TMCC Block Power Controller Question?

[kolov]

I am planning a four track, four train layout. Two trains will be TMCC via a TPC 400 and the other two via a TPC 400 in conventional mode. Would the Block Power Controller -BPC enable me to switch between the two? What I would like to do is be able to run one at a time without (via tmcc) having to add another TPC and power brick?

[chuck]

Probably.  Here is a link to download the BPC manual:

http://www.lionel.com/products/productnavigator/InstructionManuals/71-4184-250.pdf

[kolov]

I guess I should further clairfy. I looked at the manual already.

Two of the trains are TMCC ready and two are command only.

I cannot figure from the manual if I can treat two seperate track ovals as two blocks and run the two conventionals seperately. That is to turn power off to one track and vice versa and still control them via the TPC. I have used the TPC for three years and have had them daisy chained. The wiring in the BPC manual does not show the TPC's daisy chained? Therein my confusion.

[chuck]

Daisey Chained?  I'm not sure what you mean by this.  TPC's require a serial cable to communicate that is "daisey chained" but that has nothing to do with the track side of things.  A PBC allows you to connect four seperate blocks to two TPC's that you can control independantly and assign which block gets which TPC.  The Lionel manual covers correct wiring but very little in terms of operations.  I can email you the older IC Control's manual which covers operational aspects including a sample layout.  Send me a piece of email and I will email back the PDF file of the IC Controls manual.  Use the Lionel manual for set up but refer to the IC Controls manual for operating examples/explanation.

BPC is very much like a rotary switch used on the older control panel layouts to allow "block" control.  You would have a switch for each block that was labled for the independant power supplies that could be assigned it.  Lets say you have four "blocks" called A,B,C,D.  You have two power supplies, we'll call them 1 and 2.  You would have four three postion rotary switches or four three postion toggle switches, each switch labled A,B,C,D  (one for each block) with each switch having label settings labled 1, 2, and OFF for each block.  With this arrangement, you can select which power supply controls each block.  The BPC is just a digitally controlled version of this arrangement.

[kolov]

I daisy chain the two TPC-400's that I have from the Command Base via the serial cable and I am able to set one in Command Mode and the other to conventional. The manuals on the BPC and TPC do not clearly tell you how to wire them. My guess is that you do. Maybe I'll e-mail Lionel after I go over the manuals again.

I could always order an upgrade board from Train America Studios for almost the same price as an BPC and be over with it!

 

 

[chuck]

I set my TPC's to variable voltage mode and ID them as ENG's so I don't loose any TR numbers.  If  I were running strict TMCC environment I'd probably give them all the same ID and "gang" them for ease of use.  The IC Controls manual for the BPC does a much better job of explaining set up and use.  I can email the file to you or you can try  to access it from the web archive site:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010730080813/www.iccontrolsinc.com/manuals.shtml