Combining DCC and DC

[rvanparys]

I am in the initial planning stages for my layout. The room is finished and I intended to use DCC on my major locomotives. However, I am incorporating a pier segment which will be worked by an 0-4-0T . Because of its size I will not be able to use a decoder and will have to operate it on DC.

My plan is to have the local freight drop its cars on the DCC portion. The 0-4-0 will pick up the cars and take them to the pier and back. This portion will be a DC block that will have its own power supply.

How have you handled a non DCC equipped engine on your layout and am I on the right track?

Thanks,
Roger

[rrinker]

You can do it,. but you have to be VERY careful about not running past the gaps with anything conductive like metal wheels or a powered locomotive. Perhaps a short 'buffer zone" that is powered by neither system and has double gaps on both sides.
Some DCC systems allow operation of a single analog loco as address 00. As long as it isn't a precision coreless motor, and you don't let it sit still, there is NOTHING wrong with this. But on a real busy layout with a lot of trains running, running an analog loco will slow the response time of all the DCC locos.

--Randy

[Jacktal]

DCC allows operating DC locos using adress 00.I've tried this and it works but I don't recommend it for prolonged operation as I found out that the DC powered locos tend to get hot much faster and can't be left on DCC powered tracks as their engines will "sing" continuously because of the AC current of DCC.

And having sections of a DCC layout powered with DC...impossible I'd say as you'd have to have these completely isolated from eachother,without any turnouts to link them together.Even carefully isolated,you'll have shorts or whatever whenever a loco passes the gap.You'd have to install isolation at every point of the turnout and make sure that only cars go through them since arcing DCC with DC would probably result in damages to either or both systems.

[BRVRR]

Roger,
I don't know which O-4-0T you are using, but there are some really small Z-scale decoders. I put one in a Thomas The tank Engine 0-6-0 with room to spare. If installing a decoder is out of the question, most DCC systems allow you to run one DC loco on address "00" you could run your dock switcher that way. If you really want to run DC, I would wire it for both. You can set it up so the DCC trains can run in and drop/pick up cars and leave the siding. Then switch over to DC. Something like an Atlas Controller could be used for the switch. I'd have to look at the track plan and think about it a little more, but I'm sure it can be done.
I'm sure others on this forum can come up with ideas as well.
Until recently I could run my BRVRR with DC or DCC. I switched over to straight DCC a year and a-half ago.

[mcouvillion]

rvanparys,

You can wire it up for both DCC and DC. Wire the pier for a DC throttle. Wire the rest of the layout for DCC. For the interchange track where you will swap the cars, wire it through a dpdt switch with the center wire going to the interchange track ,and one side from the DCC system and the other side from the DC system. Isolate the interchange track at both ends with insulated rail joiners on both rails. You could use a bicolor LED connected to the track power to indicate whether you are on DC or DCC power. (Red or Green - DC; Amber - DCC) Just make sure you don't try to run your DC loco on the track when it is set for DCC.

I wired a modular club layout for both and it works just fine. There is one guy who refuses to install a decoder in any of his engines, and he wants to run a small yard. So, this area of the layout is wired for both power sources, and it works great. Everyone knows that this area is special and remembers to check the switch for the power.

Mark C.

[rvanparys]

Boy I love this group!

Thanks guys, now I can get that lil joe that I remember as a kid....

[:D]

Roger

[SteelMonsters]

The only safe way to mix DC and DCC is to have all DCC or all DC but not both at the same time. If one loco or powered car crosses the DC and DCC gap or two locos/cars cross both of the gaps in a insulated section, the DCC booster goes up in smoke.

It's far to easy to forget and poof, you need a new booster. A club might be able to do this for years without a problem but it takes on cross of the gap.

Better safe then sorry in my opinion.

P.S. Decodered locos with DC enabled run better on DC then DC locos run on DCC. Most motors have too high of a stall current to disipate all the heat.

[NZRMac]

I like Marc C's idea that will work great, If you offset the insulated gaps in the track the loco wouldn't short, if you forgot to flick the sw, between DCC and DC it would stop, because lack of DCC signal or DC cause only on side of loco sitting on relavant track.

I think!!??

Ken.

[rrinker]

The SAFEST way if you MUST do this is what I said - a 'buffer zone" of unpowered track that NO loco runs in - DCC or DC. If you always hand off strings of 3-4 cars, you can make this buffer 2 car lengths and not have a problem. But if the buffer track must have power, then do as Marc C stated with one difference - a CENTER OFF DPDT switch. Keep the power off unless you absolutely need to run on that section of track. That way if you forget one day to stop before the gap, no harm done. Offsetting the gaps MIGHT work, provided there is absolutely NO other 'sneak path' for the current. If there is, you're going to let the smoke out of something even if you bridge only 1 rail.

--Randy

[roadrat]

I think rrinker is on the right track (no pun) with the buffer zone , Use the DCC loco to pu***he cars past the buffer and hook up with the DC on the other side, and DC to DCC, The buffer would only have to be as long as the electrical P\U of your longest loco.

bill