Voltage control for Powerhouse 180w power supply

You will need the legacy system for the powerhouse. Also will need a power master for non tmcc or legacy locomotives. Your overall power needs will depend on how many trains and lights you will run at the same time 

@72blackbird posted:

 I have a Z4000 powering the main level of my layout w/ each bank powering an inner and outer main lines. My layout is an around the walls design in a 20 x 20 room. I am planning to add a lower level, 4-track staging yard and engine yard on two walls, and two transition grades. Do you think I need more than one Powerhouse to power this lower level? One PowerHouse--180 watts/10 amps--should do the job. Can those units be directly connected to the track without some sort of voltage/throttle control? The PowerHouse can be connected directly to the track. The 180-watt PowerHouse does have a good fast-acting circuit breaker, but some people still recommend use of a dedicated fast-acting breaker between the PowerHouse and the track. That could be Lionel's 6-34120 TMCC Direct Lockon, but you could use something else as well. Sorry, I'm not familiar with Legacy, but I will be getting the Legacy command system soon. Thanks for you replies and input.

Geno

@Keith L posted:

The 180-watt PowerHouse does have a good fast-acting circuit breaker, but some people still recommend use of a dedicated fast-acting breaker between the PowerHouse and the track. That could be Lionel's 6-34120 TMCC Direct Lockon, but you could use something else as well.

Note that the TMCC Direct Lockon is NOT compatible with MTH DCS, it kills the DCS signal.  So, if you plan on running DCS, the TMCC Direct Lockon is a bad idea.  The breaker in the PH180 is more than sufficient, and IMO equals the TMCC direct Lockon.  Also, I hate that the Lockon keeps turning power back on if it thinks the short is gone.  I prefer to turn the power back on myself.

I don't know who recommends additional circuit breakers for the PH180, but I'm someone that thinks the PH180 breaker is fine on it's own.

gunrunner john  I have been using the power shield PX-1 for AC applications on my layout. nether of my Lionel 180s will trip fast enough to keep from blowing the fuses in my DCS system. the jumpers allow you to have manual reset or automatic and to adjust the amperage they trip at and they are fast. best $65 bucks i have spent on the layout. just got sick of changing fuses. early on when the 180s were new the breaker seemed faster but still popped the fuses more often than not. Rick

Odd, I've had countless shorts and tripped the breakers on the PH180, the fuses in my years old TIU are original, I've never blown one.

"the TMCC Direct Lockon is NOT compatible with MTH DCS, it kills the DCS signal"

We install this device between the TIU (active mode) and the Powerhouse.  Works fine.

It will work there, but the same comment applies, it's not needed, at least I've never seen the need.