The Zephyr will easily handle all that. Sounds like your LHS buys everythign from Walthers - that's the way it is at mine. They as much said just buy your Digitrax elsewhere, they can't come close to the price, and the owner refuses to become a Digitrax dealer so they COULD match those online prices by ordering the equipment direct from Digitrax. No skin off my back, plenty of reputable dealers online that offer 20-25% off MSRP, like Tony's or Litchfield Staion or Empire Northern or Gadget Tom. Then there's eBay, I got my new in box Zephyr for $140 with shipping. Patience and not getting caught up in a bid war are the keys there.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
The local train shop sells, well, Digitrax, but one of the head guys there tells me he could sell me an NCE Power Cab (the cheaper starter system) with a big deal. I looked at the Zephyr but they are asking quite a bit for it (MSRP in fact). Would either of these be good for running 5 N scale (two Atlas C420's, an Atlas GP30, Atlas SW1200, and a pair of Alco RSD15's) loco's at the same time? with sound? This would be assuming I'm holding an operating session, otherwise with just me running the engines would be taking turns running and no more than 3 at a time (the RSD's are meant to be double-headed).
For up 4 locomotives at once, NCE PowerCab is enough.
No sound locomotives yet..
I have the SEB and just getting use to it. Manuel says it can run 6 to 10 engines with the 5 amp booster it comes with.
One draw back is it cannot read CV's, it can only write CV's. To Combat that short coming I getting the Digitrax PR 3 computer interfaces for $95.00. It makes reading and writing CV's a snap compared to a normal DCC systems that can read CV's. No looking up each CV in a manual and punching the number in. Just set the engine on the interfaces test track and it pulls up all the CV's for you.
If I had bought the Super Chief, I would have still have got the PR 3.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Doc in CT Wouldn't something like a DigiTrax PM42 Quad Power Manager "lets you use a single booster and divide its output into 4 power sub-districts for automatic reversing &/or to improve operation by preempting booster shutdown when a short circuit is detected by the PM42" work here?
A power manager would help only if one section shorted. When you turn on the system, everything powers up at once, creating a massive inrush current. (Those keep alive caps on Bachmann Spectrum Tsunami's, QSI, and blue lines are HUGE!) It's possible to draw 15 amps or more for a very short time on startup with just a couple sound locos.
A PM42 will help with this as it limits inrush current. But it's still possible to overload the main booster with 16 locos all powering up at once.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Wouldn't something like a DigiTrax PM42 Quad Power Manager "lets you use a single booster and divide its output into 4 power sub-districts for automatic reversing &/or to improve operation by preempting booster shutdown when a short circuit is detected by the PM42" work here?
I'm assuming a DC layout is already broken up into "power districts" with appropriate switches for power management. Of course one could add a booster for districts to handle the increased load.
Co-owner of the proposed CT River Valley RR (HO scale) http://home.comcast.net/~docinct/CTRiverValleyRR/
Empire Builder start system would be a good choice. However how many of those are sound locomotives? You may require a couple opto-isolated boosters with breakers. I've had as few as 3 QSI engines trip my command station on startup.
I have a 28 by 8 ft layout which is currently wired for DC. I want to switch to DCC. I have 15 Locomotives. I have seen the Empire Builder starter system by digitrax. would this be a good system for my layout. if not any other suggestions.