After decades of talking about building a permanent layout with my dad's postwar American Flyer trains, we finally built one two years ago. We've also added to his collection, mostly AF freight cars and a couple of steam locomotives. Given the number of operating accessories and the ability to run two trains simultaneously on connected inner and outer loops, we upgraded from my dad's original Lionel 100w Type R transformer to the AC Gilbert 300w 30B transformer. Since we have been running solely postwar locomotives, we have been relying on the 30Bs circuit breakers, though we had been planning to add some external thermal breakers.
Recently, we picked up an MTH S Gauge F3 A-unit. For the time being, we plan to run it in conventional mode. Since joining the OGR forum a couple of years ago, I've become aware of the prudence—most here might say necessity—of using TVS diodes to prevent voltage spikes from damaging the circuit boards on modern locomotives.
Our plan has been to place the TVS diodes at the different track power lock-ons and use external thermal circuit breakers with the appropriate current rating. My dad, a physicist, reasons that the circuit boards don't draw much current, it is the voltage spikes that will fry the board. However, I see that a lot of people use and advocate the PSX-AC breakers. Are we missing something?
TIA,
Matt
The Layout:
