Initial startup/Control of locomotives
7
Initial startup
The power control unit is intended as a control panel unit for installation on a control desk.
To this end drill holes for screws (diameter of 3 mm) are located at the foot and top of the
base part. Several appliances for various electric circuits can be placed next to one another.
To begin with the power control unit will be connected with the railway track using two
stranded wires to the screw terminals (
fi
gure 2). The power control unit is supplied with an
appropriate wall plug transformer. You are only permitted to operate the power control unit
with this. The wall plug transformer may only be connected to the house mains by adults.
Before plugging the cable plug of the wall plug transformer into the socket of the control
unit, the control knob must be set to “0“ and the drive direction switch must placed in the
centre (
fi
gure 1). A test of the device is automatically performed when it is connected to the
power supply. To this end all the LEDs of the power control unit are illuminated for a short
time. Following this only the green LED of the standard characteristic curve C (function 1)
should light up to signify that it is ready for operation. If the LEDs of the illumination ring
and the green LED at F 2
fl
ash alternately then the control knob was not set to „0“ prior to
connection to the power supply. If this is then repeated the
fl
ashing will cease and the green
LED of the standard characteristic curve will light up. The device is now operative.
Control of locomotives
The
fl
ip switch must be switched to the corresponding direction to select the direction of
travel. Then the speed of the locomotive can be regulated using the control knob. The linear
characteristic curve C is used as standard to this end. The central green LED lights up at F 1
as a sign of this. The central green LED lights up at F 2 when the control knob is turned up.
The illumination ring around the drive direction switches in correspondence with the positi-
on of the control knob. It indirectly displays the speed the locomotive is travelling at. But it
is obviously clear that every locomotive will have a different speed even if the display is the
same as these are dependent on the model’s motor and gear train. The colour of the display
in the illumination ring also changes depending on the direction of travel.
Short circuit or Overload
The power control unit has been provided with an electronic fuse on the output side. This
when the highest permissible current levels of 1 A are exceeded. Depending on the tolerances
of the components the fuse can already be activated from a level as low as 900 mA. The fuse
is activated very quickly to offer the greatest possible protection. As a result the fuse can in
some instances be triggered when travelling over points if the wheel sets come into contact
with the closed point and this has the same potential as the open point. If the fuse has been
triggered and the short circuit has been recti
fi
ed the control must be placed in the „0“ positi-
on. This is the only way in which the fuse can be reset to the operating status. This prevents
the train from starting off at full speed following the recti
fi
cation of the short circuit (depen-
ding on the power control unit position) and additional train malfunctions as a result.
