Doing Electrical Wiring on my Existing Tmcc / Legacy Layout

Looks like a nice plan, and nice layout too! There are some talented folks here that can probably convert it for you. It may not be an exact conversion, but I bet they can get close. I would try myself, but I am not good with track plans. Hopefully someone will be along to help.

Here's a version with RealTrax O42. There are 3 places that don't join in SCARM, but will probably join when assembled.

 

DoubleDAZ posted:

Here's a version with RealTrax O42. There are 3 places that don't join in SCARM, but will probably join when assembled.

 

could some give me the track number for this layout in a list  because the number are so small i can't read them I want to order the right pieces 

 

I didn't see this post with Dave's version. Here is his parts list.

I didn't add the parts list because if you wanted to use the design I'd swap some of the 10" track for the longer 30" tracks and then post the parts list. So here's a version of that without the color-coded track to make thing easier to read. You should be able to download the jpg image and zoom in. Either way, you should consider swamping some of the 10" tracks for terminal tracks. Also, I'm curious, is there a reason you want to use RealTrax instead of FasTrack, especially if you already have some FasTrack?

 

I would like to say thank you to all

DoubleDAZ posted:

I didn't add the parts list because if you wanted to use the design I'd swap some of the 10" track for the longer 30" tracks and then post the parts list. So here's a version of that without the color-coded track to make thing easier to read. You should be able to download the jpg image and zoom in. Either way, you should consider swamping some of the 10" tracks for terminal tracks. Also, I'm curious, is there a reason you want to use RealTrax instead of FasTrack, especially if you already have some FasTrack?

 

 

because It says in the manual It requires Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-42 or larger for me to run the AC6000 #9876 and my  track  layout was made with O36 fastrack curve

I can't say on this one, but sometimes the minimum diameter is less than is advertised. Unless you want to change for other reasons, you might want to find out if it can actually run tighter curves. And not just run, but couple properly, without knuckle bind or coupler overhang from center dragging a car off.

flemming posted:

because It says in the manual It requires Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-42 or larger for me to run the AC6000 #9876 and my  track  layout was made with O36 fastrack curve

Would you be interested in seeing what FasTrack O48 would look like if it will fit in the space? How about Atlas O45? Or do you prefer one of the tracks with faux roadbed built in?

Yes  DOUBLEDAZ  about the fastrack  O48  I have a question where the fire station is there is a tunnel there for some reason my locomotive stalls inside the tunnel any way to fix the problem ?? could you also show  what   it would like with the arch bridge on the layout if I stayed with the current layout and used O48 fastrack what would my current layout look like if i stayed with fastrack 

 

I   came to realize  that replacing the layout with  mth  tracks  would be a pain   some one gave me an idea  using O48 curve fastack on my existing layout is there a way to fix the layout with the MTH arch bridge the same one in the in the photo i  would not know whereto start till I had a plan of my layout using O 48 fastrack

Here's FasTrack O48 with an arch bridge someone put together. Photo 1 is color-coded to show the raised section. Photo 2 is bare track so you can hopefully see the track sizes. Photo 3 is a 3D view. The SCARM file has the color-coded track in it.

EDIT: Sorry, picked the wrong bridge file.

is there a track listing of the PSC  I would need 

Any way to keep  my tmcc Locomotive  from stalling inside the tunnels ??

flemming posted:

is there a track listing of the PSC  I would need 

I keep forgetting you didn't install SCARM.

This is what i have on the layout it's compatible with FasTrack  so I don't think I need 1 10"  MTH tracks

The Fully assembled and ready-to-install, M.T.H. RailKing RealTrax bridges are a great way to expand your O Gauge model railroad. Fully painted and compatible with any O Gauge track system, including Lionel FasTrack®, RealTrax bridges look great and are sturdy enough for even the heaviest of trains.

On my revised layout could I have a tunnel where my big mountain  is behind the fire station

Looking at the photo you posted, I can't tell how your tunnels are configured relative to the 2 crossovers, all I can see are the exits on the left, but not the entrances on the right. To be honest, I didn't really pay any attention to the photo, I just tried to reproduce the track design as close as possible using O48 curves. As you can see, that eliminated some of the straight tracks on the sides of the inside oval making it difficult to keep that building where it is in the center of the layout. It looks like you also have a spur to the right of the bridge and there is no longer room for that. Perhaps some more photos would help clarify things. Right now I can't see if you even have 2 crossovers.

yes I did install and paid for SCARM  yesterday but don't understand how it works

Here are the tunnels  the one with the dump truck on the hill the tmcc  locomotive stalls inside that tunnel any way to fix so it won't  keep stalling 

Okay, I get it now. I'll play with it some more tomorrow and see what I can do.

DoubleDAZ posted:

Okay, I get it now. I'll play with it some more tomorrow and see what I can do.

thank you Dave I am finally getting back into the layout  I was in a bad accident and broke my radius bone in my left arm it has a plate in the arm

 

Scarm has a learning curve. It is worth sticking to it. Each new trick mastered speeds you tremendously. I miss it (no windows to run it) What are the mountains made of? I'm wondering if "Dale's Booster" IN the tunnel is possible? ( Search "Booster Dale's legacy" GRJ, Stan & others continuing Dale M's work on a tmcc booster)

As Adriatic said, there is a learning curve to SCARM and I wouldn't expect you to pick it up the first day. However, you should be able to download the SCARM file and at least open it in SCARM. To download the file, you need to right-click on the filename and use the Save As option to save it on your computer and then you might have to change the file extension from txt to scarm.

Anyway, I've been trying to get close to what I think you layout looks like today, so here's what I've come up with. The pink/purple tracks are the grades to the bridge. The yellow bridge is at 5" elevation and as you can see, the grade up is 5.1% and the grade down is 3.7%. Unfortunately, that makes the inner oval fairly small and tight. In addition to the bridge, I added the tunnels and 2 buildings. The track centers are 4.5" from the edge of the decking and the centers of the tracks on the left in the tunnel are also 4.5" apart. I'm not sure how the fire station will fit in. The inner circle can't be any smaller it and the crossovers can't be moved to the right without increasing the 5.1% grade or lowering the bridge height. If you lower the bridge to only 3", then you can move things over by 2 of the 10" tracks and get the grade down to 3.9%. I didn't replace some of the 10" tracks with 30" tracks until you decide what you want to do with the bridge height, so the parts list is not accurate yet.

 

Many thanks to every one  helping out here

would adding bus wiring around the layouts keep my train from stalling ??. If yes how would I go about doing this

How is your track wired now? How many power drops or terminal tracks do you have and where are they? Which track does it stop on, the outer or inner loop in the tunnel?

Outer loop. It stalls at the curve section marked  with a black dot on the layout right before the main big  mountain tunnel begins In this case my question how would i solve this problem would adding  wires from the outer tacks  an inner tracks help  keeping my locomotive from stalling  by adding power to the hole layout would like to redo the wiring  but don't know where to start that's why I am reaching out who know more  then I do about wiring a layout that is 8'x13' I use the legacy system  wold this MTH 24 Port Terminal Block / Strip  help like the one on the photo ??

 

Since the engine stalls in both direction when hitting that track, it sounds to me like you have a track in there that isn't getting power for some reason. Kind of hard to suggest something without being able to remove the tunnel and do some troubleshooting. You didn't say how you're feeding power from the transformer to the tracks. I use DCS, so I'd probably have at least 3 blocks with power runs.

Is it only the TMCC engine, or do other engines stall also? If you unplug the Command Base from the wall outlet (not just from the track), and run the TMCC engine in conventional, with a transformer, will it go through then?

Just want to eliminate the possibility of it being a TMCC signal issue.

nickaix posted:

Is it only the TMCC engine, or do other engines stall also? If you unplug the Command Base from the wall outlet (not just from the track), and run the TMCC engine in conventional, with a transformer, will it go through then?

Just want to eliminate the possibility of it being a TMCC signal issue.

both my legacy and tmcc  trainn stalls

DoubleDAZ posted:

Since the engine stalls in both direction when hitting that track, it sounds to me like you have a track in there that isn't getting power for some reason. Kind of hard to suggest something without being able to remove the tunnel and do some troubleshooting. You didn't say how you're feeding power from the transformer to the tracks. I use DCS, so I'd probably have at least 3 blocks with power runs.

flemming posted:

flemming posted:

DoubleDAZ posted:

Since the engine stalls in both direction when hitting that track, it sounds to me like you have a track in there that isn't getting power for some reason. Kind of hard to suggest something without being able to remove the tunnel and do some troubleshooting. You didn't say how you're feeding power from the transformer to the tracks. I use DCS, so I'd probably have at least 3 blocks with power runs.

I forgot to say my friend who made the tunnels for me used chicken wires

Ok, it may be signal issue, then. TMCC actually puts signal on the "earth" wire in your home wiring, so your home becomes a TMCC antenna. This is the signal the engine has to 'see' in order to operate. Too much metal between the house wiring and the train can interfere with the train's ability to pick up the signal. This might be what is happening in your chicken wire tunnel. You may be able to fix it by running a wire connected to earth (not to the track ground) into the tunnel, or connecting the chicken wire to earth, so the tunnel itself becomes part of the TMCC system. I'm sorry I can't give you more specifics because I have not had this problem myself, but I remember it being discussed quite a lot here at one time. (The closest I ever came is when we parked a certain large, die-cast engine in a certain spot that had another track underneath it. Trains on the lower track would lose TMCC. Rather than re-wiring, we just didn't park that engine there anymore!)

Search the forum for "TMCC" and "ground plane" to learn more.

That's assuming your other trains go thru that section alright. If nothing makes it through, it is probably a loss of power problem.

flemming posted:

I forgot to say my friend who made the tunnels for me used chicken wires

 

Based on your email, it seems it was a signal issue and you found a temporary solution. As I said, I know nothing about TMCC wiring, so I was completely in the dark.

DoubleDAZ posted:

flemming posted:

I forgot to say my friend who made the tunnels for me used chicken wires

 

Based on your email, it seems it was a signal issue and you found a temporary solution. As I said, I know nothing about TMCC wiring, so I was completely in the dark.

both my tmcc and legacy stalls what i trying to do here is keep both trains from stalling what I am trying to say Is i would like to run all my trains with out any track issue or Interference on the layout

would this video help me out it talks about bus wiring a layout