setting up with dc

[Anonymous]

Im a little confused about getting power to my train. I haven't bought anything yet which is probobly part of the problem. I'm not quite sure of everything I need. I need a power pack but I'm not sure what else and how to set it up. Is this powerpack right? http://discounttrainsonline.com/M-R-C-A-Power-Pack-For-HO-N-Scales-Model-1300-with-7-Watts/item500-1300.html
I searched for answers but I couldnt seem to find what I was looking for.

[Anonymous]

that is a great power pack...now all you need is the track and a soldering gun and solder and wire. take the wire and solder the wire to any track. then you have power. becareful with the soldering though dont burn your ties on the track or rails!!! also dont burn yourself!!!

[Anonymous]

I'm not familiar with that particular power pack, but most of them are similar in that they have screw terminals for "track" and "accessories". You'll want to run 2 wires from the tack connections to your track. Soldering them to the rails is the most reliable, but heed the warnings about getting them too hot.

If your layout is small, you would be OK with 1 block. Larger DC layouts require multiple blocks so you can kill the power to sections of track at a time. This allows you to keep locomotives on the track without having more than one running at a time. You do this blocking by adding a switch (electrical, not turnout) into the wiring to the track from the power pack. This blocking increases the wiring for a large layout since you have to also have a control panel for the switches. This is a major reason why DCC is becoming so popular. DCC doesn't require blocking, just pwer districts.

It's also a good idea to run a track feeder to each section of track independently. This insures better performance and eliminates dead zones on your track.

Good luck,

Doug

[Anonymous]

This is probobly a stupid question but do I need to buy a power supply in adition to the powerpack.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jumico

This is probobly a stupid question but do I need to buy a power supply in adition to the powerpack.

A power pack should handle all of your requirements, both track and accessories, as long as you don't have any big current hogs. if you plan to run multipl unit lashups in trains or have lots of accessory lighting, etc. then you might want to invest in a multimeter to check that the current draw for the whole layout doesn't excedd the ratings of the power pack.

If you have an excessive number of accessory type stuff that exceeds the accessory rating of the power pack, you could use another external power supply or "wall-wart" to power your accessories.

Doug

[Leon Silverman]

The power ratings on power packs are like cubic capacity in refrigerator freezers. The size reflects the capacity of both compartments combined. One 14 cu ft capacity refreigerator might have a 3 cu ft freezer section while another 14 cu ft . refrigerator might have a 5 cu. ft freezer section.
Similarly, the wattage capacity of a power pack reflects the total power available from both the ac and dc terminals but usually does not reflect what percentage is available from variable dc side, the side used to run your trains. This information is usually placed directly on the casing where the terminals are. As a result, the 7 watt power pack may only supply 4 or 5 watts to the trains. This might be sufficient for only one or two engines if you do not have any lighted passenger cars.
If you plan to purchase solenoid powered switch machine (e.g. Atlas Snap switches), definitely use a separate power supply. I was running HO trains with 60 and 100 va power packs and still noticed the trains slowing down momentarily when I activated a switch.