How much track can be powered?

[Darren-373700]

Hello

As a start up to this hobby, we are building a large lay-out in the loft.

at the moment we only have a Hornby Select as the controller, but I was wondering , how much track can the Select cope with powering wise.

I plan on using a bus with feeder wires soldered to each piece of flexi Peco track.

The lay out measures 8 feet x 25 feet which will be 80% single line, with a short (hopefully fit a 6+2 HST) two line station section ..plus two gradient sections to a lower 6 - 8 track fiddle yard.

How much track can be adequately powered before boosters are needed.

Cheers Daz and Sons.

[96RAF]

With DCC you must only have one controller.

The Select comes with a 1-amp wall wart PSU capable of running 2/3 trains, which can be replaced by a 4-amp brick PSU which will running 10/12 trains.

The number of trains on track is the limiting factor not the size of the layout.

A layout the size of your intended loft layout will benefit from the installation of a power bus, where a pair of heavy duty cables (think ring main in your house) run around the layout and each piece of track has wires soldered to the rails and connected to the power bus wires.

You can split the layout into sections or power districts as they are known, but these each have to be fed by a power and signal booster, which gets its signal from the Select. Power districts can be handy for fault isolation purposes.

[Fishmanoz]

Two suggestions Daz:

• do buy the 4 Amp PSU. As well as running more trains, history says the Select will be more reliable
• set up the track with 2 power districts by putting insulated rail joiners on the fiddle yard side of any/all points leading to it, and separate power buses. However, in the first instance, connect both buses directly to the Select (meaning only one power district) and see how you go. If it turns out you have problems predominantly in either the main layout or the fiddle yard, you can separate them later and power one from the Select directly and the other via a booster.

[Darren-373700]

Great stuff thanks help and suggestions.

Daz.