Train set advice
Discussion
Following some useful advice on here a while back, my son now has a Hornby flying Scotsman train set, which he's delighted with.
I wanted to ask some advice from those that know about train sets (I know nothing).
At the moment we have an outer ring and two sets of points leading to a short siding and half an inner curve ending in buffers. When the points are switched to enable the train to go on the inner curve or siding, the power to the train stops. All normal I think as it no longer makes a circuit as it's only half a curve ending at buffers.
I want to buy some more rail, but the question is; if I built a the rest of the inner circuit, will the power then run throughout our mini-network? Or do I need something else to power the inner circuit?
Or have I got the power going to the wrong part of the track? I have put it on the outer circuit....
Does that make sense?
Thanks.
You're making a basic mistake by assuming the electrical circuit has anything to do with the track layout. You can make an end-to-end layout rather than having the train going around in circles and it will still work. Assuming a 2-rail system as per Hornby et al, the electrical circuit is from transformer (+) ->left hand side rail ->motor -> right hand side rail -> transformer (-).
If the train stops at one end of a point, it's because one or both rails have no continuity on the other side of the point. In your layout's case, the track that is going round in a circle will still work because you have continuity on either side of the 'break' (although the loco may stop dead if you try to cross the point slowly), the branch/siding however won't. You need to ascertain whether the juice is supposed to flow through the point itself or whether you need to make a wire connection from before the point to the siding.
If the train stops at one end of a point, it's because one or both rails have no continuity on the other side of the point. In your layout's case, the track that is going round in a circle will still work because you have continuity on either side of the 'break' (although the loco may stop dead if you try to cross the point slowly), the branch/siding however won't. You need to ascertain whether the juice is supposed to flow through the point itself or whether you need to make a wire connection from before the point to the siding.
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 29th July 14:09
well, either the point is designed to pass the voltage from the one end to whichever of the other two the point is erm, pointing (or to both) in which case I'd look at the sliding part (sorry for my non-technical description, I do know all the correct terms in Dutch or German... 
) which should make electrical contact with either outer rail depending on its position (straight ahead or diverting from the main track), or at some sort of physical or printed wiring at the underside of the point that may have worked itself loose;
Or there needs to go a wire on one or either side from before the point to after the frog on the siding track - in which case I'd think a provision for this (a piece of wire with some form of clamp that you attach to a rail on either end) would be included with the point or in the train set.
) which should make electrical contact with either outer rail depending on its position (straight ahead or diverting from the main track), or at some sort of physical or printed wiring at the underside of the point that may have worked itself loose;Or there needs to go a wire on one or either side from before the point to after the frog on the siding track - in which case I'd think a provision for this (a piece of wire with some form of clamp that you attach to a rail on either end) would be included with the point or in the train set.
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 29th July 16:34
I'll go and have another play!
The set is a complete set by Hornby, you can just about see the track layout in picture 3:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SLT2IC/ref=...
The set is a complete set by Hornby, you can just about see the track layout in picture 3:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SLT2IC/ref=...
Edited by NDA on Thursday 29th July 16:29
NDA said:
I'll go and have another play!
The set is a complete set by Hornby, you can just about see the track layout in picture 3:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SLT2IC/ref=...
If you get really stuck, just give Aly a phone (numbers on the website), I'm sure we've come across this whilst building our layout, but he fixed it not me The set is a complete set by Hornby, you can just about see the track layout in picture 3:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000SLT2IC/ref=...
Edited by NDA on Thursday 29th July 16:29
As Ashes has stated, as long your power track is sited in the outer circuit, all parts of the layout should be accessible.
The standard points that come with Hornby sets will only allow the current to pass for the route set by the points. All this means is that you will be able to drive your loco in to either of the sidings, but if you changed the points whilst the loco was in the sidings, you'd cut the power supply and the loco will stop.
If you intend to purchase sufficient track to complete the inner circuit, you will need to add an additional feed from your controller to supply it. This is because the feed from the outer circuit will be cut when you change the points to allow continuous running on the inner circuit.
The standard points that come with Hornby sets will only allow the current to pass for the route set by the points. All this means is that you will be able to drive your loco in to either of the sidings, but if you changed the points whilst the loco was in the sidings, you'd cut the power supply and the loco will stop.
If you intend to purchase sufficient track to complete the inner circuit, you will need to add an additional feed from your controller to supply it. This is because the feed from the outer circuit will be cut when you change the points to allow continuous running on the inner circuit.
It's not a digital set...
More track arrived today to complete the inner circuit - along with that came a Hornby Power Clip, something that joins (electronically) the inner circuit to the outer circuit.
It's now running fine, although there's a set of points that seems to derail the train. More work required on that!
Thanks for all the replies....
NDA said:
More track arrived today to complete the inner circuit - along with that came a Hornby Power Clip, something that joins (electronically) the inner circuit to the outer circuit.
If I understand you correctly you are controlling both the inner and outer tracks from the one controller i.e. you are only able to run one train. If so you should get a smaller controller (It doesn't need the transformer because it runs off the uncontrolled 12v output from your main transformer/controller and feed this to the inner track. In this way you can run two trains in opposite directions which makes it lot more exciting! Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff