I am installing Tortise operated turnouts that will be controlled by local switches as well as the throttle. I was planning to power them off the DCC bus, but I have been reading that a seperate power supply would be better. However they don't say how this is done. Would this be a seperate booster just for the turnouts?
Rdrr I am installing Tortise operated turnouts that will be controlled by local switches as well as the throttle. I was planning to power them off the DCC bus, but I have been reading that a seperate power supply would be better. However they don't say how this is done. Would this be a seperate booster just for the turnouts?
Whether your stationary decoders driving the Tortoises use track power or not is based upon which stationary decoder you choose. Here's a good thread covering the topic. Tortoises generally draw current in the 20ma range so it would take a lot of them to be substanial. I use Digitrax DS64s and use 12VDC to power them, which doesn't draw any power from the track..
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Adding to Brother Binkley's post, a toy train power pack can provide enough DC power for a normal layout. If you have a double garage filling multi-level monster with LOTS of Tortoi, a satisfactory DC source can be made from a cheap 12.6V 3A filament transformer and a 3A bridge rectifier - enough DC to power over 100 machines, with some to spare.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)