Wiring A Model Railway For Beginners - Model Railway Basics: Episode 3

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

*No Gaugemaster controllers were harmed in the making of this video!* 😉 For more episodes of Model Railway Basics, here's the full playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLrxCs5t2FkmwrlGe3uA8naYkBug7g-u7N

[@awesomealbertt1150]

Phew!

[@andrewparkes5593]

Great video, can i run accesories ie signal light etc from a gaugemaster series d controller? Thanks

[@Detritus0311]

Was looking all over the internet for this a basic video that explains this... thank you so much!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Really glad you found it helpful! Best of luck with your layout and thanks for watching 😃

[@neumoi3324]

Never imagined powering up even a simple single loop model train track would have so many technical issues. Good video.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

If it is literally a single loop then it's just two wires, one to each rail, and that's it. Points/turnouts are where things get more complicated by even then it's mostly just a case of where you put the power feeds in relation to the point. Thanks for watching 😃

[@craiginbatonrouge8161]

7:40 thank you so much for explaining so even I now understand it… going back to episode 1, to start from the beginning…

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

My pleasure Craig, glad you found it useful and hope you enjoy the rest of the series too! Thanks for watching 😃

[@andyhewitt7588]

Thanks, you have demystified things for me with this video. It’s not as complicated as I had assumed from other videos 😀

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Really glad to hear that! That was certainly the intention behind making this video. Thanks for watching 😃

[@huaweigreninja6620]

At 6:51 you mentioned that people like wirings multiple pieces of track like sidings etc. I was wondering what you do with all the ends of the cables and what you plug them in to

[@huaweigreninja6620]

That are attached to all the different sections of track

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, so in the case of DCC you would have a set of bus wires (positive and negative) that come from your controller and run underneath the baseboard. All wires from your track would connect to these main bus wires - think of it like a central power cable that branches off to each piece of track. Alternatively you could just connect the wires to another track section that is already powered (as long as you get the polarity right) although I wouldn't recommend this since if that track section looses power it will knock out other parts of your layout too. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@huaweigreninja6620]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thank you so much! I’ve been stuck on this for awhile! Thank you

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Huawei Greninja No worries, happy to be of assistance! Good luck 👍

[@michaelstocks2298]

Thank you for making that easier to understand. I'm a beginner and am frustrated by all the videos on here that complicate this. I reckon they do it just to make themselves look smart. 🎉🎉🎉

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

My pleasure Michael. I do think there is a lot of "gatekeeping" in the hobby but I'm glad this video helped you. Thanks for watching 😃

[@twonkfieldrailways4110]

This was really well produced and edited. It's a great video explaining to beginners and I love the bit with the shorting out controller. Well done.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! I do try to maintain a high production value as I think it keeps people engaged... and yes I got a bit carried away with the controller but it made me laugh so it stayed in 😂 Thanks for watching 👍

[@twonkfieldrailways4110]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy yeah your production values are great and i think it's good to have a sense of humour rather than just be 100% serious about a hobby that consists of playing with trains. Nothing wrong with playing with trains though, one of my favourite things

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

@@twonkfieldrailways4110 Couldn't have put it better myself ☺️

[@keithpenfold9151]

At last I now understand about points and power! Thank you so much.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That's really great to hear Keith - it took me a while to figure it all out when I was just starting in model railways so I'm glad it's helped you out. Thanks for watching 😃

[@robjenkins9956]

Brilliant video. Was thinking about making my own model railway in my loft.. with fantastic ideas of trains going in all directions, crossings going up and down... I think I need to calm down a bit. And think about it... thanks. Rob J

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

There's nothing wrong with that sort of enthusiasm Rob! Definitely hold onto that... but yes, maybe start out with something simple first and give yourself room to expand later 😉 Thanks for watching 👍

[@railway187]

Hello, nice video. Do you have a video on how to DC wire a double loop with points connecting them so trains can go from one loop to another but two trains can run at the same time?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

@@railway187 Not specifically but in that instance you need two controllers, one for each circuit - doesn’t matter where on the circuit it’s connected. The easy way would just be to make sure one controller is OFF when using the other controller to have a train switch from one to the other. Or if you want to get fancy you can use isolating fishplates between the two points which will protect your controllers. But when crossing over you need to make sure both controllers are set identically. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@railway187]

@ Thanks 🙏

[@a.r.productions]

Another great instalment to the series. can't wait to see more :D

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks, glad to hear that. It was a bit more theory based this one so hopefully we'll get back to the more fun practical stuff next time! Thanks for watching 😃

[@calculadwest9869]

Thanks. Lovely and clearly presented. I have a simple circuit working, but Is there any advice for the next step up say with two circuits that intersect please. Not sure what has to be connected.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you found it helpful. For two circuits, when you say intersecting do you mean with a set of points to cross from an inner circuit to and outer circuit? If so there are two main options: 1. Feed the wires from your controller to both circuits. Both circuits can be controlled from a single controller as if there were two locos on the same piece of track. 2. Introduce a second controller to hook up to the second circuit. When you open the points up to cross from one circuit to the other you just need to make sure that one of the controllers is off so they don't fight against each other. (You could also introduce an isolating switch as a belt an braces approach but that's a little more complex) Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@treinenliefde]

A very quick adition for anyone who wants to keep sidings live on DCC. (6:51). A very easy way to do this that doesnt require a seperate feed for the siding is by using point clips by Hornby. By inserting those the insulfrog points are always live. I'm unsure however if you can use these on non-Hornby points.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Ah brilliant, thanks for sharing that! I don't have any myself so I don't know if they work on other points brands either but they're certainly a great alternative for someone who wants to keep the wiring to a minimum. Thanks for watching 😃

[@Fluff3H]

Great video mate, just got into the hobby and got a GM Combi, and there was no videos on it on the wiring, good to know I can just rig somethin up easy peasy

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Amazing, really glad to hear you found this video helpful and it got you up and running nice and quickly! Hope you have fun and thanks for watching 😃

[@marktossell8461]

Great content with simple explanations for novices like me - thank you!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That was definitely the idea so I'm glad you found I helpful! Thanks for watching 😃

[@thomasmcelroy3637]

very sound advice. a simple way to explain things. cheers tom

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks, that's great to hear. I did worry it was getting a bit complicated at times so tried to keep it as basic as possible! Thanks for watching 😃

[@JohnSmithShields]

Excellent overview on the dark art of wiring. Thank you.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks John, it is a bit of a dark art isn't it! There was a lot to cover but I hope by just going over the basics it'll help those just starting out. Thanks for watching 😃

[@alancharles3459]

Brilliant! I never knew that about DC & DCC locos not being entirely compatible with each other's track. For me I am never venturing into Don't Come Cheap territory!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hey Alan, if you haven't bought a DCC Command Station yet I'd recommend looking into the new HM7000 system from Hornby that's on the way. The bluetooth decoders can apparently run on traditional 12v DC (where with normal DCC it's a bit iffy) so you could convert some of your locos and leave others on analogue control. The decoders are a little more expensive but you save a huge amount on not having to buy a Command Station to run everything, so swings and roundabouts. Just food for thought if you're taking your first steps into digital control. Thanks for watching 😃

[@timsully8958]

Good stuff! In fairness I didn’t learn anything new but then of course, it isn’t aimed at me, it is aimed at novices to help them overcome beginners jitters 😀. I thought you explained it all rather well! It was all very clear and easy to follow and can only help people new to it all. I have seen other such ‘aides’ which can be a bit patronising, but your tone was spot on. Well done!👍🍻

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Tim, yes it's very much aimed at complete beginners but good to know it still all made sense to somebody who already knows their stuff. Thanks for watching 😃

[@TSA-0245]

as a 14/yo beginner this really helps. thanks alot!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, glad to be of service. Thanks for watching 😃

[@TSA-0245]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy imma be honest, it makes my day seeing the notification that creators like you replied to my comment. keep being amazing!

[@bluehairedgirlstudio]

thanks for this. You helped me find a fault on my o gauge layout

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, glad you were able to get it sorted! Thanks for watching 😃

[@andrewparkes5593]

Great video. On the back of the series d controller there two positive and two negative ports for the tracks etc. Can you run multiple wires from each port so they can each operate two tracks? Or a signal and a track? Thanks Andrew

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

The two ports correspond to the two control knobs on the front panel. In theory you could run wires to multiple tracks but obviously one knob would then cause trains to move simultaneously on both tracks unless you introduced a switch of some sort. I don't think it would work with a signal though as I believe they generally need a continuous power supply. Thanks for watching 😃

[@NottinghamLacrosse]

If it were to fit electrofrog points but not do anything with the little polarity wire (though I would add insulator collectors on the frog rails) would the electrofrog point work the same as an insulfrog point? Or would it be worse for stalling than insulfrog and less reliable overall? I'm trying to decide whether to go for insulfrog on my layout, or go for electrofrog installed as described above and have the option of doing all the polarity stuff layer down the line. Thanks!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hiya, the short answer is: no, not really. With an insulfrog point the power is distributed down the exit the point is switched to and to the line beyond but that wouldn't happen in this case. Also your dead section would be a LOT longer than on the insulfrog point so you'd be limited to running only long wheelbase locos with lots of pickups. The best thing to do would be use the new Unifrog points as these are pretty much designed for your exact situation. Out of the box they act mostly like the insulfrog points but they have the option of adding power to the frog later on if you want to go down that route too - I actually have a video on these coming out fairly soon! The main disadvantage with Unifrogs is whether PECO have actually made them for the type of points you need in the correct gauge/scale as they're still fairly new. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@rm709]

This is so well done, thank you!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

My pleasure, hope you found it useful. Thanks for watching 😃

[@Theoriginalborgy]

Great video, ideal for a total beginner. I’m only on DC but still use a bus wires and multiple droppers so I don’t get a voltage drop on a larger loop. Also if I change my mind I can change to DCC.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Leigh, yes same for me. Because my layout is modular I built in bus wires and droppers on every module even though it was originally intended for DC. That said I'm now making the move over to DCC but thanks to some forward planning I made it easy to switch between the two just by unplugging one set of wires! Thanks for watching 😃

[@taeidhe]

Great video as always! If possible, can you do a video on what DCC controller you use please or even your thoughts on other options. I’ve got an old Hornby Select and keen to upgrade. I’ve tried HM7000 which was great (at least for me!) but cant get the decoders in all my locos which is a bit limiting. Would be good to get your thoughts on what is out there. Thanks

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hiya, I have considered doing a video on DCC controllers - the obvious barrier is needing all the controllers to be able to compare which would get quite expensive. Personally I use the Roco Z21 system - quite expensive but does have a lot of options including wireless control. The HM7000 is great but as you've noted, there are issues with fitting the decoders into locos - I believe Hornby is working on making them smaller in the future. There's also the Prodigy system (from Gaugemaster I think?) which is popular with a lot of modellers. It doesn't have some of the more fancy features but it's a full complete system that works really well. Alternatively there is also the DCC-EX system which is a DIY controller. This is the cheapest option and is gaining in popularity with those on a budget. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 🤩

[@taeidhe]

Thanks, I’ll keep this is mind! The Z21 might be a bit out of reach for the moment but will look into the other options. Hopefully Hornby also come out with smaller decoders too as I personally have found the system a pretty straightforward entry to DCC. Thanks

[@DouglasRobinson-f4c]

Like all the videos, very informative. Thanks

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you're enjoying them and finishing them useful. Thanks for watching 😃

[@redversb2347]

Great introduction to the basics. Thanks.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

My pleasure! Hopefully people will find these videos useful when they need a bit of help building their first layout. Thanks for watching 😃

[@StBlazeyModelWorld]

I'm only just catching up with your videos but I think you are doing a really great job, especially with introducing beginner level stuff

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad to hear you're enjoying them! I do try to make all my videos easy to follow for beginners but also interesting for those who know a fair bit already. It's a fine line but it seems to be working so far. Thanks for watching 😃

[@davidsheriff8989]

Good simple narration and visuals...

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks, that was definitely the aim with this series of videos. Thanks for watching 😃

[@tomward3656]

As has been said another great video. For my first layout it will be simple dcc, but that will do me. Looking forward to the next video. Thank you

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That sounds great Tom. I'm making the move over the DCC at the moment too and I have to admit it's simplified the process of building the modular railway quite a lot! Thanks for watching 😃

[@Zebrails]

Nicely done. John BC, Canada

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it John! Thanks for watching 😃

[@raymondgawthorne6570]

Superb little video for novices like me. Learnt a lot from your great tips. Thanks👍

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Raymond, really glad you found this video helpful. Thanks for watching 😃

[@martinlutherking6550]

This is a really informative video for newbies !

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, so glad to hear that. I think wiring is one of the hardest things to get your head around so I tried to demystify it a little bit here. Thanks for watching! 😃

[@jamesisonfire4925]

Do you add droppers to each piece of track or have one connection to power the entire loop? I’m still working out what to do on my layout

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

For DCC I tend to add droppers to each piece of track if I can - it's not a necessity but it does tend to make things more consistent. The same is true for analog to a certain extent but depending on how you wire things up with isolating sections it can be a bit more involved. At least with DCC you know everything needs to be live all the time. With analog though I've gotten away with having just one power input on an entire layout and running it from that... it depends on the layout of course and what you're hoping to do with it though. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@ChrisBarnard-vd2fj]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you found it helpful Chris! Thanks for watching 😃

[@Hullabaloo478]

Do you have any suggestions on wiring O27 gauge Marx train sets?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I have absolutely zero experience with that so unfortunately not. I wouldn't want to give you bad advice and potentially make things worse. Thanks for watching 👍

[@stevehughes9266]

Hey buddy, Do you have any videos or advice on a second oval inside a larger one? I’ve just built my son’s track in the loft and have a larger outer oval with a small inner. We’re just starting so only have the one Hornby 7229 power unit with the one powered piece of track. I’m struggling to understand whether both inner and outer ovals will need a power unit and power piece of track? I thought maybe just one was enough because they’re connected via points.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

The points isolate as shown in the video with the sidings so the power will only flow into the second loop when both sets of points are set to crossover. Once you set them back to their own loop you’ll lose power to the second loop. If you want to control each loop separately you’ll need a second controller and power track for the second loop. You can also control them from a single controller using the Hornby track link wire which will transfer power over to the second loop. But bear in mind you won’t have individual control over each train. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@stevehughes9266]

@ thank you so much!! That’s really helpful, I probably should’ve understood that from your video, apologies. Thanks for t help and thanks for the videos, we couldn’t have got this far without you

[@leejones7092]

Have you/ Can you do a video on where to start with the basics of getting started with DCC?? Setting it up, extra wireing for siding, lights to building, and so on.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

It's probably best to check out some of my layout builds (the current TT:120 layout build in particular) as the early episodes focus more on wiring for DCC. But essentially you just have your main bus wires and take droppers out the track from there. Some people add droppers to ever single piece of track, others are more conservative. Personally I don't use DCC power to control the lights or points, I prefer having these on a separate 12v circuit which I've found to be both safer and cheaper too. Thanks for watching 😃

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

Is there a way you can use a hornby controller. Like the Gaugemaster controller with a bachmann setup? I live in the US and I'm curious

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Yep that's absolutely fine. The controllers all work in roughly the same way so it shouldn't be a problem. The only thing to watch out for is some newer locos have coreless motors which don't like the cheap Hornby controllers. They'll still run ok but you might not get the best out of them. Thanks for watching 😃

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy your welcome. And something I forgot to mentioned. If that doesn't work, I'm thinking about using 3 bachmann controllers. Will three of them overload a power strip and trip the power outlet or will it not.

[@matthewverrelli4819]

Fantastic video, really great graphics

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Matthew, I did try to make it as visual as possible since I know its much more interesting rather than watching me read a script 😂 Thanks for watching 👍

[@lassepeltonen8361]

You have great vids and I like your presentation style 🙂 But one thing: no track possess constant power - it is constant voltage and based on speed demand, loading (wagons), hills etc. locos draw different amount of current. Keep up good work and greetings from Finland!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks, glad you're enjoying the videos! Remember this series is aimed at complete beginners who are just starting with a train set. To them the controller is just the thing that makes the train move so at this level the intention was to just keep things simple. Thanks for watching 👍

[@camerond169]

Simply and well explained

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Cameron! That's definitely the idea with these videos. Easy enough for beginners to follow but also entertaining enough to keep everyone engaged. Thanks for watching 😃

[@davidharle952]

Thanks for this great tutorial, I do have a couple of questions to ask, I'm just about to start building my new layout, it's with the new TT 120 set, I'm having a few problems on what wire to use for the bus and droppers. Someone said use 16 X 0.2 for the bus and 7 X 0.2 for the droppers but after buying them they seem very thin for the job It's a double loop setup and on a 6 X 4 feet board so not big and will be DC. I'm hoping to wire up my points as well but not sure which points to buy and should I run a separate bus for the points. Thanks so much. I'm really missing your ""video series", are you going to do any more?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi David, great to hear you're making a start in TT! The dropper wires don't need to be very thick - they just connect your track to the main bus wires so they only travel a very short distance. If the wire is too thick you'll have more difficulty soldering it to the rails without causing issues. When it comes to points, what track are you currently using for TT - Hornby or PECO? While the two are technically compatible, my experience tends to be that it's much easier to stick to one or the other for the best results. The Hornby points are dead frog, but cheaper and easy to use. In comparison, the PECO points are more expensive but use the new Unifrog concept, which allows the whole frog to supply power to the loco making them more reliable. As for the video series continuing, do you mean Model Railway Basics or the Modular Layout Build? There should be new episodes of the latter along fairly soon hopefully. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@davidharle952]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Thank you, I'm sticking with the Hornby track and points, I didn't want to mix them and they were supplied in the train set and so I bought the track packs to enhance the layout. I'm wanting to eventually put switches on the points so when I wire the layout this week I will drill holes in the board to accommodate the point motors. I was thinking about using the Gaugemaster Seep motors, assuming they will fit the TT 120 tracks. If I'm right do I need a CDU to fit with these. Any of your video series whether it be your Modular layout or something like the Layout in a suitcase, (I really enjoyed that). Or even your scenery videos. The thing is you have a way of presenting that is easy to understand which makes it more enjoyable to watch. Thanks again for your help.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

@@davidharle952 Ok great, yeah the Gaugemaster SEEP motors should be perfect but yes I would highly recommend using a CDU with them. The SEEP motors fit fine on both my 00 and 009 points so I can't see why they wouldn't work with TT points too. I actually have a video on fitting these motors which might be of use: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imqYiWeAhbd-oc0 Great to hear you like the scenery videos too. The modular series is returning very soon hopefully with the aim of finishing off all the scenery on the layout. Channel Members have already seen some of the progress as I've been posting updates for them as it happens, but the main videos will be along once I've finished editing them. 😀

[@fordhillbranchline33]

Informative as always!👍 I still can't believe that your insulfrog points work with those little engines! Even at low speeds? Incredible 😂

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! Yeah even I'm impressed with how the Ruston performs. Interestingly though I have been having some trouble with a couple of 0-6-0s on the new layout due to uneven track. I'll be showing in the next Modular Layout video along with my solution (hopefully)! Thanks for watching 😃

[@fordhillbranchline33]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy uneven tracks are the true nightmare! I had some problems with a small diorama I built, solved by outsmarting gravity 😂 but in a big layout is tough

[@HEAVYMETALSL]

Thank you for the explanation on the sidings. How far of track will one controller operate? We're building a layout in a warehouse and would like the main line to stretch around the building before coming back.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Wow that sounds like an epic layout! It's a bit difficult to say as it really depends on the track plan and just how big it is. Generally controllers won't just stop working but you'll notice the locos getting slower the further away from the power source they get. Potentially if there was just one loco you could have it all operated off one controller and have multiple power feeds to the track in different sections. Alternatively for DCC there are power boosters which do a similar thing - it's almost a whole video in itself really but due to my lack of space it's not something I've ever had experience with. Sorry I can't be of more help but thanks for watching 😃

[@HEAVYMETALSL]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Sorry, but what is a power feed and how can it be constructed then?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

@@HEAVYMETALSL My apologies, I've only just seen this! So in essence the power feed is the set of two wires that go from the controller to the track. If you have a large layout you could have multiple sets of wires coming from your controller and joining to the track at various intervals along it's length. Having never built a layout in a warehouse though I have no idea if that would be sufficient. An alternate idea perhaps would be to split the track into isolated sections (also known as blocks) and have each one powered by it's own controller. Again it's not something I'm incredibly knowledgable about due to the small nature of my own layout, so I'd recommend getting the advice of someone who knows what they're talking about before starting on a large project like this.

[@vidiottheowl2825]

I think I want to have insulated points, but have some wires underneath my layout that I can connect or disconnect should I decide to upgrade to dcc. that way I can do stuff like have a station with an offshoot of track at a station. If I install dcc I can just twist the wires under the track so I can still have all the lights on even when the train is off, but have a second train running around the circuit.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I did something very similar on my own layout so I could have the full layout live for DCC or use the points to route the power when I was using DC instead. I have push fit terminals for connecting the wires which makes it all really easy. Thanks for watching 😃

[@vidiottheowl2825]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy yeah that sounds like a good idea, or even better I could sauder together a little switch under the baseboard to make switching to fully powered rails easier.

[@oscarwilkinson2096]

This video is really great!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you think so Oscar! Thanks for watching 😃

[@FeliciaTheRock]

This is a super useful video, but I have one question. So say that I wanted to have two loops that are connected through points, but only have one controller and one engine. How would I get power to the second loop?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, so I'm presuming by loop you mean a circuit of track (rather than a passing loop). If you only have one loco it's really simple: One way is to split the two wires coming from your controller and have a set connect to each loop. Or if you have the controller connected to one loop, you could use something like the Hornby link wire (amzn.to/3SSlwGf) to pass the power from the first loop to the second loop. If you only have one loco you don't need to worry about isolating anything since it can only be in one loop at a time. Hope that makes sense and thanks for watching 😃

[@XDHwilks]

Could you hook up a dc controller and a dcc controller to the same track, but only have one switched on at a time if you want to switch between the 2?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

In theory you could but I've never tried it and it seems risky. Like you said, you could never have both controllers powered on at the same time and would have to remove all the DC locos from the track when running DCC and vice versa. Personally the way I do it is to have only one set of wires coming from the layout and then plug that into whichever controller I'm using. Switching over takes about 5 seconds and it means I definitely can't have them both plugged in together. Thanks for watching 😃

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

Great video.Good update too.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Dave, I do enjoy making these "For Beginners" style videos, although there's lots of info to cram into each episode! Thanks for watching 😃

[@medwaymodelrailway7129]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy keep it going mate

[@moorwatch9654]

Keep up the great work 👍

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I'll certainly try to! Thanks for watching 😃

[@extropy1]

I intend to make a single loop, which will be 14 meters length. Will there be any problems with a standard Hornby trainset transformer?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

You might start to experience voltage drop with that sort of length. I suspect you'll either need to add extra feeds from the controller around the circuit at various points, or more likely you'll need to have a booster. Having never built a layout of that size though that's really just a guess on my part so I'd definitely do some more research first. Thanks for watching 😃

[@extropy1]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Thanks for the info. I've came to a conclusion i need to be running DCC to combat this problem

[@99_steamnoob58]

I've been having trouble with hornby insulfrog points as of late with the first half of my table, I was considering soldering them. Would that cause any circuit problems?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, it depends where you're soldering them. Do you mean just soldering the rails to the next piece of track to improve the connection? In that case I don't think you'll have any problems but just make sure you do it on the outside of the rails. If you solder on the inside it could affect the wheel flanges on locos and rolling stock. Hope that makes sense and thanks for watching 😃

[@99_steamnoob58]

Thank you for the advice, I was originally thinking of soldering them underneath where they meet near the frog or just switch out the fish plates with wires already attached.

[@jameshyde1501]

Good!! demonstration. It was very clear and HELPFUL! 😃

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks James, that's always great to hear. Thanks for watching 😃

[@sailingschooners8668]

What if you have a second point on that siding....will you get the same effect ?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

If it was facing in the same way yes it would still switch the power. If it was the other way round you wouldn’t be able to power to the diverging route though. Hope that makes sense and thanks for watching 😃

[@ShukakuTheCrazy1]

The switches are interesting. My mantua tank engine gets stuck going into one of my sidings unless its going fast enough to quickly get across, but one of my athearn switcher diesels has no issues. If i made the siding longer id feel better about letting it speed into it

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

If it's a short wheelbase loco it sounds like it's cutting out on the insulated part of the point. Maybe check to make sure all the pickups are making proper contact with the wheels - additionally if you're using DCC a stay alive capacitor can help smaller locos get over dead spots like this. Thanks for watching 😃

[@trainsfan2114]

i done my line 1 dcc and line 2 ac and help me good

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, glad to hear it helped you. Thanks for watching 👍

[@PDeRop]

That was a great video... I needed all of that information.. but how I can lay down my wires and get everything hooked up. was not in the video ;)

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That will depend on your layout and how you want to do it. Most people prefer to run wires underneath the baseboard then drill holes through the surface where they need them to come up. To connect to the track you can either use power clips like the ones I showed in the video or you can solder the wires directly to the rails if you want something a bit more discrete. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@ianrdi]

I was wondering if you know why when ever I close a point on a circuit, the power cuts out and locomotives won't move ? I hope that makes sense?

[@ianhughes-zf1ll]

Hi do you know how many points I a power of a gaugemaster controller

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Are you talking about point motors or track power through points? If it's track power you're wondering about then it's difficult to tell without seeing your layout. Generally though Gaugemaster controllers are pretty good and I suspect you'd have to have a pretty large layout before you started to see any voltage drop - it's more to do with length/distance than how many points you have. If you're talking about using the accessory bus on a Gaugemaster controller to switch the points then what really matters is whether you have a CDU in the chain and how many points your want to throw simultaneously. I've done a couple of other videos specifically on point motors already which might be more useful for you. Thanks for watching 😃

[@ianhughes-zf1ll]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thank you

[@ianhughes-zf1ll]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy ok thanks will find videos and watch them new to this hobby

[@bbaz6729]

I just purchased a MTH lighted building. It has two black wires. How do I wire that to a Lionel Fast Track connector that has a red, black and neutral wire (white?)

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, I don't have experience with either of these products so it's hard to say and personally I wouldn't wire my building lights to the track anyway. I suppose the place to start would be finding out which are the positive and negative wires on each and if they're both designed to work on the same sort of power. Thanks for watching 😃

[@stealthpro123]

What about if you have a 2 circuit layout?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

On analog you would have a controller for each circuit assuming you want individual control of each. Or you can have one controller linked to both circuits to make both trains go at the same time. On digital all the track needs to be powered from the DCC controller all the time. Thanks for watching 😃

[@HenceTheCreator]

Where do you buy your tracks?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

There's links to everything in the description 😉 Thanks for watching 👍

[@noname3691]

What controller do you use

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, I used a Gaugemaster Series D for the analog sections and the Roco Z21 for DCC part. Thanks for watching 😃

[@noname3691]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thanks

[@splatcave3145]

Confused lol so should I go for DC or DCC......I want sounds 😁

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

If you want sound then basically you need DCC. (There are some basic motion sound modules that you can hide in a wagon or a coach but they're a bit of a novelty really). Just be prepared to spend a lot of money once you start buying sound decoders 🤪 Thanks for watching 👍

[@foxhillrailway2252]

nice episode mate... may i ask a question? Some of my engines run in different directions to others... why? Keep up the good work Sir

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Neil. Are the locos fitted with a DCC decoder but running on a DC layout by any chance? Reverse running is something I've seen happen when mixing the two systems. Or if they're DCC locos running on a DCC layout as intended you can program the decoder to run in the opposite direction by changing the CVs. If this is happening on DC though it sounds like the positive and negative wires from the wheel pickups to the motor are wired the other way round in those locos - though I'm not sure how that would happen with RTR models. 🤔 Thanks for watching 👍

[@foxhillrailway2252]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thanks buddy yes I'm on DC only... I will check the wiring👍🏻

[@Cross_Trainspotting]

Whatever happened to that gaugemaster controller seems to happen when I plug in a hornby set controller. They’re absolute garbage.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

You know that was a visual effect done for a joke right? If your controller is doing that you've got a bigger problem than a rubbish controller 😮

[@Rowdale_Railway]

If I go DCC do I need electro frog points?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Not at all, I use DCC and I don't have a single electrofrog point on my layout. Thanks for watching 🤩

[@Rowdale_Railway]

So i can set up my layout to DCC with insulated frog points and DCC locos will run across them fine? i just have to add power to the track beyond that point? Sorry for the questions but im very new to this game :) @@ThatModelRailwayGuy

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Yeah, absolutely fine as long as you add a power feed beyond both exits of the point. DCC power is essentially the same as DC power, it's just on all the time. You only need electrofrog points if you're worried about locos stalling on the plastic V on insulfrog points - this applies to both DC and DCC. No worries about asking questions, that's what this series and the channel are here for 👍

[@Rowdale_Railway]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thank you, really appreciate it, great vids look forward to more, happy new year and happy modelling!

[@brianmccutcheon3205]

Thank you 🙏

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

You're welcome. Hope you found it useful and thanks for watching 😃

[@hanssmidt12]

1 question, the trains have metal Gear wich is conductive how does it not damage your controller and also the Gear runs on both of the tracks and so the positive and negative are always conected and how do they make the train work can some one explain it pls

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hey there, when you say metal gears do you mean the wheels? The gearing inside the models is usually plastic. The wheels on the other hand are electrically isolated from their opposites as they transfer the power to the motor. Hope that makes sense and thanks for watching 😃

[@hanssmidt12]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thanks, now i get it i thought that the wheels are 1 piece but when they are isolated it makes sence, great video bdw

[@madhukardixit5113]

Where the accessories are available

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi there, could you narrow down which ones specifically and I'll do my best to help? Thanks for watching 😃

[@pyke209]

So I have a main circuit and when I switch the points for the siding the whole thing dies. I even have no connecting track so its definitely the points. Cleaned area and still no joy

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Sounds like a short circuit of some sort. Without seeing/knowing the layout it's hard to diagnose where exactly it's coming from though. Are you using electrofrog or insulfrog points? Thanks for watching 👍

[@pyke209]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy I believe its the insulfrog the frog with the plastic

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hmm and I presume you've got the wiring setup similar to how I show in the diagram at 04:12? My suggestion would be to strip it right back to just a single piece of powered track and the point. If the power is still cutting out when you switch the point to the diverging route then it sounds like it might be a faulty. The other thing would be to test the same setup with a different point if possible - if that point works then it pretty much confirms the problem is with the original one.

[@pyke209]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Thanks I had stripped the track back to the points. and no joy. And the my circuit is the same as your diagram only that the power connector is before the points. so It looks like faulty points . Many thanks for your help.

[@GalenA1722]

What are those types of trains called???

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

The tank engines I used mostly in this video are J94s / Austerities. Thanks for watching 😃

[@Lucas_andos]

your channel has lots of features from Sams Trains.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! There's a lot of people who watch and enjoy his videos so I'll take that as a big compliment. Thanks for watching 😃

[@Lucas_andos]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy yes, I hope you didn't take that the wrong way. Your videos are really cool especially the live steam ones. They interest me

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Lucas Andersen Not at all, I took it as a genuine compliment 😊 It’s always nice to know when people enjoy the videos I make 👍

[@thiruraj3866]

Imagine being the train and seeing a big screwdriver in your way so your automatic breaks apply

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Haha! Reminds me slightly of that scene towards the end of Ant-Man where they're fighting on the model railway 😂 Thanks for watching 👍

[@nicci_valentine]

I swear I've seen you somewhere before

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That's possible, I've made about 200 model railway videos now and have appeared on camera for various other productions throughout my life too. Thanks for watching 😃

[@justaboringjoha3678]

oof with all this point problems im quite happy i use 3 rail AC, so no of those problems can occur.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Fair enough but I wouldn't call them problems so much, just a different way of working/operating a layout. Thanks for watching 😃

[@vader6972]

that was a bunch of talk that didnt mean anything to a beginner

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Well I'm sure you can produce a better video of your own then. Thanks for watching 👍

[@craiginbatonrouge8161]

7:40 thank you so much for explaining so even I now understand it… going back to episode 1, to start from the beginning…