DRG11 said:
Hi,
Can anybody tell me what the amperage a loco would take ??...have been told to allow 1 Amp per motor ??
Using LGB MTS system it puts out 5 Amps what whappens if I try to run 3 or 4 Dual motored locos..ie LGB Crocs or Mayers...is it a case of they just go slower or is there a possibility of a breakdown in the system ??
Any ideas please.
.thanks steve
Hi Steve
To answer the second bit of your question first, the transformer feeding your MTS box is the critical element. If the transformer is only rated at - say - 2 amps, then 2 amps is all you can supply to the layout. If the transformer is rated at more amps than the MTS box, then your MTS central station will trip out first. You will only get things running slower if the track voltage drops. That shouldn't happen with a decent, stabilised power supply such as Massoth, LGB or Helmsman, except through voltage drop along long wiring runs. That's a topic in itself.
Concerning your locos, 1 amp is way over the top for an LGB motor in good condition, though as they age they tend to draw more current. However, you have to also take into account gradients and tight curves, both of which cause the motor to need more amps. Don't forget too that things like lights take power (say 50 milliamps/ 0.05 amps each) as do MTS modules for things like points and reversing loops. To put some context around this, my twin-motor LGB locos typically take 0.7 amps on the flat (including 3 headlights on), but 1.5 amps climbing a 1 in 20 gradient. Double heading a heavy train with lights in the coaches up that hill can draw 4 amps. That's an untypically high figure, but it gives you an idea of what extreme gradients and 16 or so light bulbs can mean.
If your layout is dead flat with easy curves, you should have no issues with eight motors (4 twin-motor locos) on a 5 amp system, provided, of course, that all the extras like lights don't tip the balance and your motors are in good fettle. Even if you do find you're over the tipping point, it's possible to get a booster box (it doesn't have to be LGBs) and an extra transformer to add amps to your line. Mine is powered by two LGB 5 amp transformers, a 55006 central station and a 50090 booster, the layout being split into two separate powered sections.
