# A weak length of track?



## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello All
I have a strange occurence that has me boggled. I have about 500 feet of track powered by a elite transformer and a train engineer. There is plenty of juice to run 2 USAT GP 38 and a NW2 or a couple of Bachmann engines. I have run 5 smaller engines like a Stainz, bachmann porters and a hartland Mack. There is one section which is the furthest away from the power pack where the volts will drop .5 to 1 when the engine passes a certain point. There is no interuption just sudenly the train will slow and crawl along to another point where it resumes its earlier speed. I have run feeder wires to 4 points over the layout and they have leap frogged by that I mean theydon't all start from the spot where the power pack plugs in but the juice is picked up and continued on down the line. I am thinking about leap frogging another power line to get electricity to this "weak" section. Other than a lack of power what else could be going on here that causes me to lose up to a volt of power? I don't have a way to measure the amps but maybe after such a long run they are running low too? The little engines don't take notice but the USAT ones do as well as the Shay and Climax? 
Any ideas before I go running another line to this area? 
Thanks
Todd


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

You have two high resistance connection at that section of track... one where the engine slows and the other where it speeds back up. Reduce the resistance at either of those (preferably at BOTH) and the problem will go away. Reduce the resistance by cleaning the jointers, or soldering a jumper across them or run a feeder wire to that section of track.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

By Section I think you mean sectional track, and if you are running SS track, I think I have a similar situation. I have 2 sections of track, 2' straight that run slow. 
I think it's a bad batch of steel and it got spread around so nobody got too much at once. I got mine out of an open box at the hobby store. 
Dosen't matter how I feed it or cleaned it. 
Converting to battery really helped! 

John


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Almost physically impossible to get a piece of metal that is not conductive.... even hollow it would work. 

Really, almost certainly, has to be the connections to that rail... 

(now I have found conductive paths between the rails caused by high moisture and salts in the soil, this could also account for voltage loss) 

Greg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

My sections are conductive, but seem to have a higher resistence and there fore offered less power, so my trains always slowed on them, BB. 
I sprayed the ends and joiners with CRC contact cleaner, after mechanically cleaning all mating surface areas, no improvement. Used the SS screws torqued tight. All other connections weren't so babied and work fine. One is 6' from a feeder and the other is 30', track on either side is fine. 

Todd, you're not any crazier than I am, good luck with that! lol 

John


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hmmm. Now you guys got me to thinking. I will run the extra feeder wire to that bad run of track. Perhaps it is too far away from that last leap frogging feeder about 50 feeet on one side and probably 20 on the other. I will also check the rail joiners since I do use brass sectional track and some of it still has the original joiners and not clamps on it. I also have some dangling wires on used track I bought, they were once connected over the joint and maybe they are draining juice into the ground? That might explain the dancing earth worms?? This secion is at the lowest point of my RR and as a result it could also be moist at times. The layout is one big more or less folded loop so if current is making a circuit it does seem strange to have one 35-40 foot section that loses some volts. Isn't electricity both wonderful and weird. 
Thanks for the ideas Gents 
Todd


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