Power Problems

My guess is you have a bad/poor electrical connection somewhere. Try the following:

1. Check the feedpoint connections to the track.
2. Is your layout divided into electrical blocks? If yes, check all the wiring connections for each block. If No, then consider creating electrical blocks.
3. Check all the track connectors.

Cheers, Bill S.

Hunt=A0James wrote: I have just built my first layout, for about 18 years anyway. I used all new, hornby, track and it is currently 13 ft by about 3.5 ft. I have just tried a locomotive on it, FYI a class 66, and tried to move it down the track and nothing really happened. It recieved power and started to move, but as if it had really low amount of juice going to it. The same for my Lima Class 20. They do get power but its like you have barely turned the controller on. And as it moves further away from the controller the power drops until by about 4 ft along it stops; about a foot and a half for the 66.

*** Is this simply new track need a newer controller or is there some other reason for it ?

--------------------------------------------------- I've had this mystery happen several times when using new track sections. It as caused by a faulty track section. Replaced the section and all was fine. Finding the faulty section is a bit of a challenge, however.

Short circuits sometimes behave like you describe, also.

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad:

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First remove all of the equipment from the trqck and put a 12V light bulb between the track and the power pack. If it lights then you have a short on the layout somewhere. If it doesn't light, put the loco on an isolated piece of track and see if ituns. If it does then you have poor connections on the track connectors. If it doesn't run then you need to find out why the loco doesn't run. Many people take and do what you've done which is to lay down a bunch of track and then try operation. This is bad as there are a number of ways that you will have problems. It is better to lay some track and then test it and then go lay some more. You will then be able to find problems iwth the track a lot easier as you won't have to troubleshoot the track already laid but rather just the bit you just laid. I'll also note that sectional track really isn't a good way to lay a layout except for a very small layout as the number of connections is way higher than it would be with flextrack and every connection is a source of problems in electrical conunity.

-- Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?