I'm new to DCC, still in the initial phases of laying track on a new layout. I have a few Atlas N switches in place, and then I read an article that made me wonder if I had a problem. My engine (yes, only one so far) has three axle trucks so everything seems to be OK. But it looks to me like an engine with two axle trucks would spend an instant or so going over the plastic frog and having two wheels (let's say the two left front wheels) be completely on the plastic frog. How does DCC work with that? Will it completely lose its programing and I'll have to pick it up and put it on the programing track and start all over again? Or as long as the two left rear wheels are still in contact with a live rail is everything OK?
Thanks.
Nothing at all should happen if the loco has all wheel pickup, it should drive right over the plastic frogs. DCC decoders don;t forget their programmign when the power is off, the worst thing that might happen is the loco stalls or stutters momentarily over the plastic frog - exactly like it would running on DC.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
As Randy says, if the loco has all wheel pickup, it should drive right over the plastic frogs.
However, I recently encountered an all too recurring problem of loose or broken wire contacts on the pickup metal clips located on the trucks. For what seems like the upteenth time, this has occurred on my layout.
With the loco running, if you lift one end of the loco so that the trucks on one end are off the track, the trucks on the other end of the loco still sitting on the track should be drawing power. Then reverse the procedure and lift the other end of the loco and be sure that the set of trucks still on the track are drawing power. If not, the loco will stall when it encounters the plastic frog, at least at slower speeds.
Rich
Alton Junction
Half the switches on my layout are Atlas custom line with Caboose Industries ground throws. I run four and six axle loco's over them with no problems. now. When I switched to DCC a problem developed with the Atlas as well as the Peco switches that I never had when running with DC. If you look at the frogs where the two short rails at the back of the frogs diverge you will see that they are very close together where they attach to the plastic frog. sometimes wheels of my loco's bridge these two rails causing a momentary short, stopping the loco and my entire layout.. Yes, wheels are in gauge and centered on the axles. The DCC systems detect and react to shorts very quickly which never happened with DC. A little dab of black or clear nail polish on the frogs at that point has solved that problem. Shimming the guard rails might also help, but it's easier to use the nail polish. That is the only problem I have with the Atlas switches.
Where they older Atlas Customline? Because I've never had that problem on any Atlas turnouts I purchased either for my previous layout or this one, about 30 total, a mix of #4 and #6. That would be over the past 6-7 years. The newer ones, the metal frog extends far enough before the plastic gaps to the rest of the rail that if a wheel is bridging that, it's way out of spec. The only 'issue' I had was cars occasionally dropping a wheel in the frog and bumping - however in every case it was found that the wheels were out of gauge when checked with the NMRA gauge and correcting that ended the bumping. The HO COde 83 #4's also have a but of a curve in them that results in a bit of a lurch but it doesn't seem to cause any real problem even when traversing them at warp speed.
We're talking N scale here. They are the switches that come without a machine. It's been a few years so I don't remember if they are called custom line in N scale. There are no metal frogs on these switches. When I ran DC loco's the lights never even blinked when passing over the frogs. But from the first decoder equiped loco I ran after switching to DCC has done it on most of them.
To all 3 of you guys who replied - thanks a lot. This was very helpful. I appreciate the words of wisdom as I boldly go where I've never gone before!
greenoverred