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Can my power cab operate a DC engine, EDITED: 11/17/09

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  • Member since
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Can my power cab operate a DC engine, EDITED: 11/17/09
Posted by yankee flyer on Monday, November 16, 2009 9:58 PM

Hi Guys 

I bought my grandson a powered Thomas engine and I was wondering  if my power cab will operate it. I can't find anything in PC manual. Will I have to put a decoder in the Thomas?   Confused

Thanks 

Lee

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Monday, November 16, 2009 10:11 PM

 Power Cab cannot run a DC loco. You need to install a decoder. TCS is very good.

Ideas.

http://www.trainbuddy.com/Reference/Decoding%20Engines/thomas.htm

From these forums found in Google search.

http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/154604/1711774.aspx

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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Posted by tstage on Monday, November 16, 2009 10:51 PM

Lee,

Only Digitrax, Bachmann, and maybe CVP can operate DC locomotives with their systems.  So, yes - you'll need to install a decoder in Thomas for your Power Cab.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by Vail and Southwestern RR on Monday, November 16, 2009 11:35 PM
And the very original, there's probably only one in the world, and I have it, Prodigy!

Jeff But it's a dry heat!

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    December 2007
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Posted by yankee flyer on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 9:41 AM

 

yankee flyer
I bought my grandson a powered Thomas engine and I was wondering  if my power cab will operate it. I can't find anything in PC manual. Will I have to put a decoder in the Thomas?   Confused

 I forgot to ask, Is the Thomas DC V or AC V? I'm not into  the toy trains but some one told me the toy trains are AC V.

Thanks 

Lee

  • Member since
    February 2008
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Posted by maxman on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:14 AM

If it is a Bachmann, it should be DC.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=476

Our Club has at least two of them.  They seem to have three speeds: stopped, very fast, and derailed.  Someone tried re-motoring one, but that didn't help.  Because the kids like to see them run at our annual open houses, we eventually stripped the motors out, added some weight, and then put them in the lead of whatever train was next out of the yard.  The effect was the same, and the kids were happy.

  • Member since
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  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:46 AM

 A couple years ago at a model railroad show in West Springfield MA, a layout exhibit for and by young people had a HO Thomas being run by young engineers using radio control. The loco ran real nice, a little fast but still under control.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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