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I hope this may help both Matty and James Turkin who have posted items about the Hornby live steam in other topics in this part of the forum.
I've just finished testing the first layout that I've built for 40 years. It enables me to run both the traditional 12volt low current locos (not DCC) and Hornby's live steam which runs at 15volts and over 6amps at maximum. The wiring used for feeding power to a layout is only rated at, usually, 0.5 to 1amp. So feeding the Hornby 6amps into this would:
(a) cause the wire and associated plugs and sockets to overheat;
(
cause excessive voltage drop and stop the steamer from working properly.
I've tried running a pair of 'bus-bars' for the live steam loco round the layout in 10amp (1sq mm) cable connected at baseboard joins with suitable heavy-duty plugs. I've used 8-pole connectors and added further bus-bars for the common return for the 12volt system, the 0volts line for points and signals and a pair of wires for the building lights. The live steam has it's own 'fiddle-yard' and here the busbars are connected via droppers every couple of feet direct to the track. There are four sections at present in the station which can take either the live steam or the 12v models. Double-pole relays are used to switch the track between either system, the bus-bars for steam being connected to the relay which is placed close to the track feed. Rotary switches on the control panel select the system required by turning the relay on or off - in effect a form of 'Cab Control'.
I use rotary switches to avoid accidentally switching over from one system to another; in addition the two switches contolling the entrance/exit to the fiddle-yard also automatically operate the points so that trains are sent into the correct fiddle-yard.
Using relays saves running a number of heavy-duty cables from control panel to each section and with the need for heavy-duty connectors, and the relays are operated by 12volts at a few mA, for which the usual light cable and connectors are adequate.
I hope this may be of interest to others who want to run both the new live steam and the older 12v models.
I've just finished testing the first layout that I've built for 40 years. It enables me to run both the traditional 12volt low current locos (not DCC) and Hornby's live steam which runs at 15volts and over 6amps at maximum. The wiring used for feeding power to a layout is only rated at, usually, 0.5 to 1amp. So feeding the Hornby 6amps into this would:
(a) cause the wire and associated plugs and sockets to overheat;
(

I've tried running a pair of 'bus-bars' for the live steam loco round the layout in 10amp (1sq mm) cable connected at baseboard joins with suitable heavy-duty plugs. I've used 8-pole connectors and added further bus-bars for the common return for the 12volt system, the 0volts line for points and signals and a pair of wires for the building lights. The live steam has it's own 'fiddle-yard' and here the busbars are connected via droppers every couple of feet direct to the track. There are four sections at present in the station which can take either the live steam or the 12v models. Double-pole relays are used to switch the track between either system, the bus-bars for steam being connected to the relay which is placed close to the track feed. Rotary switches on the control panel select the system required by turning the relay on or off - in effect a form of 'Cab Control'.
I use rotary switches to avoid accidentally switching over from one system to another; in addition the two switches contolling the entrance/exit to the fiddle-yard also automatically operate the points so that trains are sent into the correct fiddle-yard.
Using relays saves running a number of heavy-duty cables from control panel to each section and with the need for heavy-duty connectors, and the relays are operated by 12volts at a few mA, for which the usual light cable and connectors are adequate.
I hope this may be of interest to others who want to run both the new live steam and the older 12v models.