How do I get conventional power?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I have the TCP 400 with the 2 bricks (180 watts powerhouses) on my layout . It runs nice and very good, but how do I run a conventional engine? How do I convert the system to run for example, my Williams Hudson (the new one that just came out) and is conventional power. And also my Lionel 0-4-0 steam switcher (with the slanted tender) Thanks in advance you guys. Reuben.

2

Have you checked out Lionel.com ? If memory serves me correctly they have kinda like a tutorial on setting up some of the varied systems. I hesitate to offer instructions from memory because sure as heck I’ll forget something.

3

Eventhough I have a TPC 400, I cheat when I want to run conventional. I have one of my old Powermasters with a 135W PH set on conventional and wired in through SPDT, center off, toggle switches. When I want conventional for one of the loops I flip the toggle, address the PM and go. Like Doug I haven’t looked at the TPC instruction book for quite a while and wouldn’t guess at the change method.

4

Tutorials are on the cilcoupler web site:

www.coilcouplers. com

specifically at:

www.coilcouplers.com/tmcc/tmc.html

I run my trains with TPC 300’s, I have them addressed as ENG’s (specifically 99/98/97, aka higher numbers to avoid conflicts with engines I run) to save TR’s for actual lashups. I hit ENG 99 and dial up the volatge. The conventional trains on the track/block now power up. Hit the DIR button, the E-Unit cycles. If they have a horn/whistle, hitting that button triggers that effect. The majority of buttons on the CAB-1 will have no affect on these loco’s as these were meant to trigger commands for conventional units.

NOTE: any command engines on that block/power district will just sit there until I address them. The main drawbacks to mixed mode operation are that a) when the voltage levels to move a conventional loco around drop too low (aka to slow down/stop), they will start affecting command engines as well b) any conventional command issued for a given block/power district will affect ALL conventional loco’s in that block/power district. This should be obvious but is often overlooked.