Laird Knapp
New Member
I'm a novice here. Running a HO gauge single line on a "U' shaped layout in my attic (two 4 X 8 plywood connected my a 3 X 3 plywood sheet). I had previously been able to run an engine completely around the train layout but with stoppages that required my giving the engine a nudge to get going again and continue the circuit. I was running off a original train set power pack at that time that hadn't been used for about 20 years or more. I ran a 16 gauge/AW tin plated copper stranded wire around the layout as a bus line and dropped feeder lines (20 gauge solid copper) at nine locations about about 4 to 6 feet apart, connecting them to the bus wires with suitcase connectors. Because I'm new to the game and not very proficient at soldering, connected the feeders at 3 locations to track segments with wire attachment clips ( you know, the section that comes with train sets to attach power pack to and get car wheels aligned to the track) at hard to reach locations. I replace the old power pack with a new Railpower 1370, but when I tried to run an engine around the track, I got nothing. I can't even get the track to turn on tester light to show its getting power,. The bus line should be connected directly to the power pack, correct? Any advise or recommendations as to what I should do? or what I did wrong? Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.