I come from a background of ancient DC, and was confused when I got to DCC. Do I have to put a new feeder wire into each track that I run in the yard? Do I have to keep gaps in the yards, or is that just separating the power districts? If I do run wires from each track, could I just use a bunch of suitcase clips, or will that overpower it? Please help me and sound off.
Peace
train_frk-0079 I come from a background of ancient DC, and was confused when I got to DCC. Do I have to put a new feeder wire into each track that I run in the yard? Do I have to keep gaps in the yards, or is that just separating the power districts? If I do run wires from each track, could I just use a bunch of suitcase clips, or will that overpower it? Please help me and sound off. Peace
You may get many different responses on whay you are "supposed" to do. Here's how I do it. I do run feeders to every track in the yard. I do not gap anything unless I want to break the yard up into separate power districts {i.e. blocks}. If so, then each section would have it's own power bus. You can use suitcase connectors. Many folks do. I either solder or use barrier strips. Some folks like to be able to turn off a section of the yard or an individual track, even when using DCC. I wire a DPDT switch for each power district, so I can turn it off for troubleshooting. Otherwise I don't use it.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
If your yard works as is with DC, it will work with DCC. Simple as that.
DCC is a bit more sensitive to solid, reliable power transmission than DC is. So, if your trackwork and power is marginal, you may have problems. A good DC wiring job, though, is going to work well on DCC.
Many DC users isolate sidings with insulators and toggle switches so they can cut power to that siding alone. This is useful for storing engines. DCC allows you to have non-operating engines anywhere on the layout, so "dead" sidings are not as critical in multi-engine layouts. However, some of us still like shutoffs, for such special cases as illuminated passenger cars, cabeese and sound engines. Some sound engines have "shutdown mode" which turns off the sound completely, while other do not. All will draw a little power when idling. In my case, I chose to have shutoff toggles for each of my roundhouse tracks.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Like the other posters have said if it works in DC it should work in DCC. One good test is the old quarter test. After wiring the DCC system and testing for shorts or opens then do a quarter test to check if you need more feeders or larger guage wire. Power up the system and place a metal object (quarter) across the rails to see if the booster or curcuit breaker trips. It SHOULD trip instantly. If not you will need either more feeders or larger guage wire or even the joiners need a better conection. That way if you have a derailment or a small short you know you are protected and nothing will get cooked or melted.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I have my yard split up into 7 power districts.
1) Mainline
2) ARR/DEP tracks (2 tracks)
3) East through/local classification/drill track (8 tracks)*
4) West through/local classification/drill tracks (8 tracks)*
5) East interchange classification/drill tracks (3 tracks)**
6) West interchange classification/drill track (3 tracks)**
7) Locomotive servicing tracks (5 tracks)
Notes:
*3 and 4 are the same tracks but gapped in the middle so they can be drilled/trimmed at the same time from both east and west ends without a short disrupting either operation.
**5 and 6 are the same tracks but gapped in the middle so they can be drilled/trimmed at the same time from both east and wes ends without a short disrupting either operation.
The goal is to avoid a short on any group of tracks from disrupting operations of the others. So if there is a short on the job drilling the through/local classification tracks it will not shut down the entire yard, the mainline, Arr/Dep, interchange, and loco servicing can continue operating. On my layout the yard is classified on the west end by one job (101) or crew and trimmed (102) on the east end by another job or crew with drill tracks on both ends. The 101 job will pull from arrival tracks and classify into the appropriate through/local/interchange track and the 102 job will make up the trains in the correct station order from the appropriate track and put to the dep track. Both these jobs work simultaniously most of the time, so it was important to protect against diruptions so that is why the tracks are gapped in the center and the additional power districts.
This has improved the operating rythem
Have you tried just disconnecting the two wires from the DC controller and hooking the two wires from the new DCC unit to it? Should work just fine. If you had block control, then the feeders are all ready there, just set all the block selectors to that one cab where you substituted the DCC unit.
A more general answer is that if you have gaps on each yard track, then a feeder will need to be run to each one, OR the gaps could be filled and/or soldered over. The problem with soldering over is that then the solder is conducting the electricity and lead is a very poor conductor.
What everybody else here said about being able to switch over from DC->DCC is TRUE. If it runs well in DC, it will run well in DCC.
HOWEVER THERE IS AN EXCEPTION:
IF you are powering by the points, and can cause a short easily in DC by a switch being thrown the wrong way on a double ended yard or crossover, you are going to get frustrated quickly. Here's why:
With DC, you just fix the offending switch and throw it back. Power is instantly restored.
With DCC, you hear a "ZZZZZTTTTTT" sound with a "Power off/Short/STOP/Error" message on your throttle. Not only do you have to fix the switch now, but you have to clear the error message on the throttle. This can get annoying quickly.
You could use an autoresetting circuit breaker to solve this problem.
But I prefer to keep the power on much as possible (especially with sound locos)
By double gapping past the switch, and isolating the yard track with seperate feeders you reduce the chance of getting the ZZZZTTTTTT/Shutdown.
REMEMBER THIS TIP ONLY APPLIES TO TURNOUTS WHO'S DIVERGING ENDS FACE EACH OTHER LIKE IN DOUBLE SIDED YARDS WITH POWER BY THE POINTS TURNOUTS!
Examples where you should worry:
Examples of where gapping is not necessary:
Mixed example
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
There is one other condition which might cause you trouble when powering by the points on a crossover or double ended yard:
If you use a slow motion switch machine (like the tortoise) and switch yard tracks in pairs (ie: Switches on both sides of the yard throw in pairs for track 1->n to ensure no shorts)...you can still short if it's a continous piece of metal not gapped at at least one end. This is because contact might not be made at the same time, causing a momentary short. And that's all it takes to shut down power to a DCC system.
If you don't want to double gap, an autoresetting breaker will also take care of this problem.
The frog to frog thing doesn't apply if you are using all routes powered turnouts like Atlas that have insulated frogs. You can even violate that old cardinal rule about powerign turnouts only from the point end - this and the gaps are absolutely required with power routing turnouts, but not with Atlas. Heck I had feeds on BOTH diverging legs of Atlas Code 83 turnouts AND on the point side. So long as you don't mess up the polarity of the feeders, it's fine.
FOr live frog power routing turnouts, yes, you do need gaps, as shown, or you will get shorts. ANd no power feeders to the frog side of the turnout. After the gap, yes, but not directly to the turnout.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerThe frog to frog thing doesn't apply if you are using all routes powered turnouts like Atlas that have insulated frogs.
Quite right. Thanks for pointing that out.
DigitalGriffin rrinkerThe frog to frog thing doesn't apply if you are using all routes powered turnouts like Atlas that have insulated frogs. Quite right. Thanks for pointing that out.
Which I will promptly forget when I build my first Fastracks turnout....