Dumb DCC question

[Blind Bruce]

Is it possible to, inadvertently run two locomotives into one another?( Head on crash),
BB

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Blind Bruce

Is it possible to, inadvertently run two locomotives into one another?( Head on crash),
BB

Sure. You have something in mind?

[Anonymous]

I think that's exactly what my wife has in mind once I start spending more time on the layout than with her. ;-)

[pcarrell]

Ahh the joys of prototypical running!

[Medina1128]

Someone's wanting to play Gomez Addams. Actually, if you reverse the trucks in a locomotive, they could run into each other.

[Blind Bruce]

Marion, why wou need to reverse the trucks?
BB

[rrinker]

With regular DC, the NMRA standard says with the right rail positive, the loco should move forward. So if you take two DC locos and simple turn one to face the other - it will move backwards, away from the other and they won't crash (unless the one runs slower than the other). If you flip the trucks in one (with Athearn - other brands that use wires throughout instead of the clips and the frame will need the wires flipped on the motor), it will now run opposite the NMRA standard and you can cra***he two head-on.

No such thing is neede with DCC, all locos run independently of all others (as long as the addresses are different). So you can play Gomez all you want. Under DCC with multiple operators you need some sort of traffic control - signals or train orders, to prevent accidents much like the real thing.

--Randy

[wrumbel]

I've already done that with my DCC. Don't pay attention, throw a switch too soon and hit the panic button.
Wayne

[pcarrell]

Ahh the joys of prototypical running!

(seems like theres an echo in here?)

[davekelly]

Gotta love the panic button!!

[Anonymous]

I "test" mine on a regular basis. So far.........no panic.

[johncolley]

Ah, Yessss, Cornfield meets! Those were the days!

[jkeaton]

Using DCC, one can easily recreate some of the great train crashes of old - didn't some guy deliberately recreate a head-on collision from the war-time Santa Fe and post photos onto the web somewhere?

Jim
Ottawa