MRC Tech 7 780
DC “Power Packs” for model trains tend to be designed for HO scale trains, at least in North America. There are separate ones for G scale, and some multi-scale packs catering to both HO and larger scales. But those sold for N scale are typically just HO models, with the usual HO “16 volt” or higher output, usually called “Universal” power packs.
Anyone who’s been involved in model railroading for any length of time knows the Model Rectifier Corporation, more commonly just MRC. They’re probably the dominant supplier of DC power packs for HO and N-scale model railroading in North America, aside from those included in starter sets, although Kato’s Unitrack power pack likely gets a fair amount of N-scale market share. But I’ll admit I don’t have hard facts on market share for anyone.
My first power pack, after a cheap Tyco one that came in a starter set, was an MRC Throttlepack 501, circa 1972 (yeah, I’ve been doing this a while, although I took a long break after High School). That 501 still works today, although one of the switches has finally started having problems. But it survived 40 years of damp basements, being thrown in boxes for moves, and running a large variety of trains. That kind of quality leaves a lasting impression. I’d followed it with another MRC, a Control Master II, when I got back into model railroading and needed a second power pack (back around 1992). It too has served well, and still works. But both put out relatively high voltages (19V+), so I’d rather not use them with N-scale trains.
So when I started looking to see what was available in a modern design suited to N-scale, and discovered the MRC Tech 7 line had a model with a rated 14.5 V, 10VA output, it didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to give it a try. It’s a dual-cab power pack, with two independent throttles in one box. But I’m going to use it on a double-track line where I’m normally the only operator, so that’s fine.
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Anyone who’s been involved in model railroading for any length of time knows the Model Rectifier Corporation, more commonly just MRC. They’re probably the dominant supplier of DC power packs for HO and N-scale model railroading in North America, aside from those included in starter sets, although Kato’s Unitrack power pack likely gets a fair amount of N-scale market share. But I’ll admit I don’t have hard facts on market share for anyone.
My first power pack, after a cheap Tyco one that came in a starter set, was an MRC Throttlepack 501, circa 1972 (yeah, I’ve been doing this a while, although I took a long break after High School). That 501 still works today, although one of the switches has finally started having problems. But it survived 40 years of damp basements, being thrown in boxes for moves, and running a large variety of trains. That kind of quality leaves a lasting impression. I’d followed it with another MRC, a Control Master II, when I got back into model railroading and needed a second power pack (back around 1992). It too has served well, and still works. But both put out relatively high voltages (19V+), so I’d rather not use them with N-scale trains.
So when I started looking to see what was available in a modern design suited to N-scale, and discovered the MRC Tech 7 line had a model with a rated 14.5 V, 10VA output, it didn’t take me long to decide I wanted to give it a try. It’s a dual-cab power pack, with two independent throttles in one box. But I’m going to use it on a double-track line where I’m normally the only operator, so that’s fine.
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Train Power - DC Motor Basics
’m going to kick off the new year with a series of posts on some basic topics related to model railroading. Hopefully that will give me something to think about while my work on the layout is stalled, and reinvigorate my interest. I’m going to start with several about motors and control systems. Much of this recaps material I’ve covered in the past, but hopefully in a more concise and readable form.
Also, since my present modeling is all N-scale, I’m looking at things from that perspective. Much of this is equally applicable to other scales, although Z-scale motors may be somewhat different (“coreless” motor designs are more common there, and I’m not going to get into that).
While many trains today are used on Digital Command Control (DCC) systems, I’m going to focus on non-DCC systems that you’d find in a typical off-the-shelf model or a basic set, similar to the locomotive and DC power pack shown above. The same motors will work with DCC, with some additional electronics (the “DCC decoder”), so this is a good foundation regardless of the type of layout used. Future posts will cover more complex topics, but for now let’s stick to the basics: simple voltage-controlled motors and DC power.
Update: I don’t normally modify Musings after they are posted, but I have made some edits to this one to clarify sections and add some minor details overlooked in the original. These don’t alter the original in a significant way, but may make it clearer to some readers and help provide better background for later posts.
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Also, since my present modeling is all N-scale, I’m looking at things from that perspective. Much of this is equally applicable to other scales, although Z-scale motors may be somewhat different (“coreless” motor designs are more common there, and I’m not going to get into that).
While many trains today are used on Digital Command Control (DCC) systems, I’m going to focus on non-DCC systems that you’d find in a typical off-the-shelf model or a basic set, similar to the locomotive and DC power pack shown above. The same motors will work with DCC, with some additional electronics (the “DCC decoder”), so this is a good foundation regardless of the type of layout used. Future posts will cover more complex topics, but for now let’s stick to the basics: simple voltage-controlled motors and DC power.
Update: I don’t normally modify Musings after they are posted, but I have made some edits to this one to clarify sections and add some minor details overlooked in the original. These don’t alter the original in a significant way, but may make it clearer to some readers and help provide better background for later posts.
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December 2013 Status Etc
Another month plus, and not much to show for it. I’ve hit something of a wall, and just don’t feel inspired to work on any aspect of the layout. That’s really the first time in four years that this has happened. I’ve gone through slack periods before, but I was always able to focus on something else and get motivated.
I did spend some time on investigating DC power packs with the new oscilloscope, and I’ve updated the Power Pack Testing page with results so far. This has got me thinking about DC power in general, so perhaps I’ll write something more about that in another post. But for now, that’s about all there is to say.
Well, one more thing: I did get motivated to pre-order an E7 Shinkansen. Both Kato and Tomix currently have these available for preordering, with Tomix’s model due out in March for about US$323 for a 12-car train, and Kato’s due out in April for about US$302 for the same (both pre-order prices in Japan before shipment, at the current exchange rate).
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I did spend some time on investigating DC power packs with the new oscilloscope, and I’ve updated the Power Pack Testing page with results so far. This has got me thinking about DC power in general, so perhaps I’ll write something more about that in another post. But for now, that’s about all there is to say.
Well, one more thing: I did get motivated to pre-order an E7 Shinkansen. Both Kato and Tomix currently have these available for preordering, with Tomix’s model due out in March for about US$323 for a 12-car train, and Kato’s due out in April for about US$302 for the same (both pre-order prices in Japan before shipment, at the current exchange rate).
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