Hey guys......I need a electrician or someone smarter than me......but how exactly does those little train sets work?? I don't understand how the electricty flows through the tracks and makes it run. I am using this idea(if I can figure out how it works) to design something else.......


I know how the open and closed circuits work, but I don't understand how it can't shock you.......


Thanks
Brad

 

Maybe because its not strong enough to shock you,the motor in the model train must be really small,so it cant need that much electricity...put your fingers on a 9V battery,it doesnt shock you either,but it has enough power to turn a small electric motor.
(Just a guess) [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

I guess I didn't think of it like that.......good thinking.........I would still like to know for sure, but that is probably the case.......


So how do they go about making 120v electricty down into a train track that is a small amount of volts(how much would that be by the way?)??

do they have a reducer or something??

 

If you mean how do they make the 120V(220V here) from the outlet into the train track(lets say 9V,because I have no idea)...
With an adaptor,the black boxy looking thing either on the plug itself or sometimes somewhere in the middle of the cable.
I think your mobile phone charger should have one,insted of a normal sized plug,it should be a big square plug bigger than normal,a video camera plug should have one too.I dont know how to explain it really.

 

oh yeah........duh........I guess I knew that, the big black box you plug into the wall(instead of a normal male end plug in).........yep I got it now....

 

Same as the Tyco race tracks, wet your finger and lie it over both metal bars and you will probably feel something. You guys are right, it is a low current that is not enough to shock you much. Was that the extent of your question?

 

yep.......I would actually like to know the voltage(approx) they use though, if anyone knows that......

 

put a volt meter on the rails and that should tell you..

 

I did a search...it can be anywhere from 5V to 20V depending on the model or brand... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

EDIT: I found this:
And also this if it helps...

 

ok thanks guys........that is good. You guys have been very helpful....