Just a short video with all the working parts working together to make the wig wag work.

Hi, I'm new to model trains. I've recently aquired a DC locomotive and some tracks but I´m missing a way to control it.

I want to spend as little as possible because eventually I will make the jump to DCC, so this is only temporal equipment, so I am considering buiding the transformer/controller myself. I have plenty of experience in electronics and electricity.

What I want to know is how does a DC train controller work:

Is it just a variable voltage power source from -12 to +12, or is it something like PWM?

I've noticed on a number of different forms at various sites that there is a tendency for some readers to do a search on a topic, find an old thread, and then resurrect it with a new comment.  Sometimes, especially where the original topic was dealing with ageless stuff like prototype operations, prototype equipment, or even benchwork or model operating system approaches, it's great to see these things resurface.  It's like wandering in the woods and finding a shiny coin or a historical marker you had no idea existed.

This simple test car shows any poor connections.