I have installed 40 tortose switch machines on a walkabout layout . Total mainline trackage is 320 feet.
What guage wire should I use as a conecting buss and how many transformers would I need to power all these machines. I'm new at this.
Thanks!
garynuson I have installed 40 tortose switch machines on a walkabout layout . Total mainline trackage is 320 feet. What guage wire should I use as a conecting buss and how many transformers would I need to power all these machines. I'm new at this. Thanks!
The electronics guys will weigh in here with more exacting info on power requirements, but I can tell you this. I have 60 Tortoises on my layout and 4 MRC Railpower 1370 transformers. Each transformer is rated at 18 volts and handles 15 Tortoises and 15 Tomar Industries signals without a problem.
Rich
Alton Junction
A 1 amp 12V power supply will handle those Tortoises and be only about 75% loaded. An 18 guage bus wire to your control panels would be sufficient, from the toggles to the Tortoises you can use telephone wire.
Each Tortoise draws about 18ma, that's 0.018 amps per.
--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 have 36 tortoises and they draw less than 1 amp in total. My layout is smaller and I use one power supply for all. I have a 16 gauge bus and a use 20 or 22 gauge for my switches. I also use a bicolor LED for each tortoise so that adds slightly to the draw.
MIke
rrinker A 1 amp 12V power supply will handle those Tortoises and be only about 75% loaded. An 18 guage bus wire to your control panels would be sufficient, from the toggles to the Tortoises you can use telephone wire. Each Tortoise draws about 18ma, that's 0.018 amps per. --Randy
Oops, forgot about the wire. I use 22 gauge copper stranded wire.