I have ON30 Christmas trolleys that I wouldlike to use on regular HO track . My question is can I use these trolleys with an ordinary transformer and would I have to do any thing to make these trolleys run in a looped track
Bj102,
Your trolley will run on any loop of track.
It will be under that controllers use to make the stops and adjust speed.
Enjoy,
Barry
Quote from: BJ102 on April 25, 2013, 12:00:53 PM
I have ON30 Christmas trolleys that I wouldlike to use on regular HO track . My question is can I use these trolleys with an ordinary transformer and would I have to do any thing to make these trolleys run in a looped track
You will probably have to identify the trolley better to get better answers. The track is not a issue, but I would stick with the original set transformer, if you have it. Especially if this is an auto reverse model. Or buy or assemble something to produce clean power. Older dc power packs can reek havoc on, even burn out some modern electronics because the power is just not filtered the same. Never try ac output transformers on any dc train. (But
most trains of any scale will run on dc power). But other than the possibility(?) of sensors or extra wiring running inside the auto reversing track, most track is just track. Power + and -, one to each rail, makes the train go, reversed wiring = reversed travel. The reversing can be done at the controller, the power feed track, and by code or radio even in the engine itself (throttle too). And there were some different systems used over different years/scales, so learning
exactly what you have could be very important here. I think one of the smaller scale auto-rev. systems might even use a current(amp) based speed control, not the normal voltage based control units.
The Bachmann On30 trolley (Christmas or otherwise) is a straight DC (not DCC) unit, with no fancy electronics in it. It should operate fine with any ordinary DC controller such as the standard Bachmann one that comes in train sets. It is just the same as any other DC locomotive.
The auto reverse function is in the trolley barn, not the trolley itself, in the auto reversing sets (or the controller in the 44547 auto reversing track set) and requires the specially wired reversing track to operate. Any DC locomotive will reverse automatically on the reversing track set up, the Bach Man used it in his On30 exhibition layout to reverse the Davenport locomotive shunting a mine.
Hamish
It is fine just use it on "ordinary" DC powered track as you would any powered locomotive!!!