It can be difficult to accurately estimate how many meters of OO track can be covered with a 250g bag of ballast, as...
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How many meters of OO track can I cover with a 250g bag of ballast ?Read more -
What are my curved platform options in model railways?Read moreA good many real-life platforms have some sort of curve incorporated into them to accommodate either the topography...
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How do you design a track plan?Read moreThere are several different ways to design a track plan for your model railway project. There is no right or wrong...
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How do I connect track?Read moreThe track is connected using rail joiners, also called "fishplates". They are thin metal plates that simply slot...
What are powerbase plates used for?
Powerbase plates sound as though they're going to be very high-tech with lots of microchips, wires and a complex installation procedure, but actually, they're just some metal plates that you place beneath your tracks!
That doesn't make them any less genius though. The plates are used in conjunction with strong magnets placed under your locomotive's chassis to create tractive effort when climbing gradients or hauling heavy loads.
Powerbase plates are a useful aid for many types of gradient where trains need a little help to avoid wheel slip, but they are especially useful when a helix is involved as these often suffer from several adverse conditions at the same time, including a tight radius, steep gradient and long trains.
Powerbase plates are not the answer to every train's wheel slip problem as the system relies largely on the magnets being placed with a degree of precision. Some model locomotives have very busy chassis and simply do not have adequate space to install magnets, so if you're considering using powerbase plates on your layout, you should do a little research first.
Posted in: Tracks
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