Using a back-to-back gauge for your model railway ensures that the wheels on your rolling stock are spaced correctly...
Cart 0 Product Products (empty)
No products
Free shipping! Shipping
£ 0.00 Total
Product successfully added to your shopping cart
Quantity
Total
There are 0 items in your cart. There is 1 item in your cart.
Total products (tax incl.)
Total shipping (tax excl.) Free shipping!
Total (tax incl.)
Search Tips
Tips categories
Latest Tips
-
How do I use a back to back gauge?Read more -
What is a poly-cap?Read moreA poly-cap is a type of plastic cap often used in model-making kits, especially for assembling figurines or model...
-
What is Graham Farish?Read moreGraham Farish is a name you’re likely to come across if you're interested in British model railways, especially in...
-
When did semaphore signals stop being used in the UK?Read moreSemaphore signals, those distinctive mechanical arms that once graced railway lines across the UK, were largely...
-
What is Kato track?Read moreKato track is a popular choice in the world of model railways, known for its quality, ease of use and versatility. If...
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
Click here to receive the tips weekly in your mailbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Related products
POWERBASE OO Starter Kit (2.5m & 6 Magnets)
Price: £ 19.95POWERBASE OO Starter Kit (2.5m & 6 Magnets) For OO/HO and larger scales....
POWERBASE N Value Pack (5m & 12 Magnets)
Price: £ 29.95POWERBASE N Value Pack (5m & 12 Magnets) For N or TT scale & Narrow...
POWERBASE N Starter Kit (2.5m & 6 magnets)
Price: £ 19.95POWERBASE N Starter Kit (2.5m & 6 magnets) For N or TT scale & Narrow...
Related posts
-
How to clean model railways track?There is of course the old tried and tested method, the track rubber which does the job, no railway modeller should... - Is Peco track and Hornby track compatible?Peco Setrack and Peco Streamline are compatible with Hornby track as they all share the same gauge width of 16.5mm....
- How often should I clean my track?This a hard question to answer. There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should clean the track. Bear in...
- How do I cut flexible track?Once upon a time I would have said a newly bladed junior hacksaw and some warding files, but these days I would have...
- How many pieces of curved track do I need to make a circle?As we all know it takes 360 degrees to create a circle, a standard curve is 22.5 degrees and a double curve is 45...