yourself from the git go is are you going to use code 100 or code 83 rails. Most older stuff, and indeed most newer stuff to is code 100, but the smaller code 83 is said to be more prototypical.
Brass and Nickle-Silver joints will set up a galvanic action that is detrimental to the life of the rail. Brass is harder to keep clean, and brass oxidate does not counduct electicvity. Nickle-silve oxidate does conduct electricity.
Good wiring practices require more than one power point on the tracks, and DCC systems should be powered to every section of track. LION does not use DCC, but him does solder the rail joiners of him. Should moving a track be required, I cut the joiner with a motor tool, and then use a heated solder iron to flip off the remaining joiner peices. Cut back the ties on the replacement track so that the rail joiner will fit entirely on that rail, insert the track, and then adjust and solder the railjoiners.
For a simple layout, I'd just use Atlas code 100 flex track and Atlas Custom Line switches, and Tortoise switch machines. You can do cheaper, and you can do better, but this is a happy optimum.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
so if i had a 200 ft track show i wire in more than just on power terminal to my power pack to distribute my power more correctly?
another qustion witch is the better power pack a dc or DCC? and do the make a power pack just for AC for lighting?
I might get some debate on this, but I really don't think many would quibble if I state that there is no bad modern scale rails, at least in HO...with which I am most familiar. It's virtually all nickel-silver, and it all works. Treat it nicely, don't abuse it, and it will all last a long time.
Brass and steel track are largely a thing of the past, and most would agree...good riddance. Maybe in other scales it is still useful, maybe even preferred, but not in the HO world with which I am familiar. So, take your pick...the section small pieces, some with fake plastic ballast (Atlas, Kato, Bachmann, others), or the flex type (Micro Engineering, Model Power, Peco, Atlas, Walthers, and a newcomer...I think Rapido).
It is usually not the track that gives you troubles. It might be tight curves or improper joins, but most often it is the switches, or what we call "turnouts" in the hobby. Too often they won't play nicely with the rest of the track and cause derailments. Quality ones are made by Walthers/Shinohara, Peco, Atlas, and Micro Engineering, to name the most widely used ones. Even then, sometimes the flange path in the frog needs deepening or widening, or even narrowing, or the sharp sliding points rails won't be sharp enough or lie tightly against their stock rails. When that happens, the wheel flanges might pick the point and cause a derailment.
I gave you more than you asked, but that should help...hopefully. My advice is to stick with nickel-silver, even if you can get it second-hand.
thunoldanother issue is it possible to have to much track for your controller to handle? If so is there a law on how much a power pack can handle. Im looking at a new power pack but I'm looking a spending close to 300$ any thing else i could do?
For DC operation the size (output) of power pack needed is dependent on the total current draw of the locomotives that will be run at one time with the power pack, not the length of the track. Too small a power pack can trip the circut breaker, or overheat and may cause a fire. However, with longer track runs it may be necessary to add additional connections (wires) from the pack to distant locations because the rail has higher resistance than a wire.
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
DC is, well DC trains as they have always been.
DCC is Digital Computer Control, and is entirely different, and I shall not attempt to explain it to you. It does allow you to run any number of locomotives on a single circuit, including lights, horns, bells and more.
If you are using DC, just get a good power pack. It does have AC for accessories, but actually that is no longer used, or if you do use those terminals you will want to add a rectifier to turn it into DC.
DC powers your Tortois switch machines, and of course is used for lighting, since virtually all lighting now is LED, and incandescent runs on DC as well.
LION uses a good power supply for the tracks, and then other power supplies for switch machines, signals and lighting.
How big a layout are you making? Howmany locomotives will you be running at one time?
Wiring DC is dirt simple, but as your layout gets more complicated, the more complicate your wiring looks.
thunold so if i had a 200 ft track show i wire in more than just on power terminal to my power pack to distribute my power more correctly?
I short yes. I would recommend getting a soldering iron and solder and watching some youtube videos on how to solder feeders to track or watching how to videos here on MR or MRVP.
The number and location of power feeders is dependant on the type of control you are using for your trains DCC, DC (with or without blocks). I put feeders every 3-6 feet along my track, however I am using DCC. For DC, I believe you can get away with less. I also solder my rail joiners into place on curves, straight sections dont get solder so that the rail and benchwork can expand and contract (mostly the benchwork) with varying humidity and temperature (this prevents kinks in the track). I would suggest investing some time and possibly money into research of layout wiring (Kalmbach, our hosts here on this forum, has books on wiring and DCC). I would also suggest checking out Alan Gartner's website: http://www.wiringfordcc.com/
Terry
mlehman You'd have to clean it, but if going brass, you might as well get used to it...
You'd have to clean it, but if going brass, you might as well get used to it...
I agree with you too about brass, but there seem to be a few who argue brass totally fine, which I guess is why we don't see it being produced anymore?
Advice: choose one brand of track (whatever Code) and stick with it. Mixing track brands causes headaches from shims (thickness of ties) and joiners (rail width and profile).
I don't have a ton of experience and I've find it's not much of a big deal to mix brands and codes. I wouldn't do it back and forth every other piece, but I'd switch from staging to visible (100 to 83) and it's quite easy. The great thing is you can buy what works and use it. If Shinohara makes a 3 way and you need it, great, if they make a curved turnout of the correct radii, use it. Peco makes some track that works too and even better yet, it requires less tweaking and has the built in spring to flick the points over.
In my HO opinion, Walthers has the best looking turnouts, but there flex track isn't strong enough (rail pops out of ties). Micro Eng has the best flex track because it holds it's shape when bent (but limited line of turnouts). Many like Atlas and Peco, not my choice.
FYI, Shinohara makes Walthers turnouts under contract for them for their code 83 line. For code 100 and code 70, they are branded as Shinohara, but made by the same company. They do use stock rail rather than stamped sheet metal points or cast frogs (Atlas) but IMO, Peco require less tweaking and function better out of the box. I have Walthers or Shinohara where the points are stick or have resistance so I've had to resort to Switchmaster slow motion motors that have a lot of torque to get them to swing from one position to the other. Probably the best compromise between looks and reliable smooth operation with no tuning is Peco, hands down.
I find the stiff flext track much harder to work with - I have some Walthers code 70 and it's stiff like the ME track. You have to literally massage it over and over to get the right shape - a pain in the you know what. Atlas flex is springy and forms extremely easily to arrow straight or you can lay it right on a curve centerline SUPER easy! It would take a lot more time to get the stiff flex track onto a curve center-line - Atlas is really easy to work with! For beginners especially, I'd recommend Atlas. I'm on my 3rd layout and still like it's ease of use and it's more economical too. Their code 83 looks pretty decent with it's finer rail and molded in spikes.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761I find the stiff flext track much harder to work with -
And the LION finds the very flexible track, like Atlas to be more difficult. Him likes curves that stay curved when him works with them.
LION uses Model Power but I do not see that listed anymore. I wonder who made it for them.
riogrande5761I don't have a ton of experience and I've find it's not much of a big deal to mix brands and codes. I wouldn't do it back and forth every other piece, but I'd switch from staging to visible (100 to 83) and it's quite easy.
I can mix and match with no trouble either, but then again I've been doing it for a long time. Theoretically it shouldn't be a problem to switch between brands, but the transitions cause a lot of trouble for many newcomers. Differences in rail cross section and tie thickness require care in installation that can tax the abilities of beginners, so I recommend staying mostly with one brand until you develop your skills. A situation like you describe, making the change at the end of staging, tends to cause few problems.
Rob Spangler