Different Brands Different Voltages

My view is simplistic in the extreme -

1. The largest curves you can accommodate.

2. The biggest power supply you can afford - within reason. To my knowledge, no wildlife in MY backyard has ever been fried by electrocution via the tracks, else we'd be seeing the ground under transmission lines littered with corpses

Your little Bachmann unit will happily run one small loco with a couple or three cars around a small track - a larger track needs more oomph from the power unit to drive the loco - the track itself is resistant, remember.

I agree that most people over here don't run four-loco lashups with a hundred cars, but you can bet that those who do have the necessary electricals well sorted out.

tac
 
If you leave power on, then a juicy (no pun) supply will affect slugs, snails, frogs/toads. - Though the latter tend to move off the tracks fast enough!

For grey squirrels, you need at least 240Volts! :eek:;)
 
power... - there are so much powerfull arguments for so many different solutions.
but on one thing, most can agree: in the long run, you'll need many powersources.
seperate sources for blocks/sections of track; (AC) power for turnouts; different sources for seperate sections of building lights; or even for animations.
not all of these future powersources have to be specificly made for modeltrains.
so, if you don't like to pay up lots of money for the best and expensive, you might consider the option to squirrel away any kind of powersources against future use.

i, personally have run my smallish (Stainz-size) locos during the last four decades with Starterpack sources, H0 (Fleischmann) packs, 0 scale (two-rail**) Eco- and Fallerpacks, Computer powerpacks with LGB dials, and even for some time with old car batteries plus an oldfashioned radio-volume control.
The only pack, i ever bought new is my AC pack for the turnouts.
before i forget, even very smallish sources, like transformers for landline wireless telefones can be used for lighting of buildings and stations. (just add parts of christmas light chains and some additional wire)
believe me, it adds up, what you could save for more roling stock or track.
and, as the urban myth goes, after retirement we are suposed to have more time for do-it-yourselfing than money for buying.
those of us who are old enough, know, that is not true, but myths are hard to kill.
(when i was still working, every cent got reinvested. now i got more money for whims than before)

**) the three rail AC 0-scale packs might serve to power turnouts, if strong enough. (?)
 
In the "they saw me coming" department - When I started I was sold a Crest 55465 (whisper it, GRS). It can deliver up to 20 amps and is switchable between 13.8V and 20V. They said I will never need anything else. Too true :D. I only had a USAT GP38/2 at the time

Withe regards to amps and shifting the wildlife - well, the full 20V/20 amps would not shift this one -

Cat sat on the track 001.jpg

Must be something to do with the insulating properties of fur or she really was that cussedly obstinate. Max
 
If she bats it off the track..
You are modelling the wrong thing, or not enough ballast.. :eek:
If she licks it (if in doubt, wash) she approves of what you are modelling, if not your 'weathering' skills! :rofl:
 
Greg Elmassian said:
24 volts DCC will fry frogs, found more than a few with rear legs on one rail and front on the other..

Frogs are much lower resistance than humans!

Greg
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I would also imagine that Newts could have the same problem. Though I have a Garden that is delightfully infested with Newts I have never been investigated by the Newt Police as my line is around 3ft High mostly and tends not to attract them. I can see lack of Frog or Newt interest with Tac's raised UK line.
 
dunnyrail said:
I would also imagine that Newts could have the same problem. Though I have a Garden that is delightfully infested with Newts I have never been investigated by the Newt Police as my line is around 3ft High mostly and tends not to attract them. I can see lack of Frog or Newt interest with Tac's raised UK line.
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Hmmmmm. You have obviously never encountered the comparatively rare flying Newt frog, right?

tac
 
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