Rookie question about powering a multi-loop carpet layout

Without seeing your setup, I would probably divide the loops of track into quarter sections and add a power drop to each quarter. Just to make sure you don't have power drop outs anywhere. I would use one of the 100 watt transformers per loop of track. That should give you plenty of power to do what you want.

If the two loops are connected you should isolate the center rails between the switches connecting the loops together. You don't want the two transformers connected to each other on the 'hot' side. Sharing the common between them is fine and is also the way most folks wire their layouts.

It is very  important that your transformers are in phase and plugging them into the same power strip or outlet does not guarantee they will always be in phase. Transformers can be wired differently internally and could easily be out of phase when powered up. Here's a good link that explains the phasing of multiple transformers much better than I could. It's from our own forum member MartyE.  MartyE's Tips & Tricks

Good luck.

If it's all LC, LC+, or any other command system, just use the bricks and forget about the adjustable aspects of the transformers.

Many thanks, RTR12 and GUNRUNNERJOHN. I appreciate it. If I powered the whole layout from a single transformer connected to a few power drops on each loop, would I still need to isolate the middle rail between the loops? I'm guessing no since there is no real way to be out of phase. Also, how to you estimate wattage needed for a layout? For this example consider two interconnected loops consisting of 100' of track and enough juice to simultaneously operate three LC trains with short consists.

If you power with a single transformer, no isolation needed, just stick the track together.

Many thanks, John. As I thought. Any idea how to determine how much wattage I'd need from a single transformer? With the voltage being constant (I know it is actually in a sine wave), each train is going to pull current based on its size and consist. Should I be looking at wattage or amperage? In any case, how much? Thanks in advance  :-)

There's also the MTH wiring block that might be of help, although HD sells similar in the electrical section.  I've carpeted approx that much track with a fair bit of wiring to even out dead spots and run several legacy or mth engines at the same time... very light loads in general.  And one CW-80.    I'm not really sure how many amps the engines will draw. Somewhere I read the CW-80 is 5 amps.  The stalls amps on these legacy/mth diesels I have could be more than this... but the driving around amps are lower.

100 watts will run several of your LionChief sets at the same time with no problems.

I've run 4 lionchief thomas and friends engines on a similar track with the CW-80 at the same time without a power problem (a "let's smash them together daddy!?" problem, yes...) .  

Earlier on, I used the lionel wall warts up to a point that came in the ready to run sets, but when I started adding switches with the remote toggle, I had some issues -- which I don't recall now in detail... But I believe it was that the toggle throw light did not either show or consistently show one of the red or green colors. 

I changed to the transformer which I already had -- and it didn't exhibit the same problem.   

I would say overall I've yet to have a specific reason to upgrade to a larger transformer but I'm probably near the limit for the CW-80  ... Although I'm guessing to a degree -- if I ran my larger engines more often in ways that approached their motor stall limits ...  I'd probably be more motivated to go to a bigger transformer(s), etc...   Another option would be move the switches off track power which I have not done, but I do not get the impression these consume a lot of power.

Although fastrack has many merits to it, my experience on the carpet is various pieces will work loose over time with use.  Crimping the ends a bit with some pliers helps.   One tires of this though & the results may be inconsistent.

Another option is to use twist ties (through the screw holes) or paper binder clips to hold the track together can help... but this is fiddly as well and its easy to forget they are there when pulling the track apart...

Lot's of wiring helps:  I've jumped wire between track sections to get current more uniform and I've also run wire from the "terminal block bar"... this definitely addresses what seem to be dead spots ...  

Fastrack is good in this regard as it provide several wiring locations under the track...

The "fast on" push-on connectors are .110 width female end that fit under the track in the provided tines.  I found autozone carries some in their audio section although they are pricey...

Places like digikey or other electronic part supplies have them too but it can be difficult to find them ... key words:  pushon, faston, fastin ... may help.

I use the crimp style where the insulator is on non connection end of things -- and crimping usually seems good enough but I've had a few work lose as well.  

I use wire from home depot and twist it together myself with a drill, vice and a "spanner" end to hold the wires and twist it together  .... twisting the wire helps make it neater and seems to make it a little more pliable which eases laying it down. I prefer red/black or any 2 color combo you can remember. 

I've found "gaffers tape" the best for carpet to hide wire that won't hide under the track -- and in black, with imagination and squinting, it is possible to construe it as a roadway...  I found gaffers tape at Guitar World. 

Twice I've encountered broken "end connectors" on a fastrack piece...  these are the seemingly die cast connector ends that make it actually work.  Lionel does not stock replacements at least when I've asked months ago.  Instead of throwing the track out, I've just jumped wire to the connector underneath from its neighbor track -- and just keep those together as a new track piece from then on.

Well that's all well and good, lot's of info you didn't ask for and that may be worth what you've paid (0) --  but I have to admit at this point, I pine for batteries...

Here's the solution to Fastrack walking apart, I use this on my Christmas layout, it goes around a 14 x 22 foot room with a couple sidings behind the furniture to store a couple of consists.  Those are mini binder clips, available at any office supply store or on eBay: 271757094696, $5 for 144 of them.  They lay flat enough to work on the slate floor in my solarium where I have the Christmas tree.

I agree this helps.  I've also used zip ties.  you'll need to make a 2 ended one -- this is is under the track and does the zipping underneath ... and unused zip heads appear in the recessed screw holes top side.  A picture is not handy at the moment.

Zip ties are good for a permanent layout, these work great for just tossing the track down and taking it up in a month or two.  They're fully reusable as well.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Here's the solution to Fastrack walking apart, I use this on my Christmas layout, it goes around a 14 x 22 foot room with a couple sidings behind the furniture to store a couple of consists.  Those are mini binder clips, available at any office supply store or on eBay: 271757094696, $5 for 144 of them.  They lay flat enough to work on the slate floor in my solarium where I have the Christmas tree.

I don't use fastrack, but this is a great idea. If anyone has any ideas better than the track clips for tubular, please post it. 

GRJ, great idea using mini binder clips for fastrac sections. I always had that problem with my temporary Christmas layout coming apart. This will help a lot.

I confess that I wasn't the first to think of it, it was posted here by... I forget exactly who, but I decided that it would work for me.

I'm not trying to win an argument.  The clips work.  I don't disagree.  But I find that I forget where I've put them.  Then when I'm tearing up track for the next "big idea" ... I get into a fightin' match with some piece of track that just won't come apart...  duh, oh yeah -- the clip!  I've also had clips where the "arms" will not stay down (or up?) -- this is not so bad on the carpet but on a elavated section, the little arms appear and re-appear after readjustments ...  I mean -- this is not a serious problem by any means but it annoys me along with all the other myriad little annoyances as far as all this goes.. so the zip ties are just another idea and I can see the zip "heads" in the recessed part of the screw holes solving that problem and their no "arms" to unfold at random times, etc...  -- but yes the nippers are needed to extract the pieces.

What I really think is there's a possible unique for fastrack solution someone should come up with, design, build, market and sell for cheap in bulk... that addresses all these issues and more.

Or there's glue...  and sledge hammers.  Maybe I need to work on my fastrack anger management...

I agree that some of the arms pop down, that's a little annoying.  I don't have any elevated sections with the clips, so that wasn't an issue for me.  I just store the clips with the boxes of track that is used for the Christmas layout.

A better clip arrangement would be a good deal, a nifty commercial product would sell a ton I'd figure.  I think something that is just the right width that slides on with perhaps a small internal spring to hold it firmly in place but not be the primary support.  Something like a U shaped piece that had a little flat spring with a dimple to hold it on the track pieces.

Maybe I should apply for a patent.

Yeah, and supply a little tool to press them on and remove them without the "spronnnnng" when ya pop them off.   

Your idea seems good, perhaps you are not serious but I think it's not bad even if a joke!  Fire up the 3D printer and make some.  Then order a gazillion from chi... sorry, ... milwaukee?, and sell them all before someone else has a chance to copy.  

My idea which I had a few months back was to use the screw holes in a "tails" and a "buckle" system ... the tails go thru the screw holes (and are recessed with texture head/top to match the track) and the buckle which is dual ended connects the tails together and allows you to tighten...

I was thinking zip-ish in nature from that pt of view ...  but after fiddling with zip ties the idea seemed cumbersome which is why I didn't pursue it further.

Still if I had a 3D printer it would be tempting to try it ... just to confirm.

For the clip idea, I would make the clip longer to fit the space available between the plastic tines -- space out the force a bit more...  

It would be nice to be able to tighten them... but I don't see how to do without putting quite a bit metal there...

Your pressure fit idea with a spring or some kind of indention to add a bit more grip seems a more realistic option.