Powering Your Model Trains By John Vanse At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Of the early model trains made primarily for the toy market, most were powered by clockwork. Actual control of the train was only possible by means of levers on the locomotive itself, which enabled the operator to make the train stop, to go, and, in many models, to reverse.

These control mechanisms were rather crude but the model trains of that time were sufficiently large and robust, to allow an operator to grab the controls while the train was moving.

Although this made control of your train rather crude, the models were large enough so that grabbing the controls on the locomotive as they ran around the track, was quite practical.

Some accessory manufacturers also developed special tracks fitted with slowing and stopping devices which triggered levers on the locomotive thus automating these aspects of control.

The early electrically operated model trains used a three-rail system with the wheels resting on metal tracks with metal sleepers that conducted power and a separate middle rail. This middle rail provided the power for the train through a skid under the locomotive. This form of model train control was only possible because most of the materials used in manufacturing the model trains were metal at that time – the plastics used in present day manufacture were still many years away. This all-metal manufacture meant that the tracks and locomotive readily conducted electricity.

As manufacturers began to develop more accurately detailed model trains, accuracy in all the associated accessories also became more important as an increasing number of makers attempted to gain share of the rapidly growing market of model train enthusiasts.

As a result of this, some model train systems adopted two-rail power where the wheels were isolated from each other and the two rails carried the positive and negative supply or the two sides of the power supply. Other model train systems used instead a row of small metal studs to replace the central rail, allowing existing three-rail models to use tracks which resembled the more realistic two-rail systems which were coming into widespread use.

Today the most common control method uses DC [direct current] power with the positive and negative charges on the two rails. Some model systems however use AC power [alternating current – as in general household usage] on the three-rail system. Marklin and Lionel are examples of this control method. American Flyer is yet another exception, using AC power on a two-rail track.

The very earliest electric model trains ran on battery power - few homes were wired for electric power in the late 19th or early 20th Century. Inexpensive model train sets running on battery power are becoming more popular once again. But most model train enthusiasts regard these as toys and they are seldom used but real enthusiasts. These battery powered model trains can make a valuable contribution however – they can introduce young children to the joys and pleasures of being a model train operator. Many of the older model train enthusiasts today recall that their first experiences with model trains were with toy trains – leading them into a lifetime hobby.

Many garden railway and larger scale model train systems still use battery power today. This is necessary because of the difficulty in obtaining a reliable power supply through the rails when operated outdoors where safe wiring and insulation can be a problem. The high level of power consumption and the subsequent high current drawn by large scale garden model trains is thus more easily and more safely met by using lead acid batteries, like those used in modern cars.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=145297&ca=Recreation

Important Notice DISCLAIMER: All information, content, and data in this article are sole opinions and/or findings of the individual user or organization that registered and submitted this article at Isnare.com without any fee. The article is strictly for educational or entertainment purposes only and should not be used in any way, implemented or applied without consultation from a professional. We at Isnare.com do not, in anyway, contribute or include our own findings, facts and opinions in any articles presented in this site. Publishing this article does not constitute Isnare.com's support or sponsorship for this article. Isnare.com is an article publishing service. Please read our Terms of Service for more information.