Test Track question

[yougottawanta]

Not to long ago I purchase an MRC DCC system ( I know this system is scowled upon by many modelers but I bought it at a decent price at a going out of buisness sale ) and have a few engines with decoders and finally I am mentally prepared (I hope ) to take the step from the simple life of Dc to DCC. Part of my of my understanding is that one should set up a "test track" to set up an engine on and establish the many functions or I guess program the engine. Can you all shed a little more light on this process.How a test track is constructed , wired , the program process and finally why is a seperate track needed ?   Thanks.

[NeO6874]

To expand a little on test tracks... 

The "test track" can be anything you want (extra piece of flextrack, circle/oval of sectional track, etc) just to see how well the locomotive runs. 

The only track I currently have set up is a mobile "test track" of Bachmann EZ track that I use to make sure that my locomotives work after (re)assembly, and to keep them limber rather than let them stiffen up by sitting immobile on a shelf.

 

[yougottawanta]

Thanks,I stand corrected. Is there any tips you can give me on giving the engine addresses ?

[jfallon]

If you have a Prodigy system the instructions are pretty simple. My best advice is if you program your engine to something other than the road number, mark the address on the bottom of the locomotive lest you forget it.

[dadret]

With the MRC you will probably need a Program Track booster of some kind, especially for BLI or PCM locos.  I use PowerPax from DCC Specialities.  The Program Track can be wired directly from a Prodigy Advance and it just needs to be an isolated track somewhere on the layout - I added an approach track to my TT and roundhouse but its isolated from the rest of the layout.

[yougottawanta]

Program Track Booster ? What is that ?

[Vail and Southwestern RR]

Like this:

http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/powerpax.htm

 

[dale8chevyss]

I'm glad I discovered this post; I've often wondered (as a vintage DC guy) what the purpose of a programming track was myself.  Now I know. 

[jamnest]

I have a test track/programing track on my work bench.  It is six feet long and mounted on a 1 x 3 board attached to the wall above my work bench.  I have buss wires from my Digitrax Chief (DCS-100) power terminals and programing terminals to a DPDT (center off switch).  I switch to program to program locomotives and switch to run to test a locomotive.  It works great.

[yougottawanta]

Thanks for all of the help everone.

[jaytrix]

Thanks Jim for the great idea.  I currently had a piece of track for the programming track and then another piece wired for test track.  It was always a hassle to put the engine on the programming track to just have to pick it up and place it on the test track.  Work smarter not harder is definitely in play here. 

[jamnest]

Thanks Jim for the great idea.  I currently had a piece of track for the programming track and then another piece wired for test track.  It was always a hassle to put the engine on the programming track to just have to pick it up and place it on the test track.  Work smarter not harder is definitely in play here. 

I also have my PowerPacs installed in this set up for programing sound locomotives. Make sure that you use a DPDT switch with center off. The first time I wired this up, I used a DPDT switch and the programing did not work.  Without the center off there may be a risk of runing power back through the switch to the DCC programing circuit, which is not a good thing.