I am new to trains and want to add track to my set. I have the Lionel PA flyer 027 set with a 40A transformer. How much track can be added before there is a lull in performance. Is there a way to boost the energy away from where the transformer is hooked into the track? Thanks
You can run feeder wired from your transformer to other points on you loop of track to distribute the power more evenly.
Welcome Aboard!! I don't know anything about Lionel sets...but oen thing that is typically done on many layouts is to run two main bus wires from your transformer all of the way around underneath the layout directly beneath the track. You can then connect feeder wires from the tracks to the bus wires every 3-6 feet. This will give you nice, consistent power all the way around the layout. We have some electrical engineers on board here that can probably help you out more...but that would be my suggestion. I'd go with a pair of 12-14 AWG solid copper wire for the bus wires and 18-20 AWG solid copper for the feeder wires. These can be picked up at Home Depot for next to nothing.
To Both Flounder and Hank: A hearty welcome to our 'board. We hope your experiences with us will be fruitful. Flounder, give us an idea of how many feet of track are you talking about? Are you running 3 rail Lionel? Lets start with those questions and see where we go from there. Good Luck!
Hey Welcome to our family here at the TrainBoard Hank and Flounder! We had nearly 150' of 027 and just used the regular Lionel transformer. Dad soldered small jumper wires around the track joiner pins, and we never had any problem. He eventually made four blocks with the farthest one a good 25' from the transformer, and each block had its own reostat. He ran AWG #10 solid wire to each block, but had no feeder wires required. The most we ever ran together was two engines double headed, and still ran well. You can not depend upon just the pins to give a good circuit though. DO NOT SOLDER THE PINS IN THE TRACK!!!
Thanks for the welcome! I am using 3 rail track. Where do I run the wires from?? From where the transformer connects to the track, or do I split the wires and run them to seperate places? Thanks for your help
Flounder, that would depend upon what your track plan requires. Email me and I can advise you better. If you only have one transformer and one engine, then wire everything to the +&- terminals. If you will be running more thwn one engine, and/or will bave more than a single "block", then it begins to get into "how" you wire it up. See? It isn't hard, you just have to follow certain rules is all. OK?
