If I have a Legacy-wired layout with two electrical blocks - each block powered through a separate TPC - and one TPC/block is assigned (addressed) as TR1 and the other TPC is assigned TR2 - when running a train in conventional mode, do I have to keep addressing each TPC whenever the train moves from one block to the next? If so, it seems needlessly complicated. Or, am I missing something?
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Are you trying to run more than one engine? If yes, then you have asked a complicated question. You should vacate a block before another engine enters the block. This would mean you need atleast one more block and now you could use a Block Power Controller (BPC) to switch your blocks to one or the other Track Power Controller (TPC). So two adjacent of the three blocks are always under control of one TPC. This is the simplest answer. So you are missing something, yes a BPC. BTW with a BPC you can control 4 blocks for two TPC's. Go to the Lionel site and read up on the BPC by reading the BPC manual.
I totally agree with Jim and the BPC, I have one of these on my layout with four blocks and two Powermasters on one loop of track. With this arrangement another operator and I were able to operate two conventional trains on this loop which is approximately 140 feet long, making each block 35 ft long, simultaneously. We actually did this just to prove that we could but it was a good exercise to try to keep our heads engaged and also our fingers, it was fun but I believe we would need a lot of practice doing it to really feel comfortable with it. I do concur with Jim to use the Block Power Controller, but I would suggest two additional blocks if you want to run more than on train.
Ray
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