Does anyone still make a walk around throttle that is compatible with an MRC Tech II 2400 power pack? The layout will be DC. (I have decided that I don't need to convert over to DCC as 25-30 engines would be prohibitively expensive and it is a single engine operation.) I seem to remember many years ago seeing one that would fit when the throttle knob was removed. I have a few areas that a walk around would make it easier to run.
As usual, thank you in advance for any assistance that can be provided and for reading my post.
Here's one:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/851.HTM
No need to limit it to being "compatible with a Tech 2 2400" - you cna hook a walkaround throttle to the fixed DC on the 2400, but you can just as easily use a walkaround that has its own power supply.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I agree with Randy this throttle is a good bet he also makes a 3.0 amp unit of course would need a power supply. His info says you can use a 12 to 18 Volt DC or AC power supply .
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/821.HTM
Ron High
I was just checking those out. For the price, either one looks great.
I started out looking for the Aristo Craft throttle, but they don't seem to be around anymore.
There is a couple of Control Master 20's on Ebay for les than $70.
I was looking for something like this when I got started again with a new layout in 2010. I'm all DCC now.
Mike.
My You Tube
I found a walk-a-round throttle for my 350 on ebay. Do you know the number of the one that fits the 2400?
Good luck,
Richard
i Guess that would be the 3000GS, since that one says Tech II on the label. But there's nothign specific that ties it to the Tech II line of power packs, none of them had any special fitting for a walkaround, the 3000GS just has 4 terminals on it - 2 for input and 2 to go to the track. You cna power it from ANYTHING, not just a Tech II power pack.
That's why I said ignore the whole "compatible with Tech II" - unlike some of the newest MRC power packs, the Tech II line did not have a special walkaround option. It was more like the older stuff, like the old Cab Control 55 - you could use one of those with most anything as well. There was an older one that that even, but the Cab Control 55 is transistorized so it will run modern trains, the older one than that had a rheostat and won;t properly control new low current motors. Hint is, if it specifically says HO scale or N scale, or the model number is available with an N in it, like the 550/550N - walk away, those are old rheostat packs and will not work with modern locoos. The difference is the resistence value of the rheostat - N scale locos would be uncontrollable witht he HO version. The N scale ones MIGHT run modern HO low current motors, but a transistor unit like the Cab Control 55 will DEFINITELY work, so why chance it?
The modern unit I linked is even better than any MRC Tech II power pack, it uses PWM speed control, like what comes out of a DCC decoder. It should have very smooth speed control.
Many years ago I buiklt a similar version that was good for 2.5 amps. The AC transformer was inside the layout fascia and came in two pins of a four pin connector. The other two pins were to the rails. When I went to DCC, the two rail pins were then for DCC. Easy switch. The AC pins unused. I could easily switch between DC and DCC.
I put a resistor in with another switch to allow the speed pot to have a range for switching speeds. It gave the pot an expanded range.
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.
rrinker Here's one: http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/851.HTM No need to limit it to being "compatible with a Tech 2 2400" - you cna hook a walkaround throttle to the fixed DC on the 2400, but you can just as easily use a walkaround that has its own power supply. --Randy
I have one question on this particular throttle: Will it work on a layout that is designed with a common rail system (where there are various blocks that can be turned off or on as needed)?
Much as I despise common rail, even for DC, I don't see why not. The issue is usualy with where each throttle for each cab gets its power from, sharing a rectifier is usually not good for common rail, but these walkarounds would each have their own AC supply and be exactly the same as using multiple standalone power packs.
The system you are describing as Common Rail is actally better described as Cab Control where swicthes are wired to each block to connect to whatever Cab,Throttle ,Power Pack is wired to that switch depending on its position . In effect this allows the track block to select which Cab, Throttle ,Power Pack has control. Common Rail is a wiring method to allow wire connections to one rail through the block switches and the other rail ,the Common Rail ties all the other rail together to use that common path back to the Cab,Throttle, Power Packs.
.You can wire Cab Control to not have Common Rail if your Block switches are double pole but there is no need to. Reverse Loops need some special wiring to deal with this Common Rail. One special concern is Power Packs with two Throttles in one pack often share the same internal power source inside that will conflict with Common Rail wiring. Just use separate Cab ,Throttles, Power Packs . If you use external AC transformers for Power Sources use a separate one for each CAB ,Throttle ,Power Pack.
The big advantage of Common Rail is less wire from your panel to your layout. If you have anything more than a very small layout I would cut both rails gaps at block boundaries and run a Common Bus around the layout to tie the Common Rail to gether rather than just depend on the rail only to feed the Common Path.
I wired my layout as DC cab control, but I gapped both rails, and ran a buss, because I knew I would eventually be using DCC.
But I digress, . Back to walk-around throttles.
All well and good but running just one wire and hopign the rail will suffice to carry that one side of the circuit all around the layout is just asking for trouble. I still don't know how that EVER worked on a large layout, voltage drop is voltage drop, it's not somethign that came along with the advent of DCC. Of course, if the train slowed down when it got to the far reaches of the layout, probbaly people were turnign the throttles up to compensate. otherwise you still need multiple feeds along that common rail anyway. Might as well feed both sides of each block. Always did it this way, never followed those Atlas diagrams in those plan books. Club I used to belong to did it this way as well - with one extra step. We didn't switch track power through the roatary switch cab selectors - the rotaries only handled low voltage and current and drove relays which actually switched each block to one of the cabs. ANd since the relays were DPDT anyway - no common rail wiring.
Back in the day, there were ads from MRC and others specifically calling out that their dual packs were two complete packs in one case and could be used with common rail, versus others in their lineup that had 2 throttles but a common power supply so common rail was out.
The one I linked, as well as others mentioned like MRC's handheld Cab 55, or the classic Cooler Crawler, or one of the designs that can be found on Rob Paisley's electronics pages, are all suitable for comman rail, if they each have their own power supply feeding them. Link 3 throttles to one monster transformer and no, it won't work for common rail.
I use the Stapelton throttle mentioned earlier, powering it from the AC terminals of a ControlMaster 20. The throttle's output is PWM, and it offers good speed control and lots of oomph to run trains - I've run over a dozen, all chasing each other, much to the amusement of my grandkids.
My layout is also common rail, but is not set up for multiple train operation, as I'm the sole operator. I do, however, run multiple locomotives on many of my trains, including pushers, as much of the layout involves long and/or heavy grades.
As for powering the rails, this is the power connection...
...for approximately 250' of mainline. No indication whatsoever of voltage drop, no matter how many locos or how heavy the trains.
Ken Stapelton also stands behind his products: I've had my throttle for many years, and a couple of months ago, the direction switch started acting up (wouldn't stay on one of the direction settings). I gave him a 'phone call, learned he was not at the same locale as when I bought the throttle, so got new directions and payed him a visit - only about a 10/15 minute drive from here. He took one look, flipped the switch, then went to the back room and came back with a couple of new replacement ones - no charge. It was an easy task for me to remove the defective one and install the new one.
Wayne
Does anyone make an RF or Bluetooth walk around throttle for DC?