I’m trying to decide what the best DC controller/power pack is to purchase for my HO scale layout. My oval layout is roughly 30’ in length and I was using the standard Walthers DC Train Control but it seems to have pooped out on me after four weeks of use. I typically have two Athearn Amtrak P-42s elephant-style with 9 illuminated Walthers Superliner cars in tow. Were the two engines and lighted cars too much for it? I had it feeding into the track in the center of the oval and the engines definitely appeared weaker in the far away curves. I’m not in a postition to install DCC right now so any recommendations on a good DC controller that produces good juice far down the track and has a circuit protector built-in would be appreciated, thanks!
Yep that’s the one. And yes, I’ve cleaned the track and checked every connection for gaps or out of joint rails, track is in same shape as it always is. When I turn it on now it makes a humming noise and when I flip the reverse switch it goes silent. I reached out to Walthers yesterday to see about getting another one but I’m just wondering if there is something better that won’t fry out on me and can pump the power into those curves.
The odds that the power pack knows how far the engines are from the main feeder is almost none. You are witnessing voltage drop. Rail joiners can be loose, have poor conduction from rail weathering or installation of ballast.
The solution is to solder rail joiners and or add more feeders
[#welcome] to the forum, by the way. Initial posts are moderated. If you aren’t selling Russian brides you get to stay and the moderation goes away.
Thanks, yea it’s Atlas Code 100 9’’ pieces…I’m wondering if it’s time to invest inflex track to reduce connection points where voltage could drop…but I still need to find a power pack whose circuits won’t fry on me. [:)]
I’ve done a pretty good Goggle search looking for the current draw of a Walthers illuminated Superliner car without any luck. Maybe a Forum member will chime in.
My Mel passenger cars are well lit at what looks realistic to me and draw about 5ma per car so 11 cars are well under 100ma.
A typical newer locomotive should be around 500ma so I would think your total load for a pair of passenger trains would be well under 2 amps.
Most definitely needs more feeders and/or soldered rail joiners, especially if you are using sectional track.
If they are LEDs in the illumniated cars, even a worst case situation they shouldn’t be more than 50-60ma per car (and that’s taking the cheapest way to wire them all) so that’s 450-540ma for the cars, plus the loco should only draw about 500ma, so right around 1 amp total, shouldn’t even be stressing a power pack that can put out 2 amps.
I really like the MRC 760. The MRC 780 uses the same innards but splits the power between two throttles in the one case. We have one of each. For single train operation the MRC 760 is a good choice. If you have a two cab block System get the MRC 780.
MRC also makes a 9950 that will also drive a DCC locomotive if you so choose. I’ve used the MRC Tech 6 for that purpose but it’s more DCC oriented with DC capability. The 9950 seems designed primarily to run DC. MRR magazine has a useful review of these options in their February 2021 issue, page 54. The actual reviews of the specific MRC units is in the November 2011 and May 2020 issues.
To the OP. Get yourself a multimeter. Every model railroader sholud have one. Many years ago I had a HeathKit VOM until it died. I had Tube type VOM’s and they eventually died. Now digital multimeters.
