I am in the process of building an HO Kato switching layout with a NCE DCC Powercab. My question is can I use the electric Kato turnout machines and controllers connected to a seperate power supply while the NCE unit would control the trains.
Not interested in having DCC operated switches at this time but do like the Kato turnout controllers. Any help appreciated.
Welcome to the forums.
Turnouts can be controlled just as they have always been. DCC turnout control is an option, not a requirement. Many of us prefer the traditional style anyway.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
To turn the question around slightly, if you wanted to operate the turnouts via your DCC system, you would have to buy and install a DCC accessory decoder for each turnout. I like the NCE "Switch-Kat" myself.
Otherwise, you would just hook the blue switch controllers up to a DC power source (Kato also has a gizmo that converts the AC accessory power from a power pack to DC that connects to the blue controllers) and connect them up to the turnouts.
BTW with DCC powering the track, you may want to change the screw on the bottom that converts the turnout from power routing to not power routing. That's a bit more "DCC friendly", and also allows the turnout to operate as a spring-switch without causing a short circuit.
Short answer, yes
I use the Kato switch levers with my dcc Unitrack setup. For powering the switches, I use an old (1960's vintage!) MRC power pack. I take 15v. ac from the accessory output, and run it to the Kato part 24-842 ac-to-dc converter (which attaches directly to the switch levers). Works fine for me.