I've
converted Lionel three rail locomotives and the 12 volt limit
is a problem. Lionel and MTH locomotives are wired for 18
volts and some barely move at 12 volt. I'm not quite willing
to change to 12 volt motors.
Carl.
On 2/18/2019 1:18 PM, Mark Gurries
wrote:
With respect to the USA
Z scale track voltage and Z scale decoder voltage
ratings are not directly related. The voltage rating of the DCC
electronics are typically the same as N and HO. 30V is common
standard of electronic parts used. The voltage rating of the
power devices used to drive the motor does not define the
physical size of the parts.
The NMRA does not define specific voltage for
specific scales. They have one standard for all scales: 12V.
Does not change with DCC.
The purpose of having a specific track voltage as a
standard is for reliability purposes for both the motor and
lamps.
DCC track voltage typically is a bit higher than the
DC track voltage because of voltage losses inside the DCC
decoder. The goal is to get 12V at the motor terminals, the
same motor operating condition under DC without a decoder.
