how much power would you need if you were to run...

[Anonymous]

How much power would you need if you were to run a layout with.

20 straight tracks, 20 curves, 2 remote switches for now, but probably 6 later.

1 train ( LIONEL O GP-38 SOUTHERN DIESEL LOCO TRAIN) 28843

ofcourse it will have some cars.

I will be buying 20 straight tracks and 20 curves of O31 supersnap K-line. I will also be buying either the BEEP or this Lionel GP-38 (most likelly) and some cars, but I still need some Power.

Should I go for a 80watt? or do I need more? what brands? Also what do I need to connect power to kline supersnap track?

I don't want to be maxed in case I add some switches or 1 or 2 accessories

Thanks in advance for your time

[Big_Boy_4005]

How much power you need has to do with how many trains and accessories you are running, not how much track you have. For the list you described 80 Watts should be just fine. The secret is that modern motors use a lot less power than post war stuff.

Also it isn't like you have to throw a transformer away if your layout out grows it. You just add another, and divide up the load.

[Anonymous]

what about the lionel loco i chose? have you had any experience with it?

[Anonymous]

how do i go look up the price on 6-28843 the southern diesel loco? and where I go?

[Big_Boy_4005]

That engine should have dual can motors in the trucks, I don't think that has a pullmore motor. The dual cans are very efficient. As for where to get it, I'm guessing that it's this year's model, check around. Grab a copy of CTT and look at the ads. There are a lot of mail order places if you can't find one locally.

[Anonymous]

I know where to buy it already.

and yes it had dual can motors.

I want a place to lookup the retail price, to see if I am getting a good deal or not where I am buying it.

Seems like a pretty good train.

[ben10ben]

Lionel catalogs a simmilar GP-38 for $200, but it has die-cast trucks and a die-cast fuel tank, which the Southern does not. If Lionel were to catalog it separately, the retail price would probably be $150, or somewhere around there. The whole set is cataloged for $230.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ben10ben

Lionel catalogs a simmilar GP-38 for $200, but it has die-cast trucks and a die-cast fuel tank, which the Southern does not. If Lionel were to catalog it separately, the retail price would probably be $150, or somewhere around there. The whole set is cataloged for $230.

Hey Ben, hasn't Lionel been putting the prices in the cataolg lately. It would take the guess work out of it, or is this engine part of a set? I don't have a catalog. Shame on me.[:0][;)]

[Anonymous]

I believe it is part of a set

[ben10ben]

Yes, the Southern GP-38 is part of a set.

[dougdagrump]

If you have the budget why not go for a larger transformer from the start, not a Z or anything like that. I had an old 1044 that worked fine until I put some passenger cars on the tracks and it couldn't handle the extra power required by the passenger car lighting. They would still run but at a much slower speed Just a thought. [2c]