IC Controls BPC3000 block power controller

IC CONTROLS HAS taken another step to enhance the flexibility of the Lionel TrainMaster Command Control system. IC Controls’ BPC3000 is a block power controller that allows operators of larger, multi-block layouts to run a combination of conventional and command-equipped locomotives at the same time using shared command control components.

The BPC3000 acts like a rotary switch to route power from either Lionel’s PowerMaster controllers or IC Controls’ own TPC3000s (track power controllers) to any insulated-center-rail block on your layout. The power can be conventional or command-mode, so in effect you can conveniently have Lionel command-equipped locomotives and MTH locomotives running on the same layout at the same time, although not on the same electrical block.

Switching blocks between command mode and conventional mode on the fly involves no more than pressing a few buttons on a Cab 1 hand-held controller. The BPC3000 also eliminates the need for an individual TCP3000 (or PowerMaster) for each and every block.

The BPC3000 works with existing command control components and can be set up two ways. It can control two TCP3000s (or PowerMasters) on four blocks of track, or it can control four TCP3000s (or PowerMasters) on two blocks of track.

Multiple BPC3000s can be used for layouts with more than four blocks. Wiring the BPC3000 is similar to wiring other IC Controls components.

The BPC3000 is designed primarily for the sophisticated toy train operator. And while it may not have applications for all home layouts, on a multi-block layout it allows smoother transitions between command and conventional power and better utilization of your command-control equipment.