Extra power to tracks HO

[Roelf]

At what lenght and at which point must i add an extra transformer to keep the power to the track steady and what kind off transformer will be best? i'm looking at a total of about 80 - 100 tracks

[SteamGene]

Roelf,
Do you mean 80-100 pieces of 9" sectional track?  In any event, you don't need an additional transformer.  What you need are additional feeders to your track.  The easiest and most expensive method is to get one to three more sections of track with the female power plug, and run wire from your transformer to them.  Make SURE you keep your positive and negative separated.   The best way to do this is to run a buss wire of heavier gauge from the transformer and then connect the feeder wires to the buss wire. 
The cheaper way is to solder feeder wires to the outside of your rails and then connect them to the buss wire.   I think you will find that one feeder every nine feet should be good. 
Gene

[Roelf]

Thank you Gene. I got a couple of Electrician friends and will ask them to help me. I'm just starting up and are battling to find accessories for Bachmann here in South Africa. I contacted the importer and he has barely anything in stock. If this poor supply of accessories keep on I think i must start importing myself.

[Roelf]

Hi Gene. My speed controller sits between my transformer and the tracks. If i understand your message correct then i'm by-passing my speed controller???

[SteamGene]

Uh - I don't think so.  I guess you are using a transformer to alter South African current before it enters your speed controller, which we would probably call a power pack.  If this be the case, it would be source - transformer - speed controller (power pack) - buss - feeders - track. 
Gene

[Woody Elmore]

To add to what Gene has written, the feeders should be made of a heavier gauge wire than the normal hookup wire.

[Roelf]

Thank you guys. Will let you know when i have done it and how it works. Enjoy the day

[SteamGene]

If you use a buss wire, it needs to be heavier than the feeders.  I'm using 14 and 20.
Gene

[Jim Banner]

Roelf, I believe SteamGene is wanting you to use bus wires rather than wanting you to kiss (buss) the wires.

Sorry, Gene, I couldn't resist.  I get a laugh every time I see buss (from Middle English 'bassen' meaning 'to kiss') mixed up with bus (contraction of 'omnibus')

If you have trouble remembering which is which, just chant

Buss, buss, buss the bus.
Don't make no fuss.  Just buss the bus.
Don't make me cuss - do what you must
Just buss, buss, buss the bus.

[SteamGene]

Jim, I ken whence comest "buss," eke "bus."  But alas, I see "buss" for that fat wire anon, so that it seemest ryght fayre for alle.
Gene

[r.cprmier]

Roelf;
It is my understanding that standard current in South Africa is 240VAC@50Hz.  Am I correct?  Let me know, and I can get back to you with some calculations, formulae, that will help you in the wiring of your layout there. 
Just off the top, however; your demand is not based upon your length of track, but the load upon which it connected;  EG: your locomotives.
Here in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean (with exceptions), we have, as you probably know, 120/240VAC@60Hz as our standard residential secondaries.   In any computations that are based upon standardized US/Canada practises, the 60-50 Hertz will definitely play a significant role.

Rich   

[Roelf]

Hallo Rich

I'm looking to start of with a track with about 130 tracks. I have tested with 40 tracks so far. My loss of power came into play when i connected 3 x Passenger cars that also pulls power to the lights inside the cars. Then i'm pulling them with a Steam Loco (The Penesylvanian) (Sorry for the spelling). Tonight I will use my Diesel Loco (Sante Fe). When I used it the first time on about 20 tracks it slowed down a lot. Thanks for all the help guys. I'm new in this game and battling to get accessories and it flippen expensive here by us. I pay (Converted to doller from rand) 3 dollers for a 18' turn and 2 dollers for a 9" strait.

[r.cprmier]

Roelf;
From what you say, it sounds like you might have a problem with the connections between the track and the power source.  People forget that, like water, electricity is measured in pressure-electromotive force in this case; and it also shares some other characteristics of fluidics; such as a valve would be the equivelent of resistance, pumps might equate to capacitance, etc etc.
All of that said, it sounds to me like you have some poor  connections, which would, through their inherent resistance, cause a voltage drop.  Now, even if you have a buss system supplying your track; if your track connections between the sections is poor, and there being made up of sectional track rather than flex, then you will have trouble that varies per the quality of the connectrions per section-it would wind up being a very hit or miss proposition, causing erratic speed/power consumption of motors, and lights.
Even with twelve volts, properly joined track, and clean rails; in addition to a good well-made buss sysem, would seem to virtually eliminate that sort of problem. 
If I understood the problem correctly, I think that may be the answer.  One possible solution would be to use flex track, which would eliminate about 60% of any potential problems caused by the use of sectional track.  Do pay close attention to your joints, and electrical connections.  Twelve volts is, after all, a very small pressure, and is really susceptable to the qbove.

Rich

[SteamGene]

Jim,
Buss may relate of any of these:

    * Buss is an alternate spelling of bus, used mainly in the case of an electrical bus, also rarely for a computer bus.
    * Buss (also called a herring buss) is a small fishing boat with two masts.
    * Buss means to kiss.
    * Frances Buss was a pioneer of women's education in Britain.

from Wikipedia so perhaps suspect.
This reminds me of a discussion with the editor of my first published short story - "fuse" vs "fuze."  I won and the land mine had a fuze, not a fuse. 
Gene

[Roelf]

Hi Rich

Thanks for the info. I tested 50 tracks today. Without any Loco's on my voltge is 19.5v. The transformer is rated as 16v. Once I run my Loco with load, the voltage drops to 14.6v. If I add 3 x passenger cars with lights, the voltage drop to 13.6v. Whether I measure where my main connection is to the track, or half-way down the track, my voltage reading stays the same.