Power to the track. Rookie question...

[nucleargary]

I am still in the construction phase of the layout so I havent put down any track yet. Still building benchwork, ect. I have just been playing around with an oval and the DC powerpack to test new rollingstock and locos.

I just bought a NCE PowerCab system and some decoders. This sounds like a dumb question, but what do I use to get power to the track? I understand how to hook up the DCC system, but I know I cant use the DC power pack I have been using. What do I have to buy? I want to make a programing track.


Thanks,
Gary

 

[Toyguy]

The PowerCab provides everything you need. You just run two wires from the fascia panel circuit board out to the rails. That's it. The PowerCab will have come with a small wall-wart power supply of its own that also plugs into the fascia panel circuit board. Just follow the hook up diagram and you'll be all set.

 

[Selector]

Typically in the hobby, we solder what we can. While some power supplies intended for toy trains have some kind of mechanical connector, what most of us do is to bare the two free wire ends about 1 cm, bend, pre-tin, and then solder them either directly to the rails on smaller train layouts with no more than about 30 linear feet in total, or we solder the two free ends meant for the rails to a small or long bus wire. Off the bus wire and pre-determined intervals, we would use short lengths of 22 gauge doorbell/telephone wire and solder both ends, one to the bus and the other to the rails. In either case, bend 90 deg a small bared length, and solder it directly to the web of the rail...the side least likely to be seen. Some will solder those feeders, as we call them, to the underside of the rail foot.

 

[jdetray]

Gary -

The Power Cab does supply everything you need. Look at the diagram on the inside cover of the Power Cab manual or the diagram on page 12.

From the connector block on the back of the power panel, run two wires. One wire goes to one rail; the other wire goes to the other rail.

As Crandell discusses, for larger layouts you will want a power bus -- two large diameter wires that run all around your layout. From the bus, you then run smaller wires to the rails at intervals. The Power Cab power panel then connects to the bus.

- Jeff

 

[nucleargary]

I have everything wired up exactly according to the diagram. For whatever reason, the red LED light on the power panel wont light up. I am using a 3ft section of flex track for a program track. Any other suggestions?

 

[jdetray]

Hi Gary -

I apologize for suggesting the obvious, but here are some things to check:

1. You are using the flat (NOT coiled) cable to connect the Power Cab to the Power Panel.

2. You have the flat cable plugged into the LEFT socket on the Power Panel.

3. The plug from the power supply is fully inserted into its socket on the back of the power panel.

4. Nothing metallic is shorting together the two rails.

In fact, disconnect the two track wires from the back of the Power Panel, then power up the Power Cab. Does the red light illuminate now? Does anything appear, however briefly, on the Power Cab's display?

Note: It will take several seconds after you apply power before the red light illuminates. The red light does not illuminate until the Power Cab has booted up. With my Power Cab it takes 7-8 seconds.

- Jeff

 

[nucleargary]

I checked all that and everything is correct. The cab itself works fine, I am just not getting any power to the rails. I guess I must have a defective unit because everything is exactly as stated in the manual.