What type of plug?

  I have no experience with the MRC system and do not know what plug is on the end of their throttles. Our club uses Lenz and they have a five pin DIN connector. I bought 6 Din sockets from All Electronics for under a couple dollars and wired them around the layout several years ago. A friend of mine has a large Digitrax powered layout that uses a telephone type plug. He put a bunch of female connectors around his layout like you would plug a telephone into. You can get these at any big box store for cheap. I am sure you can do the same with your MRC.

       Pete

MRC uses ethernet RJ 49 plugs and cables..........

........and you can go to Big Box store and get everything you need to make extensions.  Be careful to stay away from jacks that look the same but made for Telephone cables as they are wired differently and will not work.  Also be aware these are just extensions without any boosting which MRC also sells.

Peter

Thanks guys... Frankly I have

Thanks guys... Frankly I have the jacks figured out. Maybe what I didn't make clear is that I need to expand the number of Jacks. As an example the command station I own has four jacks (if memory serves). MRC Expansion plates contain two jacks. Each of the expansion plates home-runs from the layout fasciae back to a command station jack. In essence, using the expansion plates doubles the total available jacks from four (on the command station) to eight (four remote expansion plates w/ two jacks each). I'm not sure how many jacks I'm ultimately going to need but, I know eight is not going to be enough. A network hub or switch, assuming they are compatible with DCC would essentially expand the number of jacks to as many as I would desire/need.

Did that make sense?

Best regards,

Roberto

Try Your local Habitat ReStore

Most Habitat for Humanity chapters now have a ReStore which sells used and salvaged home supplies at a steep discount.  I get a lot of stuff from the one managed by Lee Weldon (who posts here occasionally as wm3798).  They often have the telephone jacks that will work, and sometimes the cable.  Just call your local ReStore manager and tell him or her what you want.  If they don't have it, they may post a note reminding themselves to look for it.

Also, a lot of larger cities have electronics salvage houses that sell used electronic gear.  Google can probably point you to one that may have what you need.

rdean sez: What comes to

rdean sez:

If those hubs you're talking about are Ethernet hubs, don't try it.  Although the MRC systems use Ethernet-style connectors and cables, the cab bus is not Ethernet and at best won't work with an Ethernet hub/switch, or at worst could fry the base or cab.

I don't think

A possible solution

I have been using a GML hand throttle with memory and momentum. It does cost a few dollars, but no where near as much as a DCC system. Yes, I am still operating in the stone ages, but I am a lone operator and besides the expense of the DCC controllers, I would have to install decoders in over 40 locomotives, and I really don't want to waste the time on it. The nice part about this controller is that it has a nice big fat stereo plug for plugging in, and additional jacks can be installed anywhere you want them, using only three wires. Here's the website.

http://www.thegmlenterprises.com/id18.html

Now we're cookin' with gas

Now we're cookin' with gas guys. I certainly don't want to introduce a component that will cost me a valuable piece of equipment. Pelsea, I think your idea is sound. If I don't get any more contributions to this post your idea will probably be my fall-back.

Montanan, thanks for your contribution but I'm committed to DCC for a couple of reasons, I already have in my roster DCC locos and, decoders standing by for install. I want the flexibility and features that DC just cannot duplicate.