Mark Boyce posted:Joe, Thank you for the very nice explanation. That all makes sense. Cost of batteries, conversions, incompatibility between manufacturers all need resolved in time. I was thinking maybe some tracks had power and some didn't, which may be true on the G scale.
Mark,
All the tracks are powered - both G and O gauge. This allows us to run battery and Legacy/DCS engines on the same track at the same time. This is especially nice when we operate over the mountain line with pushers. The lead engines are Legacy/DCS and the pushers at the rear are battery powered. It takes two crew members to coordinate running the train. The O gauge track power is normally 22 volts all the time.
The G gauge tracks are powered with straight DC using a Bridgewerks transformer. The output of the transformer is usually set at 20 plus volts all the time. The transformer's power is sent through the Crest Revolution track power regulation system before it goes to the track. This unit allows us to regulate the track power using a handheld device. This allows a conventional G gauge engine to be controlled in both directions and blow the horn, etc. This is not the Crest Revolution battery system that sends a radio signal directly to the engine.
We also have engines using the Crest Revolution battery system. This controls engines with a radio signal directly to the engine. This allows us to run battery powered and conventional DC engines on the same track at the same time with total control of both. The battery powered engines are insulated from the track. They keep doing their thing no matter what the track voltage is including crashing into the back of a stopped conventional engine. NH Joe
