After 40 years away from my model railroad hobby, I’m retiring and ready to start running trains again. The hobby landscape has shifted to DCC, but I have a lifetime collection of DC locomotives that I don’t want to spend years re-motoring for converting to DCC. I need help finding a new DC powerpack/throttle with momentum (and brake.) The MRC Tech 7 Model 760 DC meets my needs but is unavailable until the end of September 2025 (was originally to be available at the end of May.)
What are the current options for a new DC powerpack/throttle, either RTR or kit? My original powerpacks are over 45+ years old, so I’m hesitant to use them again.
you might consider a simple ~$10 PWM controller with a reversing switch using a $712V 1Awall wart
i use a $1 12W (1A) 211-2 incandescent bulb to limit current during a short. I have it mounted above the layout, convered by a building which lights up when there’s a short.
Does it have to be a new power supply?
I’ve had great success with running my AC trains on old power supplies (including several from the 1950s), and I doubt that your old power packs decided to up and die! If you really don’t trust them, I think that gregc’s suggestion is a good one. Also, there are several plans for DC power packs in a couple of different books, from basic “rheostat and a reverse switch” to literally all the bells and whistles (or horns, if you prefer diesels)–including momentum, pulse power, and so on and so forth.
TRAIN POWER 10AMP WALK-A-ROUND POWER SUPPLY W/MOMENTUM might fit the bill. It’s a hefty price though. THROTTLEPACK 9950 DC POWER PACK W/LCD METERS would also be in that price range (there is also a walk-a-round option for that one).
Dallee Electronics makes DC throttles.sounds, detection and anything else DC you can think off. I am like you and never changed, can’t run but 1 train at a time without having a mishap anyway.
As mentioned, you don’t really need a new one. Seems like every model railroad flea market I’ve been to for years has a couple of sellers with used but still nice MRC powerpacks, usually for like $20-30.
BTW you don’t have to re-motor an old engine to convert it to DCC. If it runs well on DC it will run as well on DCC. You do have to isolate the motor from the frame, which is often just unscrewing the motor saddle, putting down rubber electrical tape or thin plastic tape, and using a plastic screw to reattach it.
This Ken Stapleton site has two throttles a 1.5 amp and 3 amp I have both and thy work very well. they are a good price 42.00 for the 1.5 amp and 72.00 for the 3 amp. You have to supply your own power source.
Ron High
Correct. Pretty much all of my locos are DCC-ready. I don’t see myself converting to DCC unless the market goes all DCC (for whatever reason). I don’t see that happening.
Go to a train show in your area or look on Facebook Market Place for used DC equipment. You can also use DCC to run DC locomotives if you are tempted in the future by DCC. Converting existing locomotives to DCC is not hard, your DC Atlas locomotives are excellent candidates. I would shy away from Athean, the trucks and drive are always loud and they buzz. Scale Sound Systems is very helpful when selecting speakers and decoders. Have fun, good luck!
And that’s relatively-high-frequency PWM, not the sloppy waveform at 120pps that many ‘power packs’ produce. Be aware that ‘pulse’ is often a scam meaning only half-wave rectification, at 60pps with excess dead time…
Personally I also recommend a comparatively large output ‘filter’ (both inductive and capacitive) to be able to smooth the PWM to straight reasonably continuous DC voltage.
one benefit of PWM is the sharp max voltage edge that overcomes motor stiction to improve starting/running at slow speed
but if you want filtered DC, just buy a transistor throttle with a circuit as follows. Linn Westcott started with this type of circuit in his Feb '62 series on transistor throttles, but eventually added a periodic pulse to overcome stiction (see pulse production circuit in the Tat-IV)
