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Author Topic: Electric power track wiring  (Read 455 times)

Pitchy

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Electric power track wiring
« on: August 27, 2020, 03:51:17 pm »
I know this is off topic but i need some advice, as you`ve seen in the past i have a dog bone track i set for steam that is about 70 feet in length.

I want to wire it up so i can run some Marx locos on it, i bought four power three rail clips and want to run a standard Marx transformer .
I have some two strand wire coming do i split one wire and attach that wire to one clip and off the other clip to the next clip or do i attach two wires to the clip and continue on to the next clip that way.
Thanks.

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2020, 05:08:34 pm »
Depending on how the setup is made, to reduce the length of wire and the voltage drop within them:

If your transformer sits in the middle of the trackcircle:
Run your two strand wire in parallel, to each clip directly from the transformer.
(Connecting each as if there was only the one, ending up with three wires in both transformer-connections)

If your transformer sits somewhere outside the trackcircle:
Connect the clip closest to the transformer, as you would with a single connector setup. Then connect the two others from there, to their respective clips.
Make your initial connection the middle one, to keep voltagedrop as low as possible.

Guess it goes without saying, that you must ensure not to short the transformer out, but now i say it anyway...

Use the same colour in each respective connector on the transformer, if the first option is chosen, and for both options the same colour to the same side of every railclip!
Cheers
Jan
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Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2020, 05:12:37 pm »
Thanks Jan, the transformer is outside the track can`t have wires hanging between the track as we mow there.
So if i run the double wire around the outside of the track can i strip the same color wire and go in and out of the clip from clip to clip.
Forgive me as i`m not good at wiring.

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2020, 05:30:56 pm »
With the first colour wire, go from left terminal on clip 1, to left terminal on clip 2, to left terminal on clip 3...and stop.
Then the other colour wire from right terminal on clip 1, to right terminal on clip 2, to right terminal on clip 3...and stop.

Connect your transformer to clip 2 (which will now be sitting in the middle, inbetween clip 1 and clip 3), and run that 333 like a bat out of hell  ;D
Cheers
Jan
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Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2020, 05:34:35 pm »
Ok thanks Jan, i`ll see what i can short out.
Just ordered the wire and clips so be about a week.  :)

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2020, 05:55:51 pm »
Hopefully you won´t short anything out...and please do check your email ;)
Cheers
Jan
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Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2020, 08:54:34 am »
Yep got your diagram thanks, we put three connectors around the track but no go.
Had some power but not enough to run the loco very far then it got worse, maybe the old transformer can`t handle it maybe need a more powerful one?

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2020, 12:37:21 pm »
The pin-connections in standard Marx/Lionel track isn´t amazing at first, and for a track as long as yours, i´d imagine some problems could emerge.
Could be bad connection inbetween track sections, but could also be a voltage drop, due to distance.

Which transformer do you use?

Marx transformer does tend to have a lower voltage output than Lionel´s, in fact some of their transformers, isn´t recommended for general Marx use at full throttle, for that same reason.

Perhaps a strong Lionel transformer like the 90W 1033 will do the job. They´re usually pretty cheap, as they´re quite abundant on the market, and does an amazing job.
(I have been using Rog´s old 1033 here for years now.)

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=Lionel+1033
Cheers
Jan
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Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2020, 12:45:43 pm »
Thanks, i have a Lionel train set, i`ll try it and see if that helps but it won`t be until next week too busy with other stuff.  :)

Steam Technology

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2020, 01:01:31 am »
What size cable are you using to run round to connectors.
The bigger the better with low voltage.
Test the voltage at variuos places around thee track both with and without a load and the fault should become clearer.
ALWAYS WORKING TO FIND A CURE FOR CENOSILLICAPHOBIA
Cheers. Dave.

Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2020, 06:24:05 am »
What size cable are you using to run round to connectors.
The bigger the better with low voltage.
Test the voltage at variuos places around thee track both with and without a load and the fault should become clearer.

I think it`s 16 gauge speaker wire. :)

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2020, 08:10:17 am »

I strongly suspect the pin-connection inbetween trackpieces being the culprit here.

When the train does run on the track, but very soon after starts to slow down to a halt, it would signal that the track itself is poorly connected, and it gets a little less "juice" every time it passes a set of pin-connectors, when moving onto the next piece of track.
If so, one solution would be to solder the entire track together in sections, and place a connector-clip from the transformer on each of those sections, to ensure every part of the track gets a proper power supply.

Even with thinner 0.75mm2 (18 gauge) wire, a 2amp load, and 30 feet of wire, the voltage drop at 15Volt would be under 1Volt, which shouldn´t interfere like this.
Cheers
Jan
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Pitchy

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2020, 12:59:14 pm »
Thanks Jan, i hate the thought of soldering all the sections together as it would be hard to take it apart someday.
We`ll see how it goes i had a pretty hard time the other day trying to bend over that and my legs give out rapidly.
It`s as they say it`s Hell getting old.

classixs

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2020, 01:05:44 pm »
Agree, would make the setup relatively permanent in size/shape.

No fun in hurting like that, prayers are up for some physical relief my friend  :)
Cheers
Jan
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Steam Technology

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Re: Electric power track wiring
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2020, 05:05:31 pm »
What size cable are you using to run round to connectors.
The bigger the better with low voltage.
Test the voltage at variuos places around thee track both with and without a load and the fault should become clearer.

I think it`s 16 gauge speaker wire. :)

16 Gauge should be fine.
Time to break out the voltmeter to test along the track.
ALWAYS WORKING TO FIND A CURE FOR CENOSILLICAPHOBIA
Cheers. Dave.