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If you find that you controller is cutting out, consider a booster. I was keen and bought 2 boosters. I don't need them yet as I am not exceeding the power of my command center.
I tested some locos some time back. A Hornby Merchant Navy Class model draws 0.15 amp when rolling by itself; 0.35 amp when held stationary at the buffers, but with wheels freely sliding on the track.
It will draw up to about 1.5 amps if the wheels lock and the motor tries to continue, but that should never happen normally.
Boosters are best used where you may have multiple points of activity - say a station, a shunting yard or a mine... These areas could have their own booster. So if an operator is working in this area and he derails a loco causing a short, the whole layout doesn't subsequently power down. This works if you can configure your booster BUS not to send the 'all stop' signal back to the command station. On a Lenz-type system, the Booster BUS has 3 wires: C,D & E. Shorting the E-wire causes an 'all stop'. So if you don't want the whole layout to power down, don't connect the E-wire.
You can have remote 'panic' buttons set up around the layout connected to the E-terminal and the of the command station and the M-terminal of the LMAB DCC BUS (-). Pressing one of these buttons will activate the 'all stop'.
I tested some locos some time back. A Hornby Merchant Navy Class model draws 0.15 amp when rolling by itself; 0.35 amp when held stationary at the buffers, but with wheels freely sliding on the track.
It will draw up to about 1.5 amps if the wheels lock and the motor tries to continue, but that should never happen normally.
Boosters are best used where you may have multiple points of activity - say a station, a shunting yard or a mine... These areas could have their own booster. So if an operator is working in this area and he derails a loco causing a short, the whole layout doesn't subsequently power down. This works if you can configure your booster BUS not to send the 'all stop' signal back to the command station. On a Lenz-type system, the Booster BUS has 3 wires: C,D & E. Shorting the E-wire causes an 'all stop'. So if you don't want the whole layout to power down, don't connect the E-wire.
You can have remote 'panic' buttons set up around the layout connected to the E-terminal and the of the command station and the M-terminal of the LMAB DCC BUS (-). Pressing one of these buttons will activate the 'all stop'.
