Transformer Power Help

[WillyMcDuke]

I'm starting my first setup and I'm trying to find one answer at a time so I don't get overwhelmed...lol. My layout will be 90 feet of straight track (plus curves).

Can anyone give me a rough idea on what specs I should look for in a transformer so I dont get it home only to find it isn't strong enough.

Options like remote control......etc.......aren't important at this stage. I just want to have this up and running this year and leave upgrades to next year.

Thank you very much,

John

[Joe Satnik]

What Scale or Gauge?

[richg]

Are you looking for a transformer, AC three rail or DC power pack for O scale, HO, N scale?
You have to be more specific.

Rich

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

90ft of straight! Nice. If its a double track in O, I'd end up "drag racing" my post war steamers with a min. of 80 watts AC or more, per track 12g-14gauge wire on a bus feed.

The DC and digital guys really need to know your scale and how many engines at once, 80+ cars?, grades etc.

With that much track, and future aspirations , buying a bigger unit now for whatever scale may be a wise move. Ive only regretted buying too small, buying large never left me wanting.

[rogertra]

90ft of straight! Nice. If its a double track in O, I'd end up "drag racing" my post war steamers with a min. of 80 watts AC or more, per track 12g-14gauge wire on a bus feed.

The DC and digital guys really need to know your scale and how many engines at once, 80+ cars?, grades etc.

With that much track, and future aspirations , buying a bigger unit now for whatever scale may be a wise move. Ive only regretted buying too small, buying large never left me wanting.

On the other hand, there's those of us who think buying large with set track curves just doesn't sit well.  The locomotives when going arund the really tight curves just look, well, odd.  So we/they but smaller locos as the look, and run, much better.

[Doneldon]

Willy-

If you are looking for power for your layout, follow GG1's advice and purchase what you'll need in the future plus a bit more. When it comes to track, or at least curved track, listen to Roger. More model rails regret building a layout with tight curves than building one with too little power. Too little power just means a bad financial decision and a new expense to upgrade. Too tight curves means living with it or ripping it up and redoing it, plus the expense of the new track. The other thing is, broad curves are never a liability. Trains run better and look better on them.

Good luck with that first layout.

                                                    -- D

[WillyMcDuke]

I'm running Bachmann N-scale single track.

The reason I'm starting so big is that I've finally decided to incorporate a train set into my Christmas Vilage which.....after 20-something years is over 250 homes.

So......I've already bought the tracks....but have no transformer or trains yet.....lol. Figured buying the trains will be the fun, easy part.

Anyhow, any ideas or advice on the power I'll need would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John

[Jerrys HO]

John
One more important factor. Are you going DC or DCC.
WOW I just reread your post. 90 ft. in N scale!!! I don't know whether to say impressive or crazy ( in a good way )
Jerry

[Doneldon]

Willy-

Since you're doing N-scale you will need a DC power pack, not a transformer. I suggest anything made by the Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC). They've been building quality products for model railroads for decades. If I understood your first post correctly you aren't looking for anything fancy, just something to get the trains running, so a power pack is what you need. However, I also noticed that you left somewhat ambiguous whether you might want to go to something a bit more sophisticated in the future. If so, I urge you to consider going with DCC control now rather than simple DC.

Although you might want to use more track feeders from an under layout power buss with DCC than with DC, the general wiring is essentially the same. But, DC wiring can get much more complicated if you go to block control so you can run more than one locomotive at a time. In that case, DCC is a lot easier. The electronics will cost more, though not hugely so, but the wiring is way simpler. And the time is a lot less. I'll change my recommendation to an entry-level DCC system if you think you might want better control and more expansion potential in the future. The B'mann Dynamis system is a very good one to start with but you can't go wrong with anyone's entry-level system. A big part of the decision can be price. Check around on the Inet and eBay and I think you'll find something which will meet your needs and budget.

I advise against the EZCommand system. It is just too elementary and too lacking in expansion potential. Your straightaways amount to about three scale miles, plus curves, spurs and sidings. That's huge. You'll want more than the ten locomotives which the EZCommand can accommodate, and more power than what the EZCommand offers. Yes, you can upgrade the power output from the EZCommand but it's very expensive to do so and it does nothing about the severe versatility constraints imposed by that system.

Check out the Dynamis, here and after an Inet search. Think about what features you'd like to have, and then compare the Dynamis to what other manufacturers offer for a comparable price. Then you'll be ready to make a decision. I understand the choice is a difficult one, fraught with fears of picking the "wrong" system, worrying that you'll have to spend a bunch of money later if you buy too little, and anxiety about wasting money by buying more than you'll need. We've all been there. I've found that it's much more likely that people are too cautious now so I favor anticipating future needs and buying that plus a little cushion. Extra capacity is never a problem.

Good luck with your layout building.

                                                          -- D

[Balrog21]

Wow, that's a huge layout. Good luck with it! I also want to suggest the Anyrail program, it will save you a ton of headaches in the long run. Trust me I wish I had known about it. Lets see pics as you make progress.

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

90ft of straight! Nice. If its a double track in O, I'd end up "drag racing" my post war steamers with a min. of 80 watts AC or more, per track 12g-14gauge wire on a bus feed.
The DC and digital guys really need to know your scale and how many engines at once, 80+ cars?, grades etc.
With that much track, and future aspirations , buying a bigger unit now for whatever scale may be a wise move. Ive only regretted buying too small, buying large never left me wanting.

On the other hand, there's those of us who think buying large with set track curves just doesn't sit well.  The locomotives when going arund the really tight curves just look, well, odd.  So we/they but smaller locos as the look, and run, much better.

I was referring to a power supply unit roger. The advice for matching a big Loco to a proper track radius is valid. But while small scale has a reputation for realism, in my experience, the smaller the scale, the harder every is to deal everything, without exception. The details on a quality larger scale engine today, more than competes in quality, and has more detail by default, its larger. I recently owned and ran a high quality HO they do run GREAT now vs before 80s. I got 2 new N f7s, in sets, smooth, but both burned out quickly. I also ran a digital O gauge and a conventional Williams BL2. The Os both won me over. More options and equal to HO in running in digital. But Ive still got to give it to the large scales. Ive also recently bought a quality G scale from the 80s, my first G also. It is the smoothest loco I have ever ran any scale and is conventional. So while HO had "all the detail for a while", I don't think that's quite the case anymore. And run better? I just looked and I didnt see it.  PS you want to see some detailed O with code track? Check out the 2 rail scene.