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Looking to expand a Polar Express starter set.  Adding track and a few manual switches with total track about 3 to 4 times length of starter set.  Also plan to add a few more lighted cars, sound car, and a few accessories (eg lighted platform, lighted flag pole, gateman with activated track section).  I like running the LionChief off of the iPad app.  The starter set came with a 54 watt, 3 amp DC wall power pack.  How many amps will the above be expected to draw?  Should I upgrade to the 72 watt/4 amp DC power pack? I do like the DC power packs as they are relatively small and easier to conceal.  Also, I was told I could hook both the 54 watt and 72 watt packs up concurrently - each to its own LionChief terminal track piece to increase overall amperage/power; is this possible?

 

Advice?

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Do not try to parallel DC power supplies, that's likely to end badly.

Why not step up to a decent transformer?  If you're sticking to constant voltage like the LC power packs, I'd recommend the Lionel PowerHouse 180, tons of power for what you want to do, a top shelf intelligent circuit breaker, and pretty compact as well. 

Lionel O 6-22983 180 Watt Power House Power Supply

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Are you planning to buy another LionChief set with its own power pack?  If yes, then the 1 3/8" Fastrack section 6-12073 can be used to make 2 separate, electrically isolated sections.  Just remove the wire on the bottom.  I ran this way for a few months.  Like Gunnerjohn  says, do not hook up 2 power supplies to the same track  section.

I recently upgraded to Legacy and the Powerhouse 180.  I second Gunnerjohn's recommendation to use this and not to buy a separate Lionchief power supply just to add power.

 

Thanks for the help!

So I understand, don’t use the wall pack.  Instead wire the 180 power supply directly to the tabs on under side of a section of Fastrack?  Assume the LionChief engine can also run off of 18 volt AC from the iPad app with no problems?  Also, all my accessories will run off of the track, including the gateman through the ‘plug and play’ cable - this will be OK (eg 18 volt AC vs DC wall pack)?

Does the 180 connector have either 2 tabs to connect to underside of Fastrack or can it hook directly into the Terminal section piece that came with the starter set? 

Thanks again for the help!

The Lockon will be another $50 or so (and add a bit more clutter to a temporary holiday set up), seems like there ought to be an easier, standard, safe and less expensive way to go from the 180 brick directly to  Fastrack - especially as I’ll only be running LC (and don’t really need something like the CW-80 where I’d never use any of its functions - horn, bell, etc).  Is there an existing adapter cable already available from Lionel or others?

NoviceBen posted:

Thanks Gunrunnerjohn....I do appreciate the help...but for a novice, any more details/specifics?  Size wire, where to get the mating Molex connector, etc.?

Again, many thanks!

Type Molex in the search box, it will take you to threads that will help you with finding the connector you need.

Ray

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