Problem with TPC, Lockon and Conventional Engines

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I set up a small loop of track over Christmas, and I had a problem when I tried to use the TPC to control conventional engines.

I had a TMCC set up, and the power was supplied from a 180 W Powerhouse to a TPC 400. The power then went through some safety devices including a fast acting fuse on the power lead, a TVS in a terminal strip, and a TMCC direct lockon connected to the track. This set up worked fine for running TMCC equipped engines in command mode.

Where I had problems was using the TPC to control conventional engines. I tried a North Pole Central Berkshire and Christmas trolley (not at the same time), and when I added power to the track with the CAB 1, both of them would go a track section or two (FasTrack), then the circuit breaker in the lockon would pop and reset itself in a few seconds. When I added power to the track with the Cab 1 again, the engines would then go in the opposite direction for a track section or two and the cb on the lockon would pop again, etc. I also tried a Santa’s speeder, and for some reason, this worked ok and didn’t trip the cb in the lock on.

I did a little bit of trouble shooting. I turned off all the TMCC and power set up listed above, and hooked up a CW80 transformer to the track. This set up controlled the Berkshire and the trolley fine. So, it looks like the track set up and the engines are ok.

After the test, I went back to the TMCC set up and ran a TMCC engine for the rest of the time. The only other problem I had was when I used an operating track section to operate my candy cane dump car and my presents dump car. When they dumped, they would sometimes trip the cb in the lockon. I had one derailment, and the lockon cb tripped and worked as advertised. It trips before the fuse I have in the set up.

I don’t have this track set up now, but thinking back on it, I should have done more trouble shooting and tried bypassing the TMCC dir

2

The Direct Lockon should only be used for command, not conventional

3

I have a 180 watt brick directly hooked up to the track using the TMCC cable set #14194. I have no problems with running TMCC. The brick has a built in circu breaker. I tried using the TMCC direct lockon #34120, but took it off because everytime engine or cars went over switches and would cause a arc would kick off the direct lockon, which has a breaker in it. I removed direct lockon and have had NO problems. Hope this helps?

laz57

4

The direct lockon has a monitoring circuit, a fast acting relay, and an automatic reset to look for current spikes and isolate the track from the power supply when it see’s one. It uses a timer to attempt a reconnect and will apply full power if the shot circuit condition has been cleared and will isolate again if it has not. I haven’t had any problems using the device with a TPC, but I don’t usually run much in conventional so the voltage is still usually 14-16 volts.

5

Thank you all for your replies. It seems like folks are not using the TMCC lock on if they are using a TPC to control conventional trains. I really like using the TMCC lock on when I’m running a TMCC locomotive, so I may hook up some type of electrical switch so when I run a conventional engine using the TPC, I manually throw the switch to bypass the TMCC lock on. I’ll either have a separate circuit breaker or fuse in this bypass line. I have a TVS further up the line prior to where I would locate the bypass switch.