Trains

[badders68]

I have a very basic layout as I can be seen below on the Hornby track mat.

 

I have had an issue where three trains have had one set of directional lights stop working and two trains have completely died. Am I just unlucky or is there something really wrong with the way I have the controllers connected to the track and is that contributing to the demise of these models?

 

I have a basic Hornby 12v controller controlling the inner circuit and another one controlling the outer.

 

The trains that have developed faults or stopped working were the Heljan Lion (one set of directional lights no longer work), Bachmann Warship (from Torbay Express) (one set of directional lights stopped working) , Heljan Park Royal (died after a matter of minutes - but replacement seems fine), Realtrack Class 143 - directional lights stopped working in one direction, and now replacement doesn't move at all, although the lights come on.

 

Am I missing something obvious? My local model shop owner seemed to think the layout looked fine.

 

 

 

[DCB]

Basic Hornby controller?   As in a current one or something elderly.  Because all I can think of is one controller is faulty and delivering far more volts than it should.

 

The layout looks odd in that it has half a crossover between inner and outer loops but nothing to cause problems

[Theakerr]

Ditto on controller.  I just purchased a used Hornby type controller as a cheap source of 12V power.  No go.  it gives 0 to 3V then jumps to 14 -16V.  good job it was cheap

[badders68]

The controllers are fairly new - both from brand new train sets (hence the track mat) - plus that half crossover has been completed now. Is there a recommendation of how to set the controllers when wanting a model to switch from one track to the other?

[big jim]

if your saying the 1/2 crossover is complete are there insulating fishplates between the separate loops, if not your going to be causing a short with 2 controllers on the go, aspecially if you turn them in opposite directions at the same time, probably the cause of the burnouts

[badders68]

Thank you. I assumed that if the points were closed between the two loops that one loop's current was unaffected by the other. Is that not the case?

 

Thank you for the tip about the insulated fishplates. I just pretty much copied the layout on the trackmat. Do they need installing at that point between the loops or anywhere else?

 

Thanks again.

[Chimer]

As soon as the crossover points are set to cross over, both controllers will be feeding all the track - and one another.  This is definitely a bad idea, which insulated fishplates between the crossover points will correct - you don't need them anywhere else.   I wouldn't like to say this is definitely reponsible for the problems you have listed but it does seem likely.

 

With this sorted, setting both controllers to the same speed setting in the same direction should get your trains across the crossover OK, though a neater solution is to use switches that allow you to choose which controller feeds a circuit - then when you want to change circuits, you can switch both to the same controller while you drive over the crossover, then stop the train and switch the circuit its arrived on to the other controller.  I would use double pole double throw centre off switches wired like this:

 

 

This is called cab control and (usually arranged with more than two track sections) was the generally preferred method of controlling more than one train until DCC came along.

 

 

[badders68]

Thank you very much for the time you took to produce that. Much appreciated. I have some insulated fishplates now, so hopefully that will do the trick. Thank you.

[DCB]

You should probably use one insulated fishplate between the crossover points if you want to drive locos such as Hornby tender drive and elderly diesels which pick up on one side at one end and the other side the other end.  

 

Whether cab control is worth installing is debatable on such a simple layout.  If your controllers have an off position, quite a few do not, there should be no problem with running the layout without any isolated fishplates.

 

I do it on my holiday "Floor Layout" with old Triang controllers, but these have a dead position between forward and reverse. If both are set the same way or one is off it is fine, If they are set in opposition the overload trips.   If two or three controllers supply the same piece of track and the same train it just goes faster (Hornby Dublo or Triang) or emits smoke and never runs again (Modern Hornby, Bachmann, made in China)

 

Basically if a controller has a reverse toggle switch it has no off position.  Even some without a reverse switch don't have an off position, OnTrack and I suspect Morley don't.  Test it with a multi tester.