I am in the process of constructing a 35 ft. dogbone using Faller Car System wire on a modified slot car roadway, with loops at each end to make continuous running feasible. Is there something “special” about the Faller wire that makes it different from any soft steel wire that one can buy in a hardware store? I have filled the “SLOT” with Hydrocal plaster and used “double stick tape” to hold the wire in place. I then poured on Faller “mortar” , and when fairly dry, scraped the roadbed flat to the top of the two wires of the two way highway. Can one ue "Hydrocal Smooth plaster instead of the Faller mortar? I then sprayed the roadway with light gray paint to replicate a used asphalt highway. Does the top of the wire have to be free of paint ? Is there some maximum grade that the roadway may take at the end loops?I am only partially satisfied with the way the cars follow the wire. Is there something that I am doing wrong? I just got a return call from Euro Rail Hobbies, stating that my April 25th order would e delivered sometime this summer. If you place an order with them, be sure to keep the order confirmation number and their telephone number. They are located in British Columbia, Canada, so they are on PST. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I am now in the process of installing the bus station turn off. I assume that the styrene base of the bus station will cover the electromagnetic control, (in the hole in the plywood, below), which is to be 3mm. below the bus. Bob Hahn
My understanding is that the wire is simply a guide for the magnetic sensor in the car, right?
If that’s the case, then the material is important. The iron content of the wire is the critical factor. A stiffer wire likely has more iron, while a softer wire might be blended with a non-ferrous material (like aluminum, maybe?) which won’t pull on the magnet. Thicker wire, because there’s simply more of it, will also attract the magnet better.
Depth is important. Ideally, the wire should be barely under the surface, just enough so it’s not visible. The deeper you go, the harder it will be for the magnet to track.
I doubt that the “mortar” is a factor. Unless you’re using something that has iron in it, one mortar should be as good as another. I think Hydrocal is almost pure calcium carbonate, so no problem there.
In the brand new Allen Keller DVD #65 he does part 2 of the Greeley Freight Station layout http://www.gfsm.org/. They have a good sized Faller system - seen here on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqa_iskjADc.
In the video there is about a 5 minute how they did it section in the DVD on their Faller system. One of the things I noticed (the DVD came today and I thought of this thread as I watched it) was unlike the youtube video the lighting in the dvd allows you to see the wire in roadway. It is flush in the road but just that- just flush and not buried. It is lightly covered with looks to be paint only.
Don’t know if there is anything special about the wire. If you have a running set up of some sort now you could always try a small mock up with another wire or two and see how they work.
Check your inbox for a PM
ratled
The difference between soft iron and harder steel wire is not additional metals, but rather oxygen and carbon and heat. The iron content is the same for soft iron and hard steel, the difference is in the process.
Ah, thanks for the clarification on that.
Hey, I’m no genius, I saw it on the Discovery channel![:-^]