| How much power do I need to operate my
railroad? |
| This is a tough question to answer, it will
require some calculation on your part to determine how much power you will need to operate
your railroad. |
- The first thing you need to think about is how many
locomotives are you going to have moving on your railroad at one time?
- What scale are you modeling in (N, HO, S, O or G)?
- Calculate the maximum power draw of your layout at any
given time.
|
| Here are some general numbers you can use to
determine how much power you will need: |
 | N-Scale Locomotives will require about 1/4 amp each to
operate. |
| HO locomotives using can motors or locomotives less then 10
years old will require about 1/2 amp each. |
| HO locomotives older then about 10 with open frame motors
may require as much as 1.5 amps each. |
| S-Scale Locomotives will require up to 3 amps each. |
| O-Scale Locomotives will require up to 3 amps each. |
| G-Scale Locomotives may require as much as 5 amps each. |
|
| So, lets say you have an HO railroad and you
have determined you may have as many as two trains operating at one time. Each train
has 3 locomotives pulling it, in addition you have a yard with one switch engine
working while the two trains are running. You will have a maximum of 7
locomotives operating at once. |
