US-UK voltage problem?

[douglas]

I'm planning on ordering a 57xx Pannier tank from Bachmann UK this holiday season. I live in the US. I'm wondering, will locos made for British currents (as their household current is different from ours) not work with power supplies and track made for US?

If it will not work on US equipment, then are there any alternatives?

I would appreciate any input.

Thanks, Tristan.

[Dr EMD]

Those bloody blokes use 220V. We the use colonies use 120V.

Trains run on 12V DC.

Best bet is to buy a North American Power Pack.

[rogertra]

UK voltage used to be 240VAC but is now offically 230VAC (Not 220VAC) so as to be in line with the E.U..  Mains voltage in North America is, unfortunately, nominally 120VAC.

The voltage used on model railways has nothing to do with the mains voltage so your UK loco will happily tool around your track using a North American 12VDC power pack.

[r.cprmier]

230VAC is a nominal voltage, the rating applied to all HVAC equipment and motors in general ranging from 208VAC to 240VAC in the US.

Oh, by the way;  Do beware of the hertz difference between the two:  60 hertz for the North American continent, and 50 for UK.  It is also 50 for places in the Carribean.

Essentially, the voltage problem can be gotten around by using a step-up/down transformer, the respective voltages/ VA observed.  If you do not feel comfortable approaching this on your own, find someone qualified to at least help you.

RIch

[douglas]

Excellent. Thanks for your replies. I'm happy 

[RAM]

What does hertz have to do with DC?

[r.cprmier]

Hz has nothing to do with DC.  Read the above post.  I do believe they were referring to AC. 

RIch

[r.cprmier]

DR, EMD:

The 240VAC in the UK and on the Continent is the result of Europe coming in a bit later than we did with electrification on a commercial sense, and was able to set up from get-go a viable higher-voltage system.

The USA went for the 120/240 single phase AC system and was able to bond the neutral (grounded) conductor to the grounding conductor (the one that goes to a driven rod, water pipe, etc and is either bare, green, or green with a yellow stripe) as a feature primarily to protect from lightening and voltage surges.

Bonding in the UK and Europe is approached a bit differently, and I am not really conversant in their electrical code(s), so would not be qualified to speak on it.

Addendum to above:  the difference between 50 and 60 HZ is significant where you are applying 50 Hz AC (as in DCC) to equipment meant to operate on 60Hz.  Problems can arise from this practise. Sensitive equipment, devices, non-linear, that are sensitive to 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th harmonics can be seriously affected by a rated difference in Hz, even if only 10.

Rich

[Jim Banner]

What does hertz have to do with DC?

The power line frequency (measured in Hertz) affects the operation of our dc power packs.  A 60 Hz transformer operating on 50 Hz has to be derated.  But a 50 Hz transformer operated on 60 Hz does not.  So if you take your North American power pack to Europe and plug it into a 230/115 converter, you will not be able to use it at full output.

[r.cprmier]

Jim;
Exactly.  Also, consider this everyone: Any inductive load will be inversely proportional in terms of voltage/current.  What this means in general terms, is that as voltage drops in an inductive load (EG:  Motor)  the current will rise, and possibly cause serious damage to the load.  This is an oversimplication, but you get the general idea.  A drop in Hz on a higher-rated load will cause problems-sometimes expensive ones.

RIch