Model Railroading > Getting back into HO scale! A couple questions.

After a long hiatus, I am contemplating the jump back into HO after years in O scale.Plan is to convert the Upper deck of My layout to HO.Its about 20 feet by 6 feet.My question is how to power it, I will be using Atlas code 83 track .Would like to have 2 seperate mainlines and run 2 trains at once but not use DCC.What would be My best choice to power this and I would like to have the ability to walk around with the trains as I like switching. Thanks Much

Mike Mautner
Maryland Hts., MO

If you're not using DCC, I'd recommend the following (after helping someone setup a non-DCC system only last year).

For the throttle(s):
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/851.HTM

They're $45, and require a power supply.  I used a single power supply for 4 cabs, an NCE P515  5A supply.  They supply the correct AC (yes, the throttles rectify it) for the system.
Tony's Train Exchange has a good price on it at the moment (about $50)  and so far they have all worked great.
There aren't many DC hand held throttle systems out there (nearly none outside of the used market), and this was a time when the person couldn't convert to DCC as it was adding on to an existing DC setup.

Hope this helps.



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/19 20:45 by tmurray.

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tmurray Wrote:
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> If you're not using DCC, I'd recommend the
> following (after helping someone setup a non-DCC
> system only last year).......

Interesting concept. Instead of varying the voltage, that throttle just varies the amount of time the full voltage is applied to the motor. Offhand the only issue I see with that throttle is lack of securement for the wires to the throttle body. Looks like it would be easy to rip out those wires by accident. Aristo-craft trains made a good wireless throttle system that was popular for many years. But they went out of business in 2013 and the systems are hard to come by.
 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR