Fresh in the marketplace is the Throttlepack AC100 train controller by the Model Rectifier Corp. This transformer offers a 100VA output for track as well as an accessory output.
Opening the box
This was literally one of the first AC100s received in the MRC offices, and shortly after, we were able to play with this brand-new toy!
I was surprised by the light weight of the transformer. Empty-plastic-shell light. The first thing I did was look at the manual to see if there was another plug-in power supply needed. Nope, all gear is in the plastic box. A removable power plug and a removable four-terminal, right-angle plug are also included.
So, what is the lay of the land?
The on/off switch is on the left side of the box. On the face you’ll find a conventional-looking knob, with a graphic illustration of increasing power with a range of Stop to Full. To the right of the knob are three lights and three blue buttons.
The lights are a pilot light (indicating power on/off), an overload light (a problem on the track or with the locomotive), and a power monitor (higher power used equals brighter, and lower power equals dimmer). The three buttons trigger direction change or trigger a bell or horn if your model is equipped with them.
You feed power to the track or accessories with the green four-terminal, right-angle plug. This snaps in and out of the transformer easily. The only time I recall seeing screw-down terminals similar to this was with an old LGB DC transformer we use to power a Large scale train around our magazine’s Christmas tree.
You’ll need a small flathead screwdriver to open and close the terminals. Just strip your wire, insert it, and screw down the posts, and you’re ready to connect!
On the test track
We did a simple function check on all the locomotives we could reach in our workshop and offices. This was a start, go forward, reverse, stop, and trigger horn/bell/whistle run-through.
Our test engines guaranteed a mix of postwar and modern, command and conventional power, with and without sound, and included single and dual motors. They included Atlas O (three locomotives), Lionel (five locomotives and two motorized units), K-Line (two locomotives), MTH (five locomotives), Ready Made Trains (two locomotives), Weaver (two locomotives), and Williams and Williams by Bachmann (five locomotives).
The only exception we had was a modern, conventional-whistle tender that didn’t trigger – but we brought in a second tender from the same model and it functioned flawlessly. We wrote that off to the tender and not the power supply. Otherwise, although the wacky world of aging 15-year-old locomotive circuit boards promised some hiccups out there awaiting discovery, we didn’t encounter any.
The Throttlepack AC100 transformer by MRC delivered good performance on our test track and is a great single-piece product for a modest layout. I think I just may have a home for it!
Price: $179.98 (no. 0001311)
Features: 100VA output, horn/whistle and bell buttons, power and overload indicators.
