Antenna -MANCO Earth-Ground Breakout

So you moved and added a longer wire? 

Is the wire now below the track?  Try running it higher or next to track.

Was a ground plane incorporated into the layout then or now? (a layer of chicken wire to form a plane to compliment the signal.

Basically, there can be signal interference from track at certain angles if a plane isn't used. (or a data loop could happen if the signal picks up twice with delay)

An earth ground has a connection to the ground stake of your house (usually your ac outlet ) This is part of the transmitter antenna with tmcc. 

Not all grounds are earth grounds. (a dc battery's ground for instance)

If you haven't read Dale Manquen's TMCC signal article, please read it.

http://www.trainfacts.com/trainfacts/?p=317

Your TMCC or Legacy base transmits its signal through the track (the track ground wire) and the house wiring through the custom wall wart.  The breakout pin from the base's serial port is the same as the ground pin of the wall wart.  These two outputs should NEVER be shorted together!  Your post suggests that you connected the breakout wire to your track power terminal strips which would short the signal.

Dale's instructions specify a terminal strip so the breakout (antenna output) can be distributed to multiple wires or metal tape around the layout.  You run the wires or tape to areas with TMCC signal problems.  All of the wires, tape, metal bridges, etc. must be electrically isolated from the track.  When you are installing, have a multimeter handy and frequently check for antenna signal shorts to the track.

There are a many posts on this forum describing what works on installing your antenna wiring.

Read the article fast, I have no idea how long Dale's website will be up now that he's no longer with us.

Thanks to all for your comments, don't know what went wrong because the trains ran well for several years.

Not really knowing what to look for, I decided to follow a lot of the advice given above.

1: There are 2 loops (one upper) side by side, with a Powerhouse 180 for each loop. The antenna wire is NOW placed between the two loops and both engines are performing great, no blinking lights. 

2: The third loop  (elevated /reversing) is for a Legacy GP 35. Part of this antenna wire is running next to the track that is on the layout base, the elevated portion is beside the track using the Lionel trestles as a guide for the antenna wire, that wire is beside but a little lower than the track.

Had a little trouble with the GP 35 Legacy, run like a top then all of a sudden just stop, placed it on the track with the VL engines and it did the same thing. 

I have a Legacy  MOW engine (forgot about it) , found it  while putting some boxes back on the shelf. Programmed it and It ran great, I know it will only go forward and backwards  but there are no blinking lights, so I assume there is a problem with the GP 35. 

This problem is discussed on the electrical forum.

Gunrunnerjohn.  I did re-read the article  and it was helpful. Made a copy for use in the future.

My only knowledge of electricity is use to use a 3 prong plug.

Brent

I grabbed a copy of the whole website for the same reason.  I'm surprised it's still active, but that can't last I imagine.

11 meter band is CB.  Some frequencies were reserved for remote control, likeTMCC.

At one time I think you could get diffetent CB crystals for TMCC from Lionel.  In some instances, it could help performance...

Or stop this.   At a train show, thete wete three TMCC layouts.  Each layout was "kidnapping" the other.  Now guess what happened when somebody hit the HALT button!

MFJ does produce an artificial groundfor ham radio ops.  I asked if it could be used as a ground for TMCC.  NO!

@Dominic Mazoch posted:

11 meter band is CB.  Some frequencies were reserved for remote control, likeTMCC.

Right church, wrong pew.  The 27mhz communication is between the cab1 and the TMCC Base.  It has nothing to do with the track signal, the issues with earth ground, etc.  The OP is not having any issues communicating to the command base from the remote, at least none are stated.