Help!
Is 4.5 volts on the mailine sufficient to run locos?
How many amps?
What voltage and amperes should my mainline DCC track have fo r proper running?
The average HO DCC system is usually 12 to 14 vac at two to five amps. Some systems are capable of eight amps or more.
My NCE Power Cab is capable of two amps and I measured 13.6 vac at the output of the controller.
Our club uses the NCE five amp Power Pro and I measured about 13.7 vac a few years ago.
I suspect you need to do a lot of research about how DCC works.
Good luck. There is a lot of info on the Internet. It will take time.
Many DCC companies have info.
Each of my HO sound locos draw less than one amp. Maybe 0.600 amp. My Power Cab measures DCC current.
I made a DCC amp meter for the club. My multimeter measures track voltage as does my Tektronix Scope for comparison. Some do not believe my meter.
Edit.
I was not sure about your question. 4.5 should be good for a DC loco. Current, maybe under 500 ma depending on type of motor, can motor for HO.
The power pack cannot force amps throught the track. The loco will takes as many amps as it needs. It will "draw" amps. Research ohms law.
A DCC motor will see twelve to fourteen volts pulses. Speed will depend on how wide the pulses are.
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.
dougedw4 Help! Is 4.5 volts on the mailine sufficient to run locos?
In DC, perhaps, especially a well-maintained loco running 'light', without any cars. That is, a strictly DC locomotive would run somewhat slowly, but it should run.
dougedw4 How many amps?
Amps are taken up by the motor based on need. Many locos, no matter if DC or DCC, will run on a fraction of an amp. As you make them move and accelerate with trailing cars (more resistance), they'll take up more amps to do the work. Very few HO scale locomotives should demand more than about 1.5 amps.
dougedw4 What voltage and amperes should my mainline DCC track have fo r proper running?
You say DCC, and that is typically around 14 volts, plus or minus, at the rails. While you dial up voltage in DC, in DCC the maximum voltage is always supplied to the rails by the system. Your throttle inputs tell the decoder what to make of your commands, and they will apportion voltage to the drive system from what they get from the rails.
As for amperage, once again, it is based strictly on demand, or on an unfortunate hard short where metal bridges two phases. The latter is why your DCC system should have a quick response to shorts so that it protects itself and any decoders on the powered rails. So, for your total amperage needs, you have to figure on demand. How many locomotives will you run at any one time, and what will they pull, and on what type of terrain...grades or level? For sound decoders and engines in good order, count on about 1 amp for easy figuring. Add one amp for each locomotive that is going to be pulling a healthy string of cars. Then, get a power supply that works for your needs and that your system can handle.
dougedw4 Help! Is 4.5 volts on the mailine sufficient to run locos? How many amps? What voltage and amperes should my mainline DCC track have fo r proper running?
The OP seems to have a major issue here!
In DCC everything should be at least 12 Volts!
Looking at my MRC Tech 2 power pack DC should be at about 16 volts!
Perhaps the OP has a poor electrical conecting to the track. Perhaps a lose railjoiner or snaped feeder wire? Is the track in question powered? Did the OP use solid or stranded wire to power the layout. A bit more detail may help us solve your issues.
Good Luck!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
The problem with being a newbie is you don't know what you don't know. We were all newbies once
May I suggest some homework
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/12488
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy The problem with being a newbie is you don't know what you don't know. We were all newbies once
Here is power supply of LION. (Lower left next to the interlocking machine.)
LION must use a regulated power supply, because trains start and stop on their own and a non-regulated supply would cause voltage (ergo spped) fluxuations.
Rout of LION can run ten trains at one time, (Him uses resistors embedded in the tracks to control and stop trains around the stations.)
LION can adjust track voltage, usually between 7 and 10 volts. Supply can provide 10 amps. Each train draws less than one amp.
Since Route of LION is a subway layout, there is no reversing switch, all trains must move forward. Ergo the left rail is a HARD GROUND, and the right rail receives its + DC voltage from this power supply. (Negative leg of power supply is tied to the HARD GROUND.)
Trains are automatic, being controlled by the tracks (Gaps, resistors, and relays).
LAYOUT is controlled by the interelocking plant. There is a lever for each switch and Home Signal. In rush hour operation trains are about three minutes apart and take 20 minutes to run a round trip. For this only the three left levers and the two right levers are used, the rest of them, while opeerational, are mostly just for looks.
BACK to the OP.... A DC train will typically start moving at about 5 mph at about 5 volts. You want slower, Tough Noogies. A DCC operation wilt 12 v AC present on the tracks at all times, controls DC voltage to the motor as dictated by the on-board decoder.
Since LION can run ten trains but has only one head (Poor LION) adding DCC will not help.
LION has found that him never draws more than about 3 amps. Him has automotive fuses to protect for this. If short their is, the fuse must be removed, but instead of replacing fuse, LION patches big red light intop the circuit. When light goes out, short is fixed and a new fuse can be installed.
Too bad layout is on third floor of library building (no elevator in there), him cannot get up there as often as him likes. HIM must heal legs of him so him can get up there agian.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Voltage is the pressure in your garden hose.
Amperage is the amout of water your bucket will hold.
The hose will supply all of the water you need,
The bucket can only take what it can use.
A small wire can supply 12 or even 100 volts but it could be like using a garden hose to fill an olympic size swimming pool.
Wires are rated in the amount of amperage they can carry. Try to pull too many amps through a small wire and you will cause a fire.
BUS wires of LION are 14 gauge. The can carry 15 amps at 100 volts. They can carry 150 amps at 10 volts. So one must consider if we are talking about HO scale amps or 1:1 scale amps. : )
Fuses on power pole outside of our Abbey are 100 amp fuses at 4000 volts. On our side of the transformer we have many 100 amp distribution boxes with three phase 110 volts.
In the train room I have several transformers providing an array of voltages (10-16) at about 3 amps per circuit. In theory the amout of amaperage that I can draw is quite high, hence fuses to keep the lid on things. I can start a track fire with a short at 10 amps.
DCC eliminates all of this nonsense, but provides questions and issues of its own of which the LION knows NOTHING>
ROQR
In case the OP does not use a meter, here are a couple usefull links.
Some years ago I compared the meters to expensive meter.
It cost more for better probes and probe wire. I like three foot pobe wire.
I have four meters. One for the car since I use to work on my own car. Good for house trouble shooting. I use to be a maintenace electrician/mechanic.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_Workshop/index.htm
Volts and current measurments together. I use to do this for setting up DCC installs.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_HF/index.htm
dougedw4Is 4.5 volts on the mailine sufficient to run locos? How many amps? What voltage and amperes should my mainline DCC track have for proper running?
I looked up the OP's prior posts. He said he rebuilt an old layout for DCC. He had another thread about a reversing loop so I believe he had a functioning DCC layout at one time.
I suppose the 4.5 could have been a typo for 14.5 or something failed and he is no longer getting adequate voltage to his track. He's going to have to give us more details.
DeTail is at da other end of de cat!