Jimbo1707820979 Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 I have just taken the plunge and ordered an Elite to replace my Select. So now I need a power rail for a separate programming track (presume 1 section of straight rail standing alone will be enough). Are both R8206 and R8241 suitable. Obviously there must be a difference between the 2 items (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Hi Jim, you need R8241. This is specifically for a digital connection. R8206 can be used for digital if the inbuilt capacitor is removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 The Elite will include a track digital power connector in the box, plus your existing Select track connection gives you two connectors to play with. A lot of locos are longer than the R8241 track piece (168mm), so the connector included in the Elite will need to plug into a piece of Hornby Straight Set Track such as for example R601 (335mm) to use as your programming track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Chrissaf, hi, must be an english thing, my French elite, did not come with any track connector. It was new.. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Its probably that horrible 2 pronged thing John that slips under the rails into the 2 slots you can never find.Much easier to solder a pair of wires on or include the correct sort of 1/2 length bit of track with the push button connector built in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teedoubleudee Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 A length of spare track with 2 lengths of wire soldered on - works fo me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Mount it on a nice piece of wood with a block each end to stop the loco shooting off if something goes wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Chrissaf, hi, must be an english thing, my French elite, did not come with any track connector. It was new.. john.Yes John, It might have been 'as new', but I thought yours was bought second hand, due the low price you said you paid. Mine was brand new from Hattons with all the factory accessories included in the box, including the two prong digital track connector RAF referenced that I never did use. I use a soldered track BUS wired back to the Elite, thus no need for the connector. I paid £169 for it by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Better still, consider investing in a Rolling Road. There are several to choose from. Makes running-in and programming very easy in one small space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Rolling road £50 +, track and wood £3 ish. Mmmmm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howbi Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Money's not everything, ask Chrissaf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Mount it on a nice piece of wood with a block each end to stop the loco shooting off if something goes wrong. .My prog track is pretty much as WTD describes. For photo see 8th post down on this thread link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Money's not everything, ask Chrissaf! .Sorry Howbi, that has gone right over my head. Intrigued to understand what you mean. Compared to Hornby's RRP £226 for the Elite controller, I thought the £169 I paid was very reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Money's not everything, ask Chrissaf! The OP was asking about a programming track. That's what we were advising him about.Now I agree a rolling road is a great idea, I have one and it's very useful but you don't need one to programme a DCC loco because, as far as I know, the loco doesn't need to move, or is it shouldn't move when being programmed. I'm not DCC so can only go from what I've learnt. Much like the the programming track, my rolling road is used on a piece of track mounted on a piece of wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Mount it on a nice piece of wood with a block each end to stop the loco shooting off if something goes wrong. .My prog track is pretty much as WTD describes. For photo see 8th post down on this thread link. I used to have a metre of OO and N flexi on a piece of wood exactly like your photo to test run my OO and my dads N locos. Did you by any chance pinch it from me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 For me the programming track is a siding on the layout, isolated by IRJs on both rails and a DPDT break before make switch to power it with track output on one side and programming output on the other. That way, you can put the loco on the layout and test on ID 03, drive it into the siding on track power, switch to program output to do your programming, switch back to track output and drive away. Connection to the track can be by soldered dropper wires, power clip or power track. As has been said, you can use DC clip or track but only if you convert to DCC by flipping open the black cover in them and removing the capacitor found there by clipping off its legs. And if you ever want to use it for DC again, it will be fine without the capacitor. Note it has been said elsewhere that problems can arise if track output is not removed from the layout while programming is being done. Dont need a rolling road or blocks of wood, just the switch, buffer stop at one end and the whole layout at the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Very true fishy but I still think it's best for the programming track to be completely separate from the layout, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teedoubleudee Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Like I said on a different thread recently, for some questions there is no one right answer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo1707820979 Posted May 8, 2015 Author Share Posted May 8, 2015 Very many thanks, gents, for your helpful replies. The idea of a rolling road is very appealing but I don't think finances would stretch that far right now. Have been putting out a lot getting my layout up and running from zero.Quite nice now with 2 main ovals plus 3 sidings and 8 buildings some of which I built from kits. Not without a few running headaches,on which the Forum has been an absolute boon. Again, thankyou. Still on my steep "learning-curve" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingthedog Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Try to avoid a 1st radius learning curve, some of your ideas might not get round it. Enjoy your layout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I bought my Elite quite a few years ago now and that did not include a track power connection clip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 They knew there was no point Graskie as you would be using a gold one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 I not only used gold wires but also gold-soldered them to the track, Fishy. Just one of those golden moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Graskie, thanks for that. Whilst mine was preowned, it had never left the box, and like you, no power connection clip. In my secondhand Eurostar set, bought today, there were two. Ch anging times perhaps. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graskie Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 It didn't bother me at all that my Elite did not come with one of those clips, John, because I never expected or needed it too. A DCC trainset is a bit different, though, isn't it? You don't get an Elite with any of those anyway, do you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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