SOLVED: Bachmann E-Z DCC controller, High Track Voltage, and N scale..

[peteski]

I've just had a fair amount of firsthand experience with 78xx/79xx regulators where increasing the source voltage very little changed it from "warm" to finger-burning HOT. Had to do two-step regulation to tame that stuff.

I've also used those in many projects since the 70's.  If they get too hot, heat-sinks do wonders to keep the temperature down. 

[learmoia]

SOLVED:

I got my parts today.. (4) 200V 4A bridge rectifiers, and built the setup as listed in Atlas's website.

http://www.atlasrr.com/voltage.htm

When I first hooked it up, I was disappointed to only get 2 volt drop (18-16) but I didn't have a load on the circuit (DCC chips).

As soon as I put a load on the system, voltage came down to 13V.  I am currently letting the system sit with power to make sure everything stays at Temp.

For the record.. I think the culprit decoders are Lenz brand that came preinstalled in older Atlas SD35s which I transplanted to a GP40 and B23-7
I had a Digitrax decoder installed in an F7 that got warm, but not nearly as hot or as fast as the Lenz were.

But we are all good.. Thanks for the help and advice.

~Ian