Can anyone please tell me the average distance a standard transformer that comes stock with the NYC (CW-80) will energize without operating any accessories?
“Can anyone please tell me the average distance a standard transformer that comes stock with the NYC (CW-80) will energize without operating any accessories?”
Depends on the size of the wire feed and the number of actual drops to the track. If you run a heavy gauge bus wire off the transformer and put drop taps off this for every 10-12 feet of track you will run out of room for track before the transformer runs out of energy to run the train.
Chuck is right. I’m not a very good ‘wire-er’ so I’ve just experimented - joining the transformer to the track with a single lockon and seeing how far the engine goes without slowing to a crawl - it’s more than than 50 ft. - then adding another one.
I have a modern ZW with two 180W bricks. I have 10 blocks with each 10-12ft of track. I used 12g wire and ran only one connection to the track and it seems to work fine, if you get a drop in power you can tap in with another feeder using maybe 14g to the 12g already connected. As I say this seemed to be all I needed. Your track section connections can also effect the power, but given good section connections I would think you could get away with one feed per 10 to 12 ft of track. Ralph.[:)]
If you run 4 or 2 gauge wires parallel to your track and run feeders off of it every several feet, you should be able to get out a mile or two…
As the others have pointed out, it’s the distribution of the power which is the limiting factor for a layout sized within reason, and then the power must be available for the equipment, not the amount of track.
Rob
i want to know how can u build a BIG scale train and how u do it
Beginners, don’t take Rob seriously; he is joking about “4 or 2 gauge wires”. AWG 2 is very large, about 1/4-inch diameter. (Nevertheless, a mile of it (out and back) has a resistance of about 1.7 ohms.)