Hello All!
This is my first post (aside from the Introduce yourself post). I have been considering making the switch from my DCC system and converting everything to Railpro. My biggest hang up (aside from the cost), is understanding the technology. I have been trying to read up as much as I can about it - including the entire FAQ section of Railpro's website - but I have found a few questions still needing to be answered and was hoping the group knowledge here could help me out.
My layout started as a simple DC layout on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. Soon the curves left the boundaries of the 4x8 and, as I wanted to run more than one loco at a time, I added in Block wiring. As the railroad expended even further and took over the adjacent room, I came to realize the limitations of my simple DC set up and converted everything to DCC (while still keeping a small section switchable to DC for unconverted locos and new engines that didn't have a DCC Decoder in it yet, etc.). The vast majority of the locos in my fleet are old DC locos that have been converted to DCC with only a couple that were built in recent years with DCC specifically in mind (they run great compared to the others, too). SO, I am no novice at wiring and have obtained a pretty good working knowledge on the DC-DCC differences. But with Railpro, I'm a little confused...
- Railpro runs on DC, correct? Not AC like a DCC system?
- If this is true, can a Railpro loco run on any DC layout as long as the power is set to a certain level?
- At what voltage does it run?
- If I wanted to spend the minimum for a "Test Set-up" on a simple oval, could I just get the basic LM3 module and the computer interface and use an existing DC power pack to power the track? Or is there something special about the Railpro power supply?
Next: Right now, my layout is powered by a 5 amp DCC booster. This has been working well, but with the next expansion that I am planning I will be breaking it up into two power districts as the sheer size of the layout extends a good distance away from the current power supply.
- Would this be the same case for a Railpro layout? I've seen the repeaters, but those are for radio control signal, not power, right?
My layout mostly just goes around the walls in a 13'x32' room, plus a 4'x8'(ish) section on the other side of a wall.
- Would one power supply suffice, or would I need two?
Okay, that's enough questions for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more, but I'll let the group digest those to start with.
Thanks for your insight and assistance.
-Bob
KB02