I'm a Happy Camper
I suggest you quickly try out your new/old power pack with a train on a loop of track. I'm afraid you may be disappointed in your ability to control your locomotives at slow speed.
I finally got around to testing out my power pack today. I've been waiting on a step down transformer so that I could use it here in Australia.
Everything you warned me about Fred makes perfect sense, and I was prepared for the worst, but fortunately the power pack works great for my N scale loco and I am very pleased with the level of control at low speeds.
I know it doesn't make any sense that it does work well... given that MRC put out a 700 'N' of this power pack just for this scale, but I am certainly not complaining!
My only complaint is that for some strange reason, when I use the power pack, I lose radio reception in my garage. When I turn the power pack off, or take the GP38 off the tracks, the tunes come back on!
Anyways, long story short... I got very lucky, and by some divine intervention, my HO intended old school MRC 700 copper finish power pack works like a charm with my N scale locos.
Yee Haw