Adding a Throttle?

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EngineerKyle

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Oct 3, 2005
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Are any Bachmann products now available that will allow me a secondary throttle?

I currently use the EZ Commander and run 4 locos…. I will be adding a new section and it would be ideal to have a throttle close to it that I or a second operator could use. I believe I saw a product like this at my LHS, but I am curious; do I need some kind of panel to plug into as well? Will a particular loco share the same address for both throttles? Also, which throttle has priority over a loco?

If the equipment exists, what about will my total cost be?

Kyle
 
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60103

Pooh Bah
Mar 25, 2002
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Kyle: I don't know the products you mention, so I'll answer generally. Your instruction manual should tell you if you can add throttles and what you need for it. Added throttles are one part of DCC that isn't standardized, so you need one that is compatible.
On the system I operated with, extra throttles came with a plug and socket like a telephone. We had a number of sockets around the layout and just unplugged the throttle and plugged in at the new location, hoping that no disaster happend meantime.
The loco number is in the chip on the loco and the base station relays commands to it. We found that if you punched the same loco number into more than one socket, both throttles commanded the loco. (Like being in the army and having two lieutenants ordering you about.) The loco responds to the latest command. On the Lenz system, if a second throttle gave a command, the number greyed out on the first throttle.
 
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EngineerKyle

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Oct 3, 2005
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Oh, I don't know, Trainnut. :rolleyes:

My layout is medium sized at best, (12x20) and the Commander only cost me 50 bucks for everything. I've only been in this hobby a year and the EZ system has been a great intro to DCC for me. I know it's not programable... but I can get 4 locos going. The secret for me was to keep the switch motors analog, for now... I have a stationary decoder made by Team Digital that looks really versatile and can control up to eight motors and set twenty routes... and it may be a long time before I ever hook it up. I'm planning a new section, and it will be interesting to see if the Bachmann unit still "does it" for me... or whether I'll want to get into LENZ. I've never cared much for Digitrax, for some reason. Maybe it's the little knobs.

EK
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