Power District Isolation Gaps

[BCR 570]

Do the isolation gaps between power districts need to be directly across from each other or do they need to be staggered?  If so, by how much?  We’re talking N Scale, and Lenz.

Thanks,

Tim

[John]

Tim .. mine are directly across from each other .. I would think you want to cross the boundary as quickly as possible ..

Some people stagger gaps in reversing sections, but I haven't seen any benefit ..

[BCR 570]

Thank you - across from each other they shall be.

Tim

[Hiroe]

The only time i've seen a problem with this was when we were having power/balancing issues over at Cherry Valley. However, a large contributor to the problem was that when someone had installed the system initially, they had given each booster it's own power supply, without matching voltage, load capability, or AC waveform polarity. They had also set up the power districts with adjoining districts fed from opposing ends. Rearranging them to be fed from *both* ends, and getting a power supply large enough supply to handle everything together, solved *so* many issues.

[wm3798]

On the club N scale layout, the gaps are staggered.  Most equipment runs fine through it, but my old Rivarossi Pacific stalls because it lacks all wheel pick up.  When the pilot truck hits the gap, it looses contact on one side and dies.

Lee

[Hiroe]

On the club N scale layout, the gaps are staggered.  Most equipment runs fine through it, but my old Rivarossi Pacific stalls because it lacks all wheel pick up.  When the pilot truck hits the gap, it looses contact on one side and dies.
Lee

Lee,
I've found that to be one of the first tipoffs of a problem with the phase matching/power balancing issue; is that steamers with split loco/tender alternate rail pickup will stall across the gap. When the system is performing properly, the boosters should be able to match effectively enough to give proper power transfer across the block ends, to carry such locos across the gap.

--Drew