I've been busy working on the Power Distribution Panel - the board that will hold all the circuitry and distribute power to all 8 districts. I had been making great progress. In fact, yesterday I completed the board. I decided that the prudent thing to do was test it thoroughly before mounting it vertically under the layout and it's a good thing I did. Briefly, here's what's on the board:
- Command Base, 3 DZ-2001 Data Wire Drivers (for switches), an Action Recorder Controller (ARC), and 2 Accessory Motor Controllers (AMC)
- 4 Track Power Controllers (TPCs) for District 1, 6, 7, 8, respectively. Districts 1 & 6 are TPC-300s and districts 7 & 8 are TPC-400s.
- Each power district is equipped with a fuse and a light bulb wired into the circuit as an indicator.
- Each district receives power from either a PowerHouse 135 or a PowerHouse 180. Districts 1 & 6 have the PH135s; the rest are all PH180s.
Testing revealed that both TPC-300s and one of the TPC-400s would accept ID numbers, but would not send power to the track terminal blocks in either Conventional or Command modes. I verified this using a voltmeter as well as observing the dark light bulb. I re-read the directions, watched a Lionel YouTube video, and attempted this more than 5 times. No success, although I did get voltage readings of 1, 2, 3, and 4 volts at one point.
Roger, these were the TPC-300s I purchased used and sent to you in an attempt to get you back into TMCC. I fear they may have been damaged before they got to you. And that may explain why you had so much trouble getting TMCC to work on your layout. I confess that I never suspected these could be the culprit. I am sorry for any consternation I may have caused you. However, they simply don't work for me, either.
The other TPC-400, which I just purchased, was reportedly of low mileage. It's exhibiting the same behavior as the TPC-300s.
My original TPC-400, which I purchased new 15 years ago, worked perfectly.
At this point, I think the TPCs are just doorstops. Lionel no longer makes them and they are extremely expensive. The follow-on product is called a Legacy Powermaster. It does pretty much all that the TPC does except that a physical slider switch much be used to set it to either Conventional or Command mode. The TPC could be switched via CAB-1 button press. Also, the Legacy Powermaster is wireless and does not require COMM and DAT cables from the Command Base. Fortunately, the Legacy Powermaster has a street price in the $70-80 range. New TPC's, if they can be found at all, will be at least twice that, if not more.
Well, that's the latest. At best, the new Powermasters may fit in the spots currently occupied by the TPCs. At worst, I've got major wiring surgery to do.
More when I know it.
George
