Large Scale Central

Power drop

Track and Trestles
#1

Posting questions here may advertise my lack of knowledge about this stuff, but it’s okeh because my ego was surgically removed when the young Mexican lad I hired to help me with my layout knew much more about putting in concrete roadbed than me. He was/is great and is an artist with concrete.

So, the roadbed for the mainline is in, the track is laid, and track power is connected using burried #10 low voltage landscape wire. Isolated sidings are wired with #12, and everything works very well. There is no perceptual slow down of any engine tested even at the fartherest point away from the controler. Today I connected the 4 switches to #12 low voltage wire. All 4 were tested before installing and they worked fine on the work bench. The furtherest switch is about 100 feet from the power source and hooked up through an LGB switch control box at the source. The three closer switches seem to work fine, the most distant one almost works, but not quite. The source voltage on my $9.95 Radio Shack meter is 15 volts but at the switch I get 9 volts. I cleaned and lubricated the switch and it still only moves about half way. I already have all the layout wiring burried and would like to not pull it up and change to a larger guage for the switch. I see that the switch can support 2 motors, and I have many extra switches from which I can scavage more motors. Will that work, or is there a way to boost the voltage at the source so that I have more power at the switch?

I’m sure this has come up before, but couldn’t find anything on it. Can anyone help?

Norm

#2

First thing to try is changing the motor on the switch.
Ralph

#3

LGB created a power booster that hooks on next to their switch control box for just this purpose. I went in the basement to look for numbers, but could find nothing (without tearing stuff apart). All I can tell you is it’s a red box that goes next to the orange box. I’m sure one of the LGB guys can fill in the numbers for you.

#4

Make sure the switch is level and not twisted in some way. Don’t ask how I know this. :slight_smile:

#5
Ric Golding said:
LGB created a power booster that hooks on next to their switch control box for just this purpose. I went in the basement to look for numbers, but could find nothing (without tearing stuff apart). All I can tell you is it's a red box that goes next to the orange box. I'm sure one of the LGB guys can fill in the numbers for you.
Norman I have one of these. If you wont to go this way let me know. I was going to sell it on Ebay but will hold off for now.
#6

I’d go with Steve’s theory. Something’s binding the works and drawing a bunch of current pulling the volts down.

#7

Tom,

You know my powered turnouts in the basement. I had to put the booster on that short run, so I’m sure the length that is run will need the booat if using LGB turnouts.n

#8

Thanks for all the excellent advice. Looks like the LGB booster may be the way to go. My brother-in-law is sending me one. Geoff, please hang on to the one you have for a couple days. I may need to buy it. From what I understand the “red box booster” goes in front of the regular orange box switch. It boosts the source voltage, regardless of what that voltage is. So, perhaps 2 of these in paralell would boost the voltage twice. I read somewhere the LGB switch motor can take up to 24 volts momentarally with no problem.

Norm

#9

I would not use 2 boosters in series, these are a capacitor discharge type of device and tells polarity of throw.
Switch motors are low current devices and I run mine on telephone wire but I do use the booster.
Since LGB uses halfwave power control for the switches, a meter might see 9 volts under a constant load. Set the meter to read peak voltage.

I have had sluggish switches and found the following to be the cause.
Switch motor bad.
Switch not level or twisted causing the motor to only move freely in one direction.
Motor skipped a gear tooth and can no longer function properly

I do use conductive paste on the LGB silver slides under the points to give better contact and easier throw.