Why you need this: Running trains is always a great time. Yet the more you play with the trains, the more you would like automate something. This is the start of the Smart Engineer. The BCC microBit is a pocket size computer, fully programable with 40 input/output ports. Interfacing this with the Lionel CommandBase will open up the possibilities to
You quit running any wires to your #38 Water Tower, now you can control it using Lionel TMCC. Under Construction
When I was a kid, we had a nice big layout. It had all the things a kid could want. There were log loaders and cattle platforms, barrel loaders and milk platforms. We had sidings and mainlines and could do just about anything. I remember putting together work orders and trying to stay on schedule. I remember one particular day
It is with great excitement that we announce the launching of the new Kentony Shops website. Kentony Shops is a site where we talk about our joys, memories and dreams for O Gauge model railroading. Visit our pages like Lad, Dad & Daughter, where we share tutorials on how to do anything from choosing the right equipment, streamlining your layout,
When you need more than one transformer to power your toy train layout there are a number of ways to hook them up. One way is to keep them electrically isolated from each other. For example, use one for track power to run the locomotives and lights in cars and switches and use another for accessories, floodlights, streetlights etc. Another
About this time every year, a buzz of excitement begins to move around the Goleta Valley Library. This is the time for The Festival of Toy Trains! For the last 29 years, Dave Halbeisen has brought joy to the community by sharing part of his collection of model trains. On display are Lionel Standard and 3 rail O-Gauge with lots
Power supply requirements for toy train layouts can be calculated in watts or in amperes. This discussion calculates power supply requirements in watts. Classic Toy Trains published an excellent article about toy train transformers in their January 1997 issue. It was written by Dennis Eichenberg with photos by William Zuback. The article traces the history of toy train transformers from
Most often toy train power requirements are calculated in watts. However, there are times when they are made and discussed in terms of amperes or amps. In their “Product Reviews” section, Classic Toy Trains compares the amount of amps a locomotive being tested draws based on the voltage applied to the track. In addition, although The Lionel Corporation’s How to
To activate a switch, it normally takes three wires running between the switch and the switch controller. This can amount to a lot of wire as switches are added to accommodate an expanding railroad empire. Figure 1 shows how a typical switch and its controller are wired and how they work. The circled numbers show the flow of power to activate the