Newbie - can you help please

[Trebor2812]

Hi we have been lucky enough to be gifted the below track and i'm trying to work out the best way to power it via DC. 

 

I've tried two connectors on the far side near the level crossing but the sidings don't seem to get full power. 

Whats the best option 2 or 3 power connectors to get as much moving in one go./media/tinymce_upload/1644fe9b50ead4e70269714aba27e9ee.jpg

[Chrissaf]

Hornby Insulfrog points act as electrical switches. The points have two ends the common end termed the 'TOE' end and the other end which provides the divergent routes. The main thing to understand when powering the layout (any layout) is that all the points should have power fed into the 'TOE' end of the point. If you try to feed power into one of the other ends then only one route in and out of the point is powered.

.

So using the sidings as an example, you need power to be present on the 'TOE' end of a siding point if you want the siding itself to get power when the route is set to traverse a train (loco) into that siding. Where you have a siding of a siding then you only need to feed power into the 'TOE' of the 'root' point (the point that leads to all the other downstream points and sidings). Difficult to explain in text, but easier if the text is supplemented with an image ... see below.

.

/media/tinymce_upload/c6faf74a0808eea1e650e40939c93d59.jpg

.

I have colour coded my additions as Red and Blue. The Red and Blue arrows just represent the routes that power can flow, they do not represent the direction of trains. These colours represent the use of the two controller outputs of either a dual DC controller or two separate DC controllers. I have marked each point with a colour coded T to denote the 'TOE' end of a point. The Red 'Root Point' feeds into the 'TOE's of three further points. The Blue 'Root Point' feeds into just one further point 'TOE'.

.

If my power plan is adopted I suggest fitting a Hornby R8201 Link Wire at the indicated location on the left hand side. This is optional but would help to reduce dead spots in certain point position scenarios. The wires on the R8201 must be connected the correct way round else you can get a short circuit. I would also suggest that the 'cross-over' points that face each other to provide a route between the Red and the Blue controller domains [5 o'clock position] have 'Insulated Rail Joiners' fitted. This is optional, but in my view beneficial.

.

The Red and Blue circle discs (near the crossing) represent the optimum controller connection locations. As you can see each and every point 'TOE' has the potential to have power fed into it. But note this. Points act as electrical switches to route power into the physical route that they are set to. So, if a point that is nearer to the controller connection point is set away from the route that you want to control then the downstream track from that point will lose power.

.

For example. If the Red Root Point located at the tunnel exit is set to route the train around the main outer loop, then all the sidings towards the bottom and bottom left will lose power. This is the way that DC Analogue control works.

.

Sure you can perform additional wiring modifications to connect additional wired power feeds (from the controller) to provide additional power feeds to these siding routes, but you would then need to include isolation switches in those feeds so that you can leave locos parked unpowered in those sidings when needed.

.

The power plan I have suggested is just one possible plan that you could adopt, the two key things to note is that power must feed in the 'TOE's and that the point acts as a switch.

.

If this power plan was adopted (assuming the missing track sections are reinstated of course) and you still find that even with the points set in the correct position to route power ... that sections of track are still dead track. Then suspect that the point or points that are routing that power are making poor electrical contact between the moving and fixed rails. I mention this because obviously the track is all second-hand and the points maybe dirty and worn. In DC Analogue the points are the critical component for reliable power transfer. The second critical component is the metal track joiners. It only needs one of these to be loose or dirty or corroded and significant parts of the layout can lose power.

.

Hopefully this reply will give you enough information to aid your diagnostics of any power distribution problems you encounter.

.

/media/tinymce_upload/64ebc30a32ebc8627bb582df2ba61ee1.gif

This is an extremely long reply with an image so please do not use the 'Blue Button' in an attempt to reply.

..

TIP: As a newbie poster on the forum, just be aware that the 'Blue Button with the White Arrow' is not a 'Reply to this post' button. If you want to reply to any of the posts, scroll down and write your reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

.

Particularly as my reply includes an image, using the 'Blue Button' may result in your reply being held back for image approval, even though it is an existing image.

.

See also – further TIPs on how to get the best user experience from this forum.

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/tips-on-using-the-forum/

.

.

[Australian model rail road]

Nice layout  one thing forgotteen give the track a good clean with a track cleaner the Peco is good to use as it may have been sitting not been used for sometime the track gets dirty and electrical connection to the loco is not good Points to need a good clean the blades