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Old Train Set
Bob asks readers this question:
“My mom just gave me a big box of HO train stuff that I know nothing about. A lot of the cars are dated early 70’s to early 80’s. There is one engine that appears like it was built in the 30’s. I want to set it up for my grandson. It has several engines and lot of track but I don’t see any power supply. What do I need to make it go? Thanks.”
3 Responses to Old Train Set
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if you go to your local hobby shop they will most likely have a used transformer for dirt cheap.
Also, go to a train show. There’s likely to be something used on sale cheap. Most shows have a place where you can test it too. Also, there are lots of people that can help you.
HO sets normally run on 12 Volts DC. This 12 V comes from a transformer/rectifier unit, which then goes through a controller unit to the track to adjust the loco speed and direction. There are some model railroad power units that combine these functions.
As mentioned by Bruce and Joe, model railrod exhitions and some hobby shops have second-hand equipment going cheap. Get a basic book on model railroads to help you see how to connect everything.