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Offline Jabez  
#1 Posted : 14 May 2017 00:58:47(UTC)
Jabez

Belgium   
Joined: 30/08/2016(UTC)
Posts: 636
Location: Brussels
It is commonly recommended that on larger layouts you should make connections from power and ground rings or buses to the track every meter or so.
Presumably if you have two or more main parallel tracks each closely connected to the other by turnouts or crossings at roughly meter intervals it is only necessary to connect the power and ground buses to one of the main tracks and not to each of them every meter.
Is this assumption correct?
Jabez
I heard that lonesome whistle blow. Hank Williams
Offline dickinsonj  
#2 Posted : 14 May 2017 02:01:02(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
Originally Posted by: Jabez Go to Quoted Post
It is commonly recommended that on larger layouts you should make connections from power and ground rings or buses to the track every meter or so.
Presumably if you have two or more main parallel tracks each closely connected to the other by turnouts or crossings at roughly meter intervals it is only necessary to connect the power and ground buses to one of the main tracks and not to each of them every meter.
Is this assumption correct?
Jabez

The problem is in the resistance across each of the track's electrical connectors. It is amazing how much resistance each connector adds and that increases your baseline power use and reduces the power available to your trains. Last year I had some long mainlines without any power buses and they would make my old boosters flicker, even without anything on them! This year I have power buses everywhere and I use significantly less power to run the same equipment.

I treat each track as a separate circuit, even if it does have side connections to other track. I find that the more often I tie my bus into my track the better things operate. I now connect to my layout every 4-5 C track connectors, which sometimes is much less than 1 meter and seldom more. But that is the problem you are mitigating - the power loss over each connector, not the absolute length of the track.

My approach no doubt borders on overkill, but that is my default response to most things. BigGrin
Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
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Online analogmike  
#3 Posted : 14 May 2017 02:49:31(UTC)
analogmike

United States   
Joined: 02/08/2014(UTC)
Posts: 737
Location: NEW JERSEY, USA
Crossovers don't count. In fact they increase resistance. If both tracks in the crossover are the same circuit you can get away with one hook up here. But then 3-4 feet in each direction each track needs another hook up. Overkill is good. Build it once, Build it right.
Mikey
I love the smell of smoke fluid in the morning .
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Offline DB Fan  
#4 Posted : 14 May 2017 03:02:10(UTC)
DB Fan

United States   
Joined: 01/03/2016(UTC)
Posts: 265
Location: Colorado
I would agree with Jim and Mickey. I started my layout with the lower level and was doing test run with only 1 feeder and after the engine travelled for about 1-1.5 m only, I noticed a drop in speed(voltage). So it will be feeders every 1m for me.

Happy Model Railroading

Robert
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Offline Bigdaddynz  
#5 Posted : 14 May 2017 09:16:51(UTC)
Bigdaddynz

New Zealand   
Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC)
Posts: 18,661
Location: New Zealand
Some folks go to the extreme of powering every track piece.

Funny that this topic should come up, as I've been busy adding more feeder wires into my layout, including wires for every set of lines running off turnouts.
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Offline dickinsonj  
#6 Posted : 15 May 2017 01:50:19(UTC)
dickinsonj

United States   
Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC)
Posts: 1,676
Location: Crozet, Virginia
Originally Posted by: Bigdaddynz Go to Quoted Post
Some folks go to the extreme of powering every track piece.

Wow - very impressive! That makes me look like a slacker. BigGrin

I have a 37990 Big Boy which for years has had chuff sound sync problems to the extent that I seldom used its operating sounds. With my new power bus and clean tracks the sound from that loco is now perfect, 100% of the time. I knew that not having a bus could cause other problems but I didn't realize it could cause that type of problem. That sure made me a believer in getting your power feeds right.

As Mike said, build it once and build it right! Cool

Regards,
Jim

I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time.
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Offline hxmiesa  
#7 Posted : 15 May 2017 12:54:39(UTC)
hxmiesa

Spain   
Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC)
Posts: 3,519
Location: Spain
I run a cable-bus along the layout.
I power the track every 2 meters. Sometimes more, depending on cuts in the track. (I run analogue, and cut the power in front of signals, etc.)
I use K-track, and each 2m section is soldered together (only the center-studs though).

Also remember that the power-drop over K-flex-track is higher than the equivalent 5 straight trackpieces, as the center-studs "zig-zag" along the flex-track!
Best regards
Henrik Hoexbroe ("The Dane In Spain")
http://hoexbroe.tripod.com
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Offline DaleSchultz  
#8 Posted : 15 May 2017 16:43:34(UTC)
DaleSchultz

United States   
Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC)
Posts: 3,997
for K-Track, I solder tracks together on my workbench up to 2m long at a time than connect each of those sections to power. Remember, if you isolate sections of rail, you need to ground the rails after the isolated section too.

The effort is worth it in the long run. The last thing you want is is poor track connections.

http://cabin-layout.blogspot.com/2005/07/laying-k-track.html
Dale
Intellibox + own software, K-Track
My current layout: https://cabin-layout.mixmox.com
Arrival and Departure signs: https://remotesign.mixmox.com
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Offline Jabez  
#9 Posted : 16 May 2017 00:37:50(UTC)
Jabez

Belgium   
Joined: 30/08/2016(UTC)
Posts: 636
Location: Brussels
Thanks to all. My assumption was clearly wrong. I like Mikey's motto Build it once, Build it right.BigGrin
I heard that lonesome whistle blow. Hank Williams
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