contollers

[tammi-1949]

just started back,   didnt take long to run out of power with org. issue controller.    any help with an up grade

[richg]

just started back,   didnt take long to run out of power with org. issue controller.    any help with an up grade

How about giving us some details. DC DCC? How many locos?
What do you mean, run out of power?
How big is the layout?
To large a grade and the drivers slip?
We are not mind readers.
We will assume Bachmann product.

Rich

[tammi-1949]

dc   2 locos  2 dummies    20 ft in oval   5 slips with the dummies lighted   one rail car w/spot light   bumper stops lighted     all other power on seperate voltage and yes bach starter pac     love your humor lol

[tammi-1949]

and no    not a grade slip

[richg]

You really have to give more details. Exactly what is happening or not happening?
Run out of power is not very informative.
Locos moving too slowly or stop moving?
Power pack turned all the way up?

Rich

[tammi-1949]

yes   locomotives are moving slower and slower    i presume my power pack can not keep up and dont know what to upgrade to

[Doneldon]

tammie-

It's certainly possible that your power pack is dying; manufacturers don't put their highest quality equipment in their train sets. However, the loads you are describing shouldn't be challenging even a train set pack. It's also possible that you have dirty rails and/or wheels. The crud which builds up on the track and wheels isn't very conductive so it could be adding a lot of resistance to your power circuit and that is sapping energy. I would say this is most likely to be a problem with brass rails or steel rails. It will help us to know what kind of track you have. Let me ask you a few questions.

First, does your track have integrated roadbed or just rails and ties? If you do not have integrated roadbed, is it permanently set up or do you have to set it up and take it down each time you run trains? (Repeated assembly/disassembly makes it hard to maintain good electrical conductivity.) If you are setting up and taking down, do you run your trains on an elevated surface or on the floor? (Floor railroads tend to get dirty rails and wheels faster as well as making it easy for dirt and fibers to get into the works and bind things up.) If you have Bachmann track with integrated roadbed, is the roadbed black or grey? (Black roadbed means steel alloy track; grey roadbed means so-called nickel/silver rails.)

Do you have more than one wire to your track? A 20' oval with steel rail, set-up/take-down history, dirty brass track or even NS, which isn't a great conductor, can make trains operate poorly as they get farther from the connection point.

Give us some further information and we should e able to help, hopefully without the purchase of a new power pack.
                                                                                                                                                                                -- D
       

[tammi-1949]

ez lock     permanent elevated      no road bed  black bass steel      if i take off lights or dummies,   locos immed. speed up    if add second power pack locos speed up and everything is brighter and faster      thanx   gone to work, be back

[Jerrys HO]

Tammi,

Sounds like you either have a faulty power pack or they are not powerful enough to handle the load.
I have read on this forum others that like the MRC or Athearn power supplies. I am full DCC so I really can not suggest one or the other or any others.
I will say it would be advisable to step up to a better one than the train set one. I suggest going to the LHS and find out what they carry or can get for you. Other than that try an online auction.

Jerry

[ebtnut]

The MRC Tech 2 is a rock-solid power pack for DC operation, and it is not very expensive. 

[tammi-1949]

 mrc tech 2     thanx alot

[Doneldon]

tammi-

DO NOT under any circumstances connect two power packs at
the same time. Very bad things can happen.
                                                                               -- D

[tammi-1949]

oook

[jward]

whatever you choose, look at its power rating before you buy it. this is often expressed as volt amps or va. the higher the va the more power it will put out. for example, my mrc tech 4 220 puts out 17 va.

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

Access to a multimeter could confirm some of the variables. As you get deeper into the hobby, You may want to invest in a multimeter eventually. A useful tool, that doubles as a learning device Even a very cheap analog one is useful. If you like using it, and find it as indispensable as most do, you can always upgrade to one with higher accuracy, and better options.
I know its not a giant layout, but have you tried adding an extra power feed opposite the existing one? This really seems to help when pulling lighted passenger cars. Consider moving all supplemental lighting, and switch power, to your extra power pack too. If its near its power limits, every fraction of an amp counts. If you know you'll need more power eventually, move straight to a high performance unit, and don't skimp. Watch for nice clean power, it will be money well spent. Notice you don't hear "I bought to big" or "mines too high in quality" very often when it comes to power.