Power packs

[Anonymous]

Are there any differences in the types of powerpacks? I am running a small 4x6 with two trains. What is the best way to go?

thanks
Dan

[Anonymous]

In HO there's a few differences in packs.
I beleive MRC is the leader and their packs carry a five year warranty.
Visit.www .modelrectifier.com
The typical HO diesel draws between .25 and .5 ampere of current. For things to operate smoothly, the pack must be able to deliver sufficient current to all the locos you are running at the same time.

The current rating is listed on the case of the pack. Most of these ratings are expressed in voltamps or VA's. The higher the VA's the more current it can deliver.
For instance the MR 9500 model has 30 VA's and can
easily run 6+ locos.
As time passes you may have more than two locos.

If you have access to a HO walthers reference book
MRC list their products with a breakdown chart of
features.
Their 1300 model has 7VA's and the 1370 model has 18VA's which should meet your requirements.

Happy railroading.

[mhdishere]

I have a MRC Tech 4 350, which is way overkill for my layout but I got it for a REAL good price at a show, plus you can plug a walkaround throttle into it. Anything MRC should do you just fine.

[BR60103]

I'll add a bit to what Charles has said.
You probably get what you pay for. Any pack will run a train, but you can upgrade to more power (more locomotives at a time), packs with 2 sets of controls (run 2 trains independently on different tracks), packs with advanced features (gradual acceleration & braking, more sensitive low speed control.)
To run 2 trains at a time, you can either use 2 packs or one pack with dual controls. 2 packs may be easier to find, and you can add more packs when you need them.
David