Hi everyone! For at least 30 years, my friend Ray and I have put up a yearly Christmas layout in my auto parts stores. In 2015 we relocated the business to a larger bulding and I reserved space for the layout, but various circumstances have caused us to take a break from it until this year. We have been spending the past few months building the 2019 version of our layout. It's about 600 square feet overall and will be permanent, where the old one was disassembled every year after the holidays.
In the previous layout we used TMCC with two Lionel Powerhouse transformers and two TPC track controllers. This is because we had one loop of track that was dedicated to postwar trains so we wanted to have that section be separate from the rest so we could run both kinds of trains at once.
In the new layout we are going with all modern trains. This is going to be a "running" layout as opposed to an "operating" layout so there is no need for any of separate power blocks.
There is a plug coming from the Powerhouse that plugs directly into the TPC. So my question is, is there a way to connect two Powerhouses into one TPC to power the whole layout in one block? Or is that even possible (or necessary)? I searched Lionel's website for advice on this but couldn't find anything. The TMCC guide doesn't mention connecting two Powerhouses to the same block of track, so I'm assuming it's just not done. Is there a better way I could make use of both Powerhouses or should I just keep one for a spare?
We'll be running two trains max at the same time, pulling mostly unpowered freight cars but we do have a one (lighted) passenger train. I already connected an old LW transformer to the track as a test and we get a good solid 18.4 volts all the way around. (We're going to use the LW for powering the switch machines.)
Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.
Short answer: YES
Lionel makes a TMCC TPC Cable Set Y cord that connects two bricks to one TPC. My layout was wired like this for years. Worked perfect. EE Roy is the one who told me about this set up.
I hope you can see the cable set on this website.
http://www.lionel.com/products/tmcc-tpc-cable-set-6-14194
and this should help, too.
https://www.lionelsupport.com/media/servicedocuments/71-4194-250.pdf
Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum.
Buckeye Riveter......... OTTS Charter Member, a Roseyville Raider and a member of the CTT Forum since 2004..
Jelloway Creek, OH - ELV 1,100 - Home of the Baltimore, Ohio & Wabash RR
TCA 09-64284
Perfect, thank you - that's exactly what I was looking for.
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