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A simple light system with DCC can be made using track power and 12 volt lamps, or lower voltage lamps in series. Going around the room really needs a bus (two wires under the layout to supply power) and not depend on the track alone to carry power to the train. So you hook your lights to the bus. The bus can be 14 gauge wire and hook to the track every 6 feet or so. Max # of lights depend on the output of you power supply and wattage of the lights and how hungry your loco is. While automotive bulbs can be used they are of high wattage and will suck too much power and generate too much heat. I have seen automotiv dash lights melt holes in styrene buildings. Use grain of wheat for most lights. http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=320200&item=LP-10&type=store has some reasonable lamps as well as your local radioshack store and most hobby shops. How many lamps can you run? Rule of thumb says hook them up until something happens. Most DCCs have overload protection so it should be safe. As a rule if the lights get dimm and stay that way when the loco is running you have too many lights. Most dcc have 6 amp power supplies so if you give 1 to the loco and use 60 ma lamps you could run 80 lamps, but in real life maybe 1/2 so 40 grain of wheats. That's lots of lights! FRED
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