As I am faced with the fact of downsizing from a large HO basement layout to something that will fit into a postage stamp sized bedroom in a condo, I am trying to rationalize what out of all of my Maerklin, LDT, Viessmann, ESU, etc. controls I might be able to keep and reuse on a Minitrix N scale layout. I know nothing about Minitrix and assume that it runs on a DCC digital platform. Can a Marklin CS2, MS1 or MS2 be used as a controller or not?

I assume turnouts can still be powered with servos and thus the ESU Switchpilot Servo decoders. I also assume that LDT signal decoders can still be used for Viessmann N scale signals.

Any advice as to what digital controllers should be considered is appreciated, since once again I am starting to feel like a Newbie.

Peter

Some of the MiniTrix starter sets include a MS2 controller so there must be a specific power supply for N Scale usage. Another possible alternative is to use a DigiTrax Voltage Reducer which reduces the output voltage from your current controller configuration by 4 or 6 V before the track, here's the link: DigiTrax Voltage Reducer. I don't have any experience with N-Scale digital or DigiTrax components so you may have to do a little more research.

Cheers,

Harold.

You can get away with higher DCC track voltages in N as most European decoders (such as ESU) will handle up to 21V just as their HO version will do. I would not not run them at long extended periods at that high voltage though. When I switched to N from Marklin HO over a decade ago, I tried a number of voltages and settled on a good transformer with 15/16v to power my Ecos for N. I have never had a decoder get hot enough at that voltage to do any damage.

If/when you do switch over keep all your electronics and decoders as eventually you will find a use for them! Most are fairly scale independent. Any Marklin command station that can output a DCC signal will be fine with N - I use a ESU ECoS as it actually supports running the Selectrix protocol at the same time as DCC and I do have a couple older Minitrix locos that were only even made in digital in Selectrix (BR85) or were easier to find in selectrix (Swiss Croc).

Feel free to shoot me a PM with any questions - I am only a few minutes from Port Moody.