Lionchief Powersource + FastTrack + MTH Locomotive

You could use the Remote Commander to control a single engine. All you we need to do is hook the red lead to the center rail and the black to one of the outside rails.

http://mthtrains.com/50-1033

Thanks Corey, unfortunately, then I think I would need to remove my LC's from the track and disconnect the LC power brick from the lockon to use this on my existing setup. I was hoping there is a Locomotive LionChief equivalent that MTH might offer, where I could recycle my power supply. Basically, like how the LionChief remote connects to a LC locomotive, a phone app for the MTH Locomotive, possibly Bluetooth or wifi connected to the MTH locomotive, so I could run both Lionel and MTH at the same time or move one loco to another track recycling a powerbrick from a previous LC set I have. I must have 6 LC power bricks from all the LC sets I have and just use two right now, a 72 watt and a 54 watt version.

The only thing you would need to do to use the remote commander, is hook the red barrel nut to the center rail and hook the black barrel nut an outer rail using something like this; https://www.amazon.com/Lionel-...r-Wire/dp/B0006O1ZUY  You do not have to disconnect anything from your current set up. This is called "Passive Mode" and it works great. This would allow you to run an MTH engine and a Lionchief Engine on the same track with zero interference.

Is it an AC or D.C. brick?

Jon  

KOOLjock1 posted:

Is it an AC or D.C. brick?

Jon  

I know PS 3.0 engines will work on the DC power supply that comes with the Lionchief train sets. I don't think the MTH engines care if it is AC or DC power.

KOOLjock1 posted:

Is it an AC or D.C. brick?

Jon  

This is the brick I'm using now, I think it's AC to DC. http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...ly-p/lio-6-81603.htm The 54 watt brick is being used for the lionel plug-and-play connector for accessories.

Goshawk posted:

KOOLjock1 posted:

Is it an AC or D.C. brick?

Jon  

I know PS 3.0 engines will work on the DC power supply that comes with the Lionchief train sets. I don't think the MTH engines care if it is AC or DC power.

That's great to know! Thank you!

I think you are talking about the 6-81603 power supply. It is a DC power supply. On the back, between the voltage and amperage output ratings, there is a solid line over a dashed line. This means DC power. However, new MTH PS3 engines can run on DC power, so that should not be an issue. This should work. I think you need a DCS Remote Commander, though. There is no other low cost remote or Bluetooth option out of the box. With the remote commander, you could run your LionChief+ and PS3 engine on the same track at the same time. 72 watts is marginal, but it should work.

Goshawk posted:

The only thing you would need to do to use the remote commander, is hook the red barrel nut to the center rail and hook the black barrel nut an outer rail using something like this; https://www.amazon.com/Lionel-...r-Wire/dp/B0006O1ZUY  You do not have to disconnect anything from your current set up. This is called "Passive Mode" and it works great. This would allow you to run an MTH engine and a Lionchief Engine on the same track with zero interference.

Corey, I can't thank you enough, but many, many, many thanks to you. This would be awesome to able to run both, and I'm no longer limited to Lionel locomotives on my FastTrack setup. I started another thread on ordering from Grzyboski, but I may not need to, since I also wanted to try MTH locomotives (I usually by LC/LC+) and then buy MTH Premier rolling stock, but always wanted to try out MTH locos.

George S posted:

I think you are talking about the 6-81603 power supply. It is a DC power supply. On the back, between the voltage and amperage output ratings, there is a solid line over a dashed line. This means DC power. However, new MTH PS3 engines can run on DC power, so that should not be an issue. This should work. I think you need a DCS Remote Commander, though. There is no other low cost remote or Bluetooth option out of the box. With the remote commander, you could run your LionChief+ and PS3 engine on the same track at the same time. 72 watts is marginal, but it should work.

Thanks as well George, I really appreciate it! This is awesome!

Just one last thing, to sum everything up:

1. I think I need to plug my LC power brick into the DCS commander (I assume the LC male barrel connector will fit the DCS barrel female connector?)

2. From the DCS Commander, connect the black/red connectors to the wires of Lionel Power Wire to the track. So I would take out the LionChief Power Track (6-37110) and wire the track directly? Do you know if Lionel makes a 2 wire to barrel adapter for the LC power track (6-37110)? That way, after wiring the wire to the lugs on the DCS commander, I can use the barrel end to my fasttrack power lockon track.

Side note, I'm just a little confused. I thought the track was running at 18v all the time, so by using the DCS commander, will it still supply that to the track automatically, meaning all track powered accessories will still run? My LC will still get power as well as the MTH locomotive from the DCS commander? Or do I need both connected, the LC Power Track (6-37110) connected to the 72 Watt brick, and the DCS commander powered by another brick (54 watts) also connected to the track?

No, you do not "have to" disconnect anything. The little box is just an infrared receiver and can get all the power it needs from the track. The wiring harness I linked to above can slide on the terminals on the bottom of any fastrack piece.

See this: https://ogrforum.com/t...nder-in-passive-mode

Gigabyte posted:

George S posted:

I think you are talking about the 6-81603 power supply. It is a DC power supply. On the back, between the voltage and amperage output ratings, there is a solid line over a dashed line. This means DC power. However, new MTH PS3 engines can run on DC power, so that should not be an issue. This should work. I think you need a DCS Remote Commander, though. There is no other low cost remote or Bluetooth option out of the box. With the remote commander, you could run your LionChief+ and PS3 engine on the same track at the same time. 72 watts is marginal, but it should work.

Thanks as well George, I really appreciate it! This is awesome!

Just one last thing, to sum everything up, I think I need to plug my LC power brick into the DCS commander (I assume the LC male barrel connector will fit the DCS barrel female connector?,) and from the DCS Commander, connect the black/red connectors to the wires of Lionel Power Wire to the track. So I would take out the LionChief Power Lockon Track and wire the track directly? Do you know if Lionel makes a 2 wire to barrel adapter for the LC power lockon track? That way, after wiring the wire to the lugs on the DCS commander, I can use the barrel end to my fasttrack power lockon track.

Yes, that is the right way to connect things. The LC+ power supply will plug right into the DCS Commander. I am not aware of a commercially available DC power plug to banana jack adapter.  You can make one. I believe the LionChief lockon is using a DC M size (2.1 mm) power plug. These are available at Radio Shack. You can also get banana plugs there. The Radio Shack guys used to make custom cables for you like this to your spec. I am not sure if they still do that, but you can ask. I believe the center pole of the DC plug is red (+) and the outside is black (-).

Goshawk posted:

No, you do not "have to" disconnect anything. The little box is just an infrared receiver and can get all the power it needs from the track. The wiring harness I linked to above can slide on the terminals on the bottom of any fastrack piece.

See this: https://ogrforum.com/t...nder-in-passive-mode

This is an easier way to hook it up in your situation Gigabyte. You can put banana jack connectors on those wires if you like, or the DCS Commander posts are also screw terminals. Banana jack adapters are available in the audio component section of Menards.

Guys, George and Corey, thanks so much! I think I'll keep the LC Power Track (6-37110) connected to the brick like it is, and then use the Lionel power wires (or HD 16 gauge wires with spades) to connect to the track, but now I understand how this is all working, so I could do it either way, and I thank you both, I really appreciate your knowledge. I'm a F/T programmer, and enjoy EE, but I'm really new to learning everything related to Electrical Engineering, trying to learn from here: https://www.youtube.com/user/EEVblog

Again, thank you both, I really appreciate your help! (Sorry, I edited my previous post before I saw your replies)

George S posted:

Goshawk posted:

No, you do not "have to" disconnect anything. The little box is just an infrared receiver and can get all the power it needs from the track. The wiring harness I linked to above can slide on the terminals on the bottom of any fastrack piece.

See this: https://ogrforum.com/t...nder-in-passive-mode

This is an easier way to hook it up in your situation Gigabyte. You can put banana jack connectors on those wires if you like, or the DCS Commander posts are also screw terminals. Banana jack adapters are available in the audio component section of Menards.

Gotcha, I think RS where I live in Brooklyn have shut down, and even when they were opened, they turned into a mobile phone/accessory store rather than really selling electrical components, a ghost of what they used to be. For my EE lighting projects, I usually go to Allied Electronics. Thanks, I think I'll order those from Menards and set that up (for a cleaner hookup, one source, instead of two, the LC + track and the DCS connection to another track, it'll just be sort of single daisy chain connection to only one track, power brick to DCS, DCS via wire to banana plug to Lionel Power Track,) and in the meantime, use my wires I have at home in the meantime when I place/get my order today for the DCS commander.

Sorry, just one last question, will the DCS still supply a constant 18 volts to the track, I guess it's like pass through power, with the DCS really just being an infrared receiver like Corey mentioned?

Gigabyte posted:

George S posted:

Goshawk posted:

No, you do not "have to" disconnect anything. The little box is just an infrared receiver and can get all the power it needs from the track. The wiring harness I linked to above can slide on the terminals on the bottom of any fastrack piece.

See this: https://ogrforum.com/t...nder-in-passive-mode

This is an easier way to hook it up in your situation Gigabyte. You can put banana jack connectors on those wires if you like, or the DCS Commander posts are also screw terminals. Banana jack adapters are available in the audio component section of Menards.

Gotcha, I think RS where I live in Brooklyn have shut down, and even when they were opened, they turned into a mobile phone/accessory store rather than really selling electrical components, a ghost of what they used to be. For my EE lighting projects, I usually go to Allied Electronics. Thanks, I think I'll order those from Menards and set that up (for a cleaner hookup, one source, instead of two, the LC + track and the DCS connection to another track, it'll just be sort of single daisy chain connection to only one track, power brick to DCS, DCS via wire to banana plug to Lionel Power Track,) and in the meantime, use my wires I have at home in the meantime when I place/get my order today for the DCS commander.

Sorry, just one last question, will the DCS still supply a constant 18 volts to the track, I guess it's like pass through power, with the DCS really just being an infrared receiver like Corey mentioned?

That's right, DCS isn't supplying any power, it's pass through. It will draw some power, but it should be minimal. Your 18 volts track power works for both engines.

One last thing, the DCS Remote Commander will only run one MTH engine at a time. It is not tied to a specific engine. All MTH engines come factory set to the same address. In the future if your empire grows, you can upgrade to a full DCS system that can change the engine addresses and run multiple MTH engines simultaneously, but that will require more track and power as well. 

I don't mean this to be confusing, just pointing out limitations. With the setup we discussed, you can run your LionChief+ and an MTH PS3 engine at the same time. 

George S posted:

Gigabyte posted:

George S posted:

Goshawk posted:

No, you do not "have to" disconnect anything. The little box is just an infrared receiver and can get all the power it needs from the track. The wiring harness I linked to above can slide on the terminals on the bottom of any fastrack piece.

See this: https://ogrforum.com/t...nder-in-passive-mode

This is an easier way to hook it up in your situation Gigabyte. You can put banana jack connectors on those wires if you like, or the DCS Commander posts are also screw terminals. Banana jack adapters are available in the audio component section of Menards.

Gotcha, I think RS where I live in Brooklyn have shut down, and even when they were opened, they turned into a mobile phone/accessory store rather than really selling electrical components, a ghost of what they used to be. For my EE lighting projects, I usually go to Allied Electronics. Thanks, I think I'll order those from Menards and set that up (for a cleaner hookup, one source, instead of two, the LC + track and the DCS connection to another track, it'll just be sort of single daisy chain connection to only one track, power brick to DCS, DCS via wire to banana plug to Lionel Power Track,) and in the meantime, use my wires I have at home in the meantime when I place/get my order today for the DCS commander.

Sorry, just one last question, will the DCS still supply a constant 18 volts to the track, I guess it's like pass through power, with the DCS really just being an infrared receiver like Corey mentioned?

That's right, DCS isn't supplying any power, it's pass through. It will draw some power, but it should be minimal. Your 18 volts track power works for both engines.

Great, thank you both! I really appreciate your help.

George S posted:

One last thing, the DCS Remote Commander will only run one MTH engine at a time. It is not tied to a specific engine. All MTH engines come factory set to the same address. In the future if your empire grows, you can upgrade to a full DCS system that can change the engine addresses and run multiple MTH engines simultaneously, but that will require more track and power as well. 

I don't mean this to be confusing, just pointing out limitations. With the setup we discussed, you can run your LionChief+ and an MTH PS3 engine at the same time. 

Gotcha, thanks on that. I usually run 2 trains at a time, both LC+'s right now, but it would be great to mix in a MTH once in awhile, so I'll keep it limited to just one MTH at a time along with a LC+. Thank you again!

I actually have a couple of those laying around unused. I would be happy to send you one if you pay for shipping. 

Goshawk posted:

I actually have a couple of those laying around unused. I would be happy to send you one if you pay for shipping. 

Thank you for the offer, that would be great, but only if you can't think of any use for one of them, as I wouldn't want you to one day feel like, I shouldn't have given it away, I could use that now, kind-of-a-situation, so please think about it. But if you can't see a use for it in the future (even as a backup if your using one now and it fails), please let me know how can pay for the shipping, and I'll put it to work with this once it's available for order: http://mthtrains.com/30-20369-1

I actually have 2 of them, so if I need one I have one. I don't however see a need for it, since we are using the full DCS system now. I think the shipping will be around $6. If you have a paypal account we can do it that way. If not you could always mail me a check. Shoot me an email. coreyjaywest@gmail.com

Goshawk posted:

I actually have 2 of them, so if I need one I have one. I don't however see a need for it, since we are using the full DCS system now. I think the shipping will be around $6. If you have a paypal account we can do it that way. If not you could always mail me a check. Shoot me an email. coreyjaywest@gmail.com

OK, thanks, I really appreciate it! I have a paypal account, so I think it's easier that way. I'll PM you my details today, as I contacted Model Train Stuff on the MTH locomotive I wanted but haven't heard back from them, but it maybe this month or early next month they get it (MTH states the locomotive was delivered on Dec 2016)

Gigabyte posted:

Goshawk posted:

I actually have 2 of them, so if I need one I have one. I don't however see a need for it, since we are using the full DCS system now. I think the shipping will be around $6. If you have a paypal account we can do it that way. If not you could always mail me a check. Shoot me an email. coreyjaywest@gmail.com

OK, thanks, I really appreciate it! I have a paypal account, so I think it's easier that way. I'll PM you my details today, as I contacted Model Train Stuff on the MTH locomotive I wanted but haven't heard back from them, but it maybe this month or early next month they get it (MTH states the locomotive was delivered on Dec 2016)

That was the scheduled date, but I don't think it shipped yet. They don't show any dealers with stock. There is another form where you can check the shipping status. It will say 'shipped' if it has. If it hasn't, it will have a date, but it could be the wrong date.

Thanks George! Also, I think I figured out a solution. Searching online I found items like this: https://www.amazon.com/SIM-NAT...076&sr=8-3-spell  but none state how many amps/voltage they can handle other than it's designed for low voltage devices. Plus, I don't know the quality and don't want to start a fire. I think the LC brick does max 4 amps x 18 volts = 72 watts.

Anyways, what do you think of using the Lionel pigtail pnp-to-traditional [Lionel O 6-82039] wire to accessories pnp connector [Lionel O 6-81314]? I have a bunch of connectors and a few open ports. I could just connect the pigtail to the DCS and I think it'll be good, assuming it's a low wattage device.

Corey, thanks again too, just watching the kids till 10, as my wife is at work, so I didn't get a chance to find my pp account, haven't used since I think 2009 when I bought and sold some stuff on ebay.

I wouldn't use those pigtails. They seem like they are too small of wire gauge for track power. Also, I would not connect accessories to your track power. You are at your limit running two trains on the 72 watt power supply.

Depending on the accessory, there are very inexpensive power supplies you can get and dedicate to those. I use 5volt cell phone chargers for lighting. Laptop power supplies have about 12 volts. You can find cheap surpluss on eBay. Also, Lionel makes an accessory power supply that is 1.8 amps or about 32 watts that is pretty reasonable. I never throw out an old wall wart adapter; you never know when you could use one. Just make sure your accessory can accept the type and amount of power from the power source. Most accessories are AC, but some newer ones are DC. Also, some can't take 18 volts and some only take 14 or 5 volts. 

Any doubts, post here and we can help match it.  By the way, I learned electronics in high school. So, it's not rocket science, but there are rules. The best book I got was from Radio Shack on the introduction to electronics. It's not really required for model trains, but it helps when you want to be a little more creative and your layout grows.

George

Gigabyte posted:

Thanks George! Also, I think I figured out a solution. Searching online I found items like this: https://www.amazon.com/SIM-NAT...076&sr=8-3-spell  but none state how many amps/voltage they can handle other than it's designed for low voltage devices. Plus, I don't know the quality and don't want to start a fire. I think the LC brick does max 4 amps x 18 volts = 72 watts.

Anyways, what do you think of using the Lionel pigtail pnp-to-traditional [Lionel O 6-82039] wire to accessories pnp connector [Lionel O 6-81314]? I have a bunch of connectors and a few open ports. I could just connect the pigtail to the DCS and I think it'll be good, assuming it's a low wattage device.

Corey, thanks again too, just watching the kids till 10, as my wife is at work, so I didn't get a chance to find my pp account, haven't used since I think 2009 when I bought and sold some stuff on ebay.

One more option, if you want to use the track power connection for your accessories, upgrade your power supply to a Lionel PH 180. It's 180watts and should be under $100. You will need a Molex to DC plug adapter, and you may need to make it.  Alternatively, the MTH Z1000 power supply is 100 watts and has the right adapter built on. I think you get more power for the dollar with the Lionel, and it has the best circuit breaker.

George

Would you mind posting some pics of this when you have it done?  I have the exact same  situation.   I have all fastrack and love the convenience and ease of Lionchief + but I got a new MTH engine from MB Klein and want to run it on the remote commander.    I just have a temporary seasonal layout and I'm no electrician. 

My current Accessories:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...r-p/mth-30-90429.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...er-p/lio-6-14092.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...r-p/mth-30-90167.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...y-p/mth-30-90391.htm

Original Accessory Power I got back in 2014, tried it once, didn't like the idea of wires all over (on carpet) and self powered it via a LED lights on a light strip using batteries for the three above (except the floodlight of course)

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...er-p/lio-6-32923.htm

Now, the Lionel O-6-14092-Floodlight says you can use A/C or Track Power (which I tried and it worked ok, also via the plug-n-play) accessory track that I can use the spare LC power brick to just power off of that rather than Track power. However, there's very little info on the MTH items regarding voltage and milliamps that it requires, other than I think they mentioned using A/C power, but I think DC should be ok, it's just a question of applying the correct voltage and the correct amperage.

Thanks on the reference to the RS book, I found it here, just need to sign up: https://openlibrary.org/books/...ction_to_electronics also found this online that I'll look at over this weekend: http://www.allaboutcircuits.co...book/direct-current/

One quick question for you, and that is, if I put the MTH locomotive on the powered up fasttrack, won't it run at full speed, or does it require the DCS to allow voltage in to move it? I think if you put a LEGACY locomotive on a LC track powered track, it would go at full speed, since it's configured for conventional power applied to the track -- I think with LC powered fasttrack, it's always at 18 volts?

Also, three stupid questions, but I'll ask anyway....

1. The track has a 18 volt pressure / potential difference (trying to get the terminology right, please excuse if it's inaccurate), my question is, what determines the amp flow? Is it when you place a load on the circuit, which I think that track acts as (a circuit), there's electrical component(s) that determine the current/amperage/flow of the 18 volts on the load device?

2. If a device can use A/C or DC, does polarity matter anymore? I think with A/C we alternate voltage 60 times a second between + / -, so the device is receiving electrons on both ends, and with DC, we just apply voltage via + (although I read, the electrons really flow from - to + with D/C ) and complete the circuit at -, so the electrons flow from - to load to + on a DC circuit? Basically, since the load device can accept incoming electrons on both ends, polarity shouldn't matter any more, but it does with D/C?

3. I can assume because of #2, we can't use A/C power directly on a DC component, so we'd need from what I read, a rectifier. With that being said, shouldn't most of these accessories have resistors knowing that in O scale, the max voltage (I assume typically) for running a train a full speed is ~18 volts at whatever necessary amperage, and if you use track power, there should be a resistor on the structure, i.e., for lighting?

Below are some photos of my setup, which is messy at the moment, as I'm building it out at the moment + taking into account kids play (inner oval / O36 / Thomas train) + personal play (outer 048 oval)

Ugh, so sorry, just one last thing. I recently brought the Lionel led lighted bumper, and noticed sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't (picture of it attached here, and you can see the LED is off, but the track is powered) could that be a continuity problem? I'll check with my multimeter today.

Thanks again!

Natty B&O posted:

Would you mind posting some pics of this when you have it done?  I have the exact same  situation.   I have all fastrack and love the convenience and ease of Lionchief + but I got a new MTH engine from MB Klein and want to run it on the remote commander.    I just have a temporary seasonal layout and I'm no electrician. 

Hi Natty, sure, will do!

Thanks, I'm going to follow this thread, it's been informative!  

Gigabyte posted:

My current Accessories:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...r-p/mth-30-90429.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...er-p/lio-6-14092.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...r-p/mth-30-90167.htm

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...y-p/mth-30-90391.htm

Original Accessory Power I got back in 2014, tried it once, didn't like the idea of wires all over (on carpet) and self powered it via a LED lights on a light strip using batteries for the three above (except the floodlight of course)

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...er-p/lio-6-32923.htm

Now, the Lionel O-6-14092-Floodlight says you can use A/C or Track Power (which I tried and it worked ok, also via the plug-n-play) accessory track that I can use the spare LC power brick to just power off of that rather than Track power. However, there's very little info on the MTH items regarding voltage and milliamps that it requires, other than I think they mentioned using A/C power, but I think DC should be ok, it's just a question of applying the correct voltage and the correct amperage.

Thanks on the reference to the RS book, I found it here, just need to sign up: https://openlibrary.org/books/...ction_to_electronics also found this online that I'll look at over this weekend: http://www.allaboutcircuits.co...book/direct-current/

One quick question for you, and that is, if I put the MTH locomotive on the powered up fasttrack, won't it run at full speed, or does it require the DCS to allow voltage in to move it? I think if you put a LEGACY locomotive on a LC track powered track, it would go at full speed, since it's configured for conventional power applied to the track -- I think with LC powered fasttrack, it's always at 18 volts?

Also, three stupid questions, but I'll ask anyway....

1. The track has a 18 volt pressure / potential difference (trying to get the terminology right, please excuse if it's inaccurate), my question is, what determines the amp flow? Is it when you place a load on the circuit, which I think that track acts as (a circuit), there's electrical component(s) that determine the current/amperage/flow of the 18 volts on the load device?

2. If a device can use A/C or DC, does polarity matter anymore? I think with A/C we alternate voltage 60 times a second between + / -, so the device is receiving electrons on both ends, and with DC, we just apply voltage via + (although I read, the electrons really flow from - to + with D/C ) and complete the circuit at -, so the electrons flow from - to load to + on a DC circuit? Basically, since the load device can accept incoming electrons on both ends, polarity shouldn't matter any more, but it does with D/C?

3. I can assume because of #2, we can't use A/C power directly on a DC component, so we'd need from what I read, a rectifier. With that being said, shouldn't most of these accessories have resistors knowing that in O scale, the max voltage (I assume typically) for running a train a full speed is ~18 volts at whatever necessary amperage, and if you use track power, there should be a resistor on the structure, i.e., for lighting?

Below are some photos of my setup, which is messy at the moment, as I'm building it out at the moment + taking into account kids play (inner oval / O36 / Thomas train) + personal play (outer 048 oval)

Ugh, so sorry, just one last thing. I recently brought the Lionel led lighted bumper, and noticed sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't (picture of it attached here, and you can see the LED is off, but the track is powered) could that be a continuity problem? I'll check with my multimeter today.

Thanks again!

Wow, that looks like a fun layout!

That is the same accessory power supply I have. My concern about track power for the the MTH buildings is that 18 volts is too much power and the bulbs will burn out quickly.

For your questions:

" if I put the MTH locomotive on the powered up fasttrack, won't it run at full speed"

As long as the DCS Remote Commander is plugged in and getting power, the MTH engine will come up in command mode and will be in neutral. Also, if the engine comes up in conventional mode, it should default to neutral, so it shouldn't take of at full speed. Older engines and conventional engines could.

1. Yes, current draw or amps drawn from the power supply is determined by the load on the circuit, or how much trains / stuff are using power. This is Ohm's Law, a circuit with no resistance will be a short and a circuit with infinite resistance is open. It takes something connecting the center rail to the outside rail with some load or resistance to draw current. If you put a screwdriver across the center rail and the outside rail, there will be a short circuit and the power pack breaker will activate to stop power. Each train or accessory will take the power it needs until you reach the max of the power supply. If you reach the max load or current on the power supply, the breaker will activate like a short circuit.

2. Polarity matters with AC as well. If I mix up the black and red wires to the track, the engines won't work in conventional mode correctly. Usually, it will be something like the bell not working. You might not notice it in a command control environment. 

3. Yes, but most O gauge accessories are AC, including the bulbs in the MTH buildings. No, they don't have resistors. The intensity of the light will increase as you increase the voltage. LED lit buildings are a different story and will require specific power supplies and power requirements. Menards buildings are made to run on 4.5 volts DC for example.

I'm not sure about the Lionel lighted lockon, but I found this thread. https://ogrforum.com/t...lionel-fastrack-item

Would love to see a video too when you get both trains up and running. 

George

Hi Everyone,

I just got in touch with Corey about the DCS, so it should be arriving sometime next week. Also, I found that Mercer Junction had the NY Central RS3 in stock that I liked too, and even better, operating on O27 curves, so I ordered that today: http://mthtrains.com/30-20295-1 with a fair shipping price of $9.21 via USPS Priority. I kinda prefer the O27 on O36 curves, because I noticed, at least my Silver Bells and Polar Express LC (not the plus versions locomotives) struggle on O36 curves at slow speeds, so I'm hoping the less resistance on the curve + better dual motor should have better performance. My budget for this year is $800, and I was going to order two LC+ engines this year from Grzyboski's, but since I can operated MTH locomotives now on my existing track, I'm excited to go with MTH this time. I'm just debating this one: http://mthtrains.com/30-20360-1 (Christmas themed for the kids) or the original NY Central Locomotive I mentioned earlier.

Hi George, Thanks and thanks for the detailed reply, I really appreciate your help -- it looks the Lionel accessory pnp is a bad idea for the MTH stuff, too much voltage I think I'll use the lionel power pack to power those once everything is setup or just continue to use my LED battery operated lights in them.

Hate to bug you again, but quick question whenever you have moment, if I were to snip and slice the end off a barrel 12VDC power supply, say from a old HDD power supply, and connect that to a MTH accessory, would that be ok? I guess what I'm asking here to is:

1. If the upper limit voltage of the Power Supply is 12 Volts (with whatever mA is rated by the PS), and the MTH structure is max at 14 volts, I think that would work, albeit, the lights would not be as bright as they are capable of?

2.  How would I determine how much milliamperage the device needs? My case is, if the structure wants at max 14 volts, at 2 mA, but the Power Supply supplies 12 Volts at 1 mA, would I overload the PS as it tries to go beyond 12 VDC and / or tries to go above 1 mA to reach 2 mA and cause damage, break/shut it off, or would the PS just supply the max it's capable of, 12VDC at 1mA ? Also, if I had a 12 VDC PS that could supply 4mA, I assume it would provide 12 Volts at the full 2mA and wouldn't try to send more flow to compensate for the lower voltage? Lastly, I think it would be ok to "undervolt," a light bulb, but should I be concerned about under flow of mA?

And sure, once everything is finalized, I'd be more than happy to post a video here!

And thank you on finding the thread for the lighted bumpers. Ugh, something so simple that wasn't manufactured properly.

And lastly, thank you on letting me know about the MTH locomotive wont run full speed ahead on the fasttrack!

Yes, you can cut the end off an old power supply to power accessories. 12 volts should be pretty bright for those buildings.  If they are too bright, don't use the power supply. Lower voltage won't hurt lights. Mine start to get bright at about 7 volts. The lower voltage you run them at, the longer they last. That's because bulbs wear out based on cumulative wattage that they use. (Wattage equals volts times amps. )

Most power packs handle at least 500 ma.  (1000ma equals 1 amp) I expect your light bulbs will draw more than 2ma. A 1 watt bulb at 14 volts will be drawing about 70ma using crude math. 

Light bulbs won't damage a power supply because they are capable of handling higher voltage. They will just be dimmer. The reverse is more true. A lower voltage rated bulb will fail when a higher voltage power supply is used. The bulb usually fails before the power supply breaker.

George

Gigabyte posted:

Hi Everyone,

I just got in touch with Corey about the DCS, so it should be arriving sometime next week. Also, I found that Mercer Junction had the NY Central RS3 in stock that I liked too, and even better, operating on O27 curves, so I ordered that today: http://mthtrains.com/30-20295-1 with a fair shipping price of $9.21 via USPS Priority. I kinda prefer the O27 on O36 curves, because I noticed, at least my Silver Bells and Polar Express LC (not the plus versions locomotives) struggle on O36 curves at slow speeds, so I'm hoping the less resistance on the curve + better dual motor should have better performance. My budget for this year is $800, and I was going to order two LC+ engines this year from Grzyboski's, but since I can operated MTH locomotives now on my existing track, I'm excited to go with MTH this time. I'm just debating this one: http://mthtrains.com/30-20360-1 (Christmas themed for the kids) or the original NY Central Locomotive I mentioned earlier.

Oh, that Christmas one is cool! However, I was out today and the crossing gates dropped in front of me. I put the car in park and watched 2 massive, black NS engines in a consist with a couple of CN engines pulling tons of coal and tankers. The black NS engines are stunning. The NYC engine reminded me of those. It is a tough call. My thought is, buy the engine you want to run all year and buy Christmas rolling stock for the holiday. That said, the Christmas engine is on sale at Legacy Station, and maybe at other places too, since we are at the end of the season.

George

George, thanks again! When you have a moment, what do you think about this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...p;smid=AAF37WJS3P6BT also comes with an adapter that I connect the light wires too, about the only issue people mentioned is that there is a few second delay before the full 12V is supplied. I have a box of heat shrink tubes that I could use on the connections once connected.

And sorry, I promise, last question!

OK, if a device can handle 12 Volts and 500mA, and your DC power supplies 12VDC at 2A, the load device should only consume 12V at 500mA, meaning, the device wont suck up the whole 2A? Also meaning, is there any electrical component that will prevent excess current flow or the way electricity works is that the load device will just use whatever amperage it needs at the supplied voltage? So if we had a 18VDC 5A PS , with a 12V @ 200mA load, we'd want a resistor to lower the voltage, but the load will still consume flow at 200mA?

Thanks, I'm going to go with the Christmas Train and hold off on the NYC since the NYC is still in pre-order status and I ordered the NYC RS-3 on Saturday from Mercer Junction. So my concern is, since most places are out-of-stock on the item, I'll go for that while the NYC diesel is still not delivered. I should have went with Marios Trains for the RS3 since they offered free shipping at $25 of 350, but considering I'd have to spend more money to get that $25, I'm ok with that, because I really want to stay in budget of $800 a year, and pruning down to around $400-600 a year. I think I spent over $4000 in 4 years, from O Lionel / MTH stuff, to Kato HO and N stuff. May not seem like a lot to others, but if you invested that $4000 in CHK (among A LOT others) on Feb 12 2016, you made over a 250% return, meaning all that stuff for free + still some profit thereafter to reinvest after cap gains. I should've taken a HELOC that month and invested ...

Thanks also, I checked on legacy, but I think they are now out of stock and it's $30 more. Grzyboskitrains has it and I'm ordering it tonight. Pats Trains has it too for a few dollars cheaper, but Pat's is charging $25 for shipping while the G is charging about $11 for UPS ground (Pat's had a deal free shipping and I think 10% off this past December, but that was prior to me wondering if I could run MTH on Fast Track.) I found a few other items on the site that I'll get from Grzyboskitrains (to my chagrin, just can't order one item...ugh.lol)

That's awesome. The only trains I've been on so far are the NYC Transit trains, my favorite, love the slope design, but out-of-service/retired now, is the R40A Slant, which I was on for a good 10 years of my life (Top Photo, B Train): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R40A , NJ Transit, and the Strasburg Railroad.

Hi George, interesting, I forgot about this, I have a bunch of older Seasonic and Corsair PSU's from older builds, that convert AC input to DC output, what do you think?

http://dfarq.homeip.net/using-...s-on-a-train-layout/

Yes, that power supply will work for accessories, but why wouldn't you just use your Lionel accessory power supply, keep it off to the side and run a lead to a place to connect your accessories? There must be a way to hide a single (dual) wire. Then, you can chain your accessories in parallel, meaning run the dual wire to the next accessory and so on. It can't be more wire than what you have with that wall wort. Then you can tune how much voltage with the dial on the Lionel. You can probably buy a roll of 18 gauge, two wire cable on Amazon or at Menards.

An accessory will only draw the amps it needs. So, if you have a 2amp power supply and one accessory needs 500ma, then there is 1500ma left for other accessories.  That said, all accessories get the same, full volts, as long as they are wired in parallel. Let me know if you need help understanding parallel vs. series wiring after you check your reference material. I could draw something up, but the difference should be obvious to you once you see it.

You will love the Christmas train! And, OMG, we need to get you out to see some real trains!  Maybe try taking the Metro North Hudson line to Poughkeepsie. It's pretty far, but you will see some great sights. I hear there is good freight railfanning in Poughkeepsie. 

George