I,m running approxamently 300ft of main line when my train is at near end it loses power I,m using 22 gauge wire but think it may not be big enough as for when I run a jumper wire acroos from power pk to the rail where loco is it speeds up have checked rails for loose connection and have repaired but problem still there if any one can advise ty trainzmaster have jumper wires in place now but may not have enough running analogic controls
help lol
- Thread starter stagingyards
- Start date
Unusual to have it lose power at the near end.
22 gauge is a little light for feeders. I would try to limit it just to the last few inches -- going through the roadbed and connecting to the rail. I would like about 16 or at lrast 18 for most of the feeders. I use lamp cord to connect from my throttles to the station panels around the layout (outside of 16'x16' room), then a smaller wire from the panels to the layout.
22 gauge is a little light for feeders. I would try to limit it just to the last few inches -- going through the roadbed and connecting to the rail. I would like about 16 or at lrast 18 for most of the feeders. I use lamp cord to connect from my throttles to the station panels around the layout (outside of 16'x16' room), then a smaller wire from the panels to the layout.
ty
I decides that I would run 18 gauge to the furthest parts of my layout and 22 where the tracks are closer in distane to my power pack It seems to work a lot better and as for switches I choose to make a layout with very few switches as I like long tuns will aventually run more track and then some switching if you like you can contact me this name @ yahoo.ca ty for you help hope we get to chat a gain and shore videos and Ideas :thumb:
I decides that I would run 18 gauge to the furthest parts of my layout and 22 where the tracks are closer in distane to my power pack It seems to work a lot better and as for switches I choose to make a layout with very few switches as I like long tuns will aventually run more track and then some switching if you like you can contact me this name @ yahoo.ca ty for you help hope we get to chat a gain and shore videos and Ideas :thumb:
You mention "analogic" controls and a Trainmaster - I think this means you are running DC?
In any case, the drop is not really unusual if you are feeding power to the track at only one spot. The voltage drop due to the resistance of the rails will result in a noticable loss of performance at a spot furthest from the point the power is introduced.
Can you confirm you are using DC power, and tell us if you have blocked the layout?
Andrew
In any case, the drop is not really unusual if you are feeding power to the track at only one spot. The voltage drop due to the resistance of the rails will result in a noticable loss of performance at a spot furthest from the point the power is introduced.
Can you confirm you are using DC power, and tell us if you have blocked the layout?
Andrew
ty
ty for your help yes I am running dc undecides if Im going to go to Dcc and trainzmater is the name I go by I ran 22 gauge wire to the clostes track and fir distanct track I decided to run 18 and everything seems to tun much better and another ?? how can I contact some one when they are on line ty
ty for your help yes I am running dc undecides if Im going to go to Dcc and trainzmater is the name I go by I ran 22 gauge wire to the clostes track and fir distanct track I decided to run 18 and everything seems to tun much better and another ?? how can I contact some one when they are on line ty
kf4jqd
Active Member
It doesn't matter if you using DCC or DC. There is alot of power loss in 22 gauge wire. For long runs like you are using. The min gauge you should use is 12. However, I would use 10 gauge.
I use to have a formula for calculatiing power loss. If I find my old text book. I'll post it here.
Andy
I use to have a formula for calculatiing power loss. If I find my old text book. I'll post it here.
Andy
Electrical standards rate #22 gauge wire for one amp, 18 ga for five amps, 14 ga for 15 amps and 12 ga for 20. This of course is good to know when you're working with higher voltages such as 115 VAC. The lower the voltage, the more affect the resistance of the wire will have, regardless of the current. The higher the current, the more voltage you lose across the wire. Bigger is always better in this case.
As I said above, I used lamp zip cord or extension code wire. It's probably larger than I need, but it's cheap and Canadian Tyre had it in the 4 colours I needed. I bought many spools of a smaller (bell) wire when I found a decent electronic store within 10 miles. (Address shared with Toronto area members on payment of a suitable insult.) Radio Shock only stock 3 colours in rather overpriced packages (fine for a smaller layout.) I also used some surplus telephone/computer cable, but doubled the wires.
The electrical problem is less so if you solder the track together. I have over 300' of track, with only one connection from the power source, located at one end of a point-to-point layout. Track is nickel-silver, control is DC, there was no noticeable loss of power at any point, one loco, two, five: no difference. I did, at a later date, add a pair of #12 bus wires, as it offered the best way to install plug-in jacks for walkaround control, and I also added an electrical connection between the end points of the layout. The reason for using #12 wire was that it was what was at hand.
Wayne
Wayne
I use # 14 THHN because i have a lot of it (bought 14 500FT spools for 5$ each) never have had a voltage loss problem with in HO.