track length:power distribution question.... (EZ trackK

[mdmeyers1982]

Hello again,

Back with another newbi question  ... so I am still patiently waiting for both my starter sets to arrive, and I have a 4'x8' sheet of wood on a sturdy table... now I need to know if I will suffer from any loss of power or speed if I add a few pieces of track to my stock sets. From what I recall a a kid, my trains would slow down the further they got away from the power supply (mainly with my O scale sets)... is there some kind of formula I need to know to plan this out? I have 2 sets on the way, both DC style (thinking I should have gone DCC now...)

Also, if I were to get into DCC in the future.... would the track I have now still be useful or does it require special digital track?? I'm a bit confused on the issue...

Thanks!!
-Mike

[the Bach-man]

Dear Mike,
There's no single answer to that question, but the trains will tell you if and where an extra power feed is needed. On a 4 x 8, it shouldn't be a big issue.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[Doneldon]

mdm-

Yes, power is lost as it is conducted through your wiring and rails. However, that won't be an issue for a layout no larger than a 4x8. If you want to be doubly sure, run a second supply wire to the point which is farthest from your first feed. Long runs or power conducted through multiple turnouts can require extra electrical feeders but that doesn't seem to apply here. DCC (digital command) often requires lots of feeders but your sets are DC. Of course, it won't hurt to add feeders but you'll almost certainly be wasting time and money.
                                                       -- D

P.S. It sounds like you are developing a serious case of loving model railroading. Great!!

[mdmeyers1982]

Well that is good to know about the 4x8 not being too large... I plan on moving this set up from the dining room in to a spare bedroom after the holiday season, and it needs to share space with a weight bench and a few book shelves...

When you say add a supply wire, do you mean just running another connection from the same power supply to another power receiving piece of track opposite of the original? That makes sense to me if that is the case...

Doneldon, I would think of it more as rekindling than developing ;-)   When I was younger (I'm now the ripe old age of 29), my grandmother would visit every December... pretty much on schedule every year, and with her would be a new engine, or rolling stock for both my brother and I... we had N scale, HO scale and O scales throughout our childhood into our mid teens (then girls and sports kind of took over, go figure) ... but now that I'm settled down and can afford to play a bit, I wanted to get back into it.... and it is amazing the things I have learned reading this board in the last few days, I really appreciate your's and others input!! Hopefully I will have myself a new hobby that does not involve hurting myself (I'm an avid mountain biker and kayaker) ... oh and to make things better, my girlfriend seems really interested in my layout as well... she even helped me pick out some little trees lol 

Cheers!
-Mike

[Desertdweller]

Mike,

Then, welcome back to the hobby!

4'x8'  is the classic size for a small HO railroad.  I would say there are probably more published track plans for a 4x8 than all other sizes combined.  There are even plans for that size that are designed for future expansion.

It is a pretty safe hobby.  While it is possible to hurt yourself, it requires carelessness.  I burned a finger last week by picking up a silver wire holder my hot soldering iron had been resting on, mistaking it for a coil of solder!

Les 

[Doneldon]

mdm-

Yes, another supply wire would come from the same power source you are using now.

Wires consume some of your power while the electricity flows through them. The smaller the wire and the longer the wire, the greater the loss. Consequently it is advisable to use relatively large wires from your power pack or DCC system, with small gauge wires connecting this "buss" to your tracks.

A 4x8 layout isn't large so this is not a big concern for you, especially running DC, but I'd still use a loop of 16 ga wire (the same as on a lamp) roughly around where your mainlines are and then run short feeders of 22 ga or 20 ga wires up to the track. This buss may prove to be good investment of time and money if you later go to DCC because that requires very solid power. The buss will also be handy if you need feeders to sidings or spurs. And, although it is a little more expensive, I prefer stranded wire to solid because it is so much more flexible. With stranded feeders no more than 8" long you can easily use 22 ga or even 24 ga wire.
                                      -- D

[mdmeyers1982]

Doneldon,

You have been a great help, once again thank you!

I have another question regarding track. So as you know I am doing a holiday set up on a 5x8 layout. I am going to expand the diameter of the outside loop using a few straight pieces in the middle of the curve. However I am not liking how the long passenger cars look on the 22" radius... there is a lot of overhang. I now have the EZ track, but would you suggest I moved to flex track when I take the setup to another room? I was thinking I may be buying another board and having an "L" shaped set in the future... is EZ track cheaper in comparison to Flex track or is the opposite true? I think I am capable enough to work on track without the assistance of plastic clips so if I could save some money on regular track and get different curve radius options that would be great.

As for the "Flex" part... how exactly does that work? Is it straight track that can be bent in to curves? I haven't had much time to research it but I would like your input...

Thanks!
-Mike

[Jhanecker2]

That is exactly how it works . If you are using it with EZ track make sure that you get Code 100 track. There are several manufacturers .  I use Atlas and it sells for about 20 Dollars for a box of 5 , it is about 36" long per piece. Peco also makes Code 100 flex track ,some with concrete ties. J2

[Doneldon]

Mike-

Yeah, those overhangs can be pretty outrageous. Fortunately, trains look better from the outside of a curve than from the inside and we tend to see them from the outside more often. One good thing to do is hide the curves by putting the trains in a tunnel, running them under a city scene, semi-concealing them in tall buildings or what have you. That also helps the image that our trains do in fact come and go rather than just orbiting our plywood.

"L"-shaped layouts can be very effective. It's possible to arrange them in such a way that you can have quite a long mainline run, as many switching opportunities as you want, a moderate yard, perhaps an engine terminal and easy future expansion. In the case of expansion, it's always better to figure that into the initial plan as opposed to tearing up a lot of the original layout to accomodate it. Tracks that go nowhere (for now) can serve as interchange tracks giving us another source for cars to enter our imaginations and more destinations for cars going to the great beyond our imaginary worlds.

You'll find that flex-track is a bit cheaper than EZ Track, even with the cost of roadbed figured in. The most common roadbed material is cork which is shaped to the general cross section of roughly 22" high ballast. Many people use just the cork but it definitely looks better if loose ballast is added once the trackwork is finished. Plastic-safe clear caulk or construction adhesive work well. I use Liquid Nails for Projects but there are dozens of suitable products out there. Use barely more than a thin film. That will hold things in place but still allow you to tear your track apart with minimal damage if you decide to make major changes.

You can buy preformed cork roadbed for turnouts or piece it from the regular roadbed strips. Piecing is much cheaper and it looks nearly as good as the preforms. Be aware that it does lighten quite a bit over time and that it grows brittle. You can't tell pieces from preforms if you cover them with ballast. Lay sidings, spurs and yards right on the "ground" to emphasize that your mainline is something special. Sand the roadbed into a slope or use long cedar shims for your transitions. Be sure to give the angles on the roadbed a quick pass with some medium sandpaper or equivalent to make it a little easier to keep added ballast where you want it. Try to stagger joints so you don't have joints in both rails at the same location. Solder rail joints in curves before you lay the track to avoid kinks.
                                                                                       -- D