All I know about electricity is that it flows through wires like water through a hose. That's about it (with a few exceptions). So I'm hardly qualified to weigh in on this, but here's my 22 cents. I have a 10x28 Fastrack layout with eight turnouts, running Legacy and TMCC locomotives. The track/switches are powered by a classic postwar ZW 275 watt transformer set at 16 volts. It has a slow-acting circuit breaker, so to protect my expensive locos a simple 10 amp automotive circuit breaker (red 2-prong fuse) with a soft rubber pop-top is connected just downstream from the ZW. A separate CW-80 transformer powers all the accessories and lighting. I have less than $250 combined in both of the transformers and they work flawlessly. Their quality, compared to a lot of electronic equipment being made today, is unquestionably good. Occasional derailments or shorts will pop the 10A circuit breaker, and it takes only seconds to replace the fuse. Due to the length of the layout, three power connections were installed (one at each end, the other in the middle) with quick-connect plugs. The ZW is mounted on a homemade cart with about 12 feet of tether, and it can be plugged in to any of the three connections. (The AC power cord is plugged into a multi-outlet strip attached to the cart, and has its own 15-foot cord.) With this arrangement, I can keep the transformer close at hand when working on different areas of the layout. When running trains, the cart can be rolled underneath the layout, keeping floor space completely open. My transformers are old-school, but I have no complaints whatsoever.
