Novice on O scale: 2 rail operating systems

Wire up some track and find out.

Obviously, your 3rd Rail locomotives with the QSI Titan decoders are DCC. 

Atlas O 2-rail "Gold" locomotives are DCC.

MTH's Proto-3 system is DCC compatible, there is usually a switch under the locomotive for selecting DCC operation or MTH's DCS.  Under DCC the MTH locomotives work fine, you just don't have access to all of the DCS features.

Not O Scale, but here's a short video of MTH S Scale F3's operating with an MRC Prodigy 2 DCC system.  All three units are powered with sound:

Rusty

I would personally stick with the universal standard of DCC and just avoid the proprietary nonsense of the Lionel and MTH systems. 

Rusty Traque posted:

Obviously, your 3rd Rail locomotives with the QSI Titan decoders are DCC. 

Atlas O 2-rail "Gold" locomotives are DCC.

MTH's Proto-3 system is DCC compatible, there is usually a switch under the locomotive for selecting DCC operation or MTH's DCS.  Under DCC the MTH locomotives work fine, you just don't have access to all of the DCS features.

Not O Scale, but here's a short video of MTH S Scale F3's operating with an MRC Prodigy 2 DCC system.  All three units are powered with sound:

Rusty

Thank you Rusty. That is exactly what I needed to know. Many thanks for the informative video also!

Kevin

fredswain posted:

I would personally stick with the universal standard of DCC and just avoid the proprietary nonsense of the Lionel and MTH systems. 

Thanks Fred. After reading Rusty's reply that is exactly what I am going to do. I have always been very happy with my NCE DCC system.

Kevin

DCC is DCC.    The 3rd Rail locos will work with any standard DCC system.     DCC is not HO, or N, or O scale specific, it is universal.    O Scale 2 rail is identical HO 2 rail in the way the wirgin works.

The big difference between HO and O is the current of the locomotives.    The voltage is or should be the same, but current (amps) on older O scale especially can be higher.

My experience with other 3rd Rail locos with QSI decoders is that the current draw is not that high.   Your NCE unit should be able to handle the PA set.     I am almost absolutely sure it would handle 2 units, and I think it will handle 3.    You might run into overload conditions if you add another 3 units.    

I have 2 8 amp boosters for my system and run as many as 12 diesel models at one time.

I have an NCE 10 amp system and 2 dozen locos.  Most are steam (with QSI Titan sound decodes) and several deisels with 4 motors each.  Plus a bunch of lighted passeneer cars.  Even with 2 or three locos running and the cars lit, I rarely go beyond 5 amps.  The older O scale engines from the 70s or earlier had big open frame motors that drew 1,2 or more amps.  I don't have any of those.  But your Sunset PAs should be fine and will of course operate on DCC.  I have Sunsets FT deisels and they are wonderful pieces.  I have a couple older MTH deiselsthat I two railed.  I  got rid of the electronics and added decoders that would handle the 4 motors.

astarr posted:

I have an NCE 10 amp system and 2 dozen locos.  Most are steam (with QSI Titan sound decodes) and several deisels with 4 motors each.  Plus a bunch of lighted passeneer cars.  Even with 2 or three locos running and the cars lit, I rarely go beyond 5 amps.  The older O scale engines from the 70s or earlier had big open frame motors that drew 1,2 or more amps.  I don't have any of those.  But your Sunset PAs should be fine and will of course operate on DCC.  I have Sunsets FT deisels and they are wonderful pieces.  I have a couple older MTH deiselsthat I two railed.  I  got rid of the electronics and added decoders that would handle the 4 motors.

Good to know that the NCE performs well in O scale too. Thanks Astarr.

IMO.  Anyone brand new in 0 scale intending to build anything beyond one or two loops of track would be wise to fully evaluate on board battery powered radio control from the get go.

Tom Tee posted:

IMO.  Anyone brand new in 0 scale intending to build anything beyond one or two loops of track would be wise to fully evaluate on board battery powered radio control from the get go.

I'll second that!

Simon