Power Problems

Hello, 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.

I have two old controllers, and they both seem to have the same affect. I have an old Hornby one, a very small about 2.5 by 1.5 inch one, with a red wheel on it; on its edge and an old Clipper one that used to be powerful enough sometimes, it felt, to raise the dead!

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

Could someone please help ?

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Reply to
Hunt James
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"Hunt James" wrote

Silly question but have you used new track, or if not is the old track

*really* clean? If not that could be your problem.

The small Hornby controller is only fit for the bin, and the Clipper must be pushing 30 years old - I assume you've had this checked out by a qualified electrician or at least put a multi-meter across the terminals to check the output.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

(1) Make sure the feeder wires are securely connected to the track, preferably soldered directly to the underside of the rail.

(2) For a layout that size, run extra current bus wires using heavier wire (e.g. as used for mains wiring) with feeders soldered to the rails every few feet.

(3) Make sure the rail joiners fit tightly; if the layout is to be permanent, solder them.

(4) Make sure the track and wheels are clean - 99% isopropanol is a good solvent; another is Goo-Gone; be sure to wipe off with a clean cloth.

(5) Make sure the loco is lubricated (sparingly) and the current pickups are clean and making good contact. Test the loco by applying feeder wires directly to the wheels or current pickups.

(5) Make sure your contollers supply enough voltage and amperage. The small Hornby one is probably inadequate. A new dual control unit (e.g. from Gaugemaster) should improve things.

(6) Others will no doubt suggest going DCC; I'll leave that one alone.

Reply to
MartinS

John Turner said the following on 26/08/2005 13:37:

That is good advice. Don't forget to include fishplates in the cleanliness stakes.

It could also be caused by a partial short somewhere. If any of the controllers get hot, this is your clue, but I would agree with John that they should really be replaced with something more modern, and safer. Gaugemaster comes to mind, but there are others.

One thing you could try is to take all your locos off the track, and disconnect the controllers from the track. With a multimeter, measure the resistance across the rails. It should read open circuit. If you don't have a multimeter, you can do the same check with a battery and a bulb - if the bulb lights, you have either a dead short or a partial short. If all this shows that the track is in the clear, it does point back to the controllers again.

Hope this helps.

Reply to
Paul Boyd

Martin where does one buy this stuff - Boots? Does it have a brand name?

Reply to
Ed Callaghan

I buy it at the local pharmacy in Canada. It's the same as rubbing alcohol, but more pure. You might have to ask the pharmacist. Also known as isopropyl alcohol.

Reply to
MartinS

You could also use metholated spirits as well or if the track is really dirty a track rubber might be neccesary. Try getting a bit of rag and wiping it along the rails if it comes of black the track definitely needs cleaning.

Chris

Reply to
Chris

Crystal Clear from Specsavers opticians and also from camera shops, and probably every chemists.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Parkes

I buy it from the local Chemist (Birmingham UK) he has to order it in for me (usually next day) and cost's about £5.50 per 500ml, I suspect it's expensive because of it being medical grade, anyone know of any cheaper ?

regards Keith

Reply to
Keith Lanham

If you know a friendly printer, or a printers' suppliers, you may be able to obtain it more cheaply, as it is used to clean presses after some types of ink- when I worked for a Wolverhampton-based company some time ago, we regularily used to supply some customers with 20 5l cans at a time. From the OP's description of the problem, however, I would be inclined to look at the rail joiners initially- as the loco moves away from the power supply, feel individual joiners and see if they are warm (or even hot) to the touch. This was certainly a problem I had when first building a garden line some 30+ years ago.

Brian

Reply to
BH Williams

Ordinary Metylated spirit from any hardware shop will do the same job. Keith

Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Reply to
Keith Norgrove

Very similar - methanol rather than (iso)propanol. Both are poisonous if ingested.

Reply to
MartinS

It's on the open shelves here in Canada, and under half that price!

Reply to
MartinS

It's also good, with a Q-Tip, for cleaning out my inkjet printer. It doesn't harm most plastics.

Reply to
MartinS

"MartinS" <

90% Isopropyl Alcohol is also good for remove ink printed letter etc., from certain brands of locos and rolling stock if applied with Q-Tip.

It's also a good paint stripper, for certain brands, if the models are submerged in it.

As MartinS mentioned, it's readily available here in Canada as it's a shelf item, priced around a couple of dollars for 500ml.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

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Reply to
Roger T.

ED,

Electronic component suppliers should have it in stock. It is one of the most common cleaners used for electronic equipment.

Go to

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and type 'isopropyl' into their search engine and you'll get a choice of tins or aerosols.

Jim.

Reply to
Jim Guthrie

Make sure you don't get the wrong sort of IPA- the Marstons' one plays hell with conductivity... Brian

Reply to
BH Williams

Isopropyl is supplied by my local Chemist @ £4.95 per 500 cc or should that be mls. He also supplies very small disposable syringes, the ones used by diabetics, which are superb for oiling locos and rolling stock.

Reply to
Chris Warcup

So is ethanol, but impure forms of that are on open sale for public consumption.

Reply to
Jane Sullivan

The message from Jane Sullivan contains these words:

Yes, but the Scots contributors to the group will get upset if you clean your track with Malt...

Reply to
David Jackson

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