O Gauge DC or AC

[Iron Horseman]

I guess I should start winding wire and counting the turns.

Boy that brings back memories. I haven't wound any of my own transformers since ummm 1970 or so.

 

[otiscnj]

So, let me take an alternative spin on this. As, to the best of my knowledge, 3 rail O(scale or tinplate) is AC-right? So, there's no point in going the DCC route, such as with HO or N, as you'd either need a bridge rectifier, + the decoders, + the base and slave units. Am I right in thinking that if you want something similar to DCC, in O, 3-rail, you either go with MTH DCS, or Lionel's Legacy type of systems? [I know Lionel has gone thru several iterations of control systems, above and beyond 'AC cab control,' and 'Legacy' is the latest?]

Thanks in Advance,
Carl/Otis

 

[Bruette]

Carl/Otis you are correct, 3 rail O is AC and DCC is not an option. You can and many do run 2 rail DC O with DCC systems.

Lionel's command control systems; Train Master Command Control (TMCC) and it's successor the Legacy system do play nice together, but if you operate them together in a consist you must run in TMCC mode. You can use a TMCC system to operate Legacy locomotives, but you will lose some advanced functions.

I can't comment much about MTH's systems because I have no first hand knowledge.

There is hope for a system that runs MTH, TMCC and Legacy now that Lionel has opened up the Legacy system's technology to everyone. of course you can run all systems together in separate power blocks as an option as well.