First and foremost: There is no DC mode in DCC. There is a way of fooling a DC motor into running on DCC without a decoder. It is known as "Zero stretching". The motor still gets AC type voltage which can still possibly harm them. They will hum loudly when at idle. I learned a long time ago that motors making noises like that is not good.
Only a couple of systems choose to include "zero stretching" as an option. Lenz and Digitrax still offer it. A few others may as well. NCE has dropped it completely from their systems. Even the old NCE units; once upgraded, loose the feature.
MisterBeasley Lenz systems also allow you to do this. But....you will probably find that running DC engines on DCC is less than satisfactory. They run poorly, and make an irritating buzzing sound. Since you only run one engine at a time, you would be better off putting a double-pole, double-throw toggle switch into the system so that you can choose either DC or DCC. Get a toggle with a center-off position to make sure you don't accidentally connect the DCC system to DC power. How many engines do you have? If you're like most of us who have made the transition, once you've been running on DCC you won't want to run your DC engines at all, and they'll sit on a shelf until you put decoders in.
Lenz systems also allow you to do this.
But....you will probably find that running DC engines on DCC is less than satisfactory. They run poorly, and make an irritating buzzing sound.
Since you only run one engine at a time, you would be better off putting a double-pole, double-throw toggle switch into the system so that you can choose either DC or DCC. Get a toggle with a center-off position to make sure you don't accidentally connect the DCC system to DC power.
How many engines do you have? If you're like most of us who have made the transition, once you've been running on DCC you won't want to run your DC engines at all, and they'll sit on a shelf until you put decoders in.
Mr. Beasley is right. I wired up a DC power pack and my DCC system through a DPDT switch so I could run either DC or DCC powered locos. You need a section of unpowered track on which to park your locos, though, or the DCC locos will all start moving when you apply DC power.
However, this situation lasted about two months (by which time I had 3 of 12 locos converted). I only ran the DCC ones, gradually adding others to the fleet as I could afford to convert them (which, BTW, Dave, is the answer to your question -- some of us can't afford to by the system and several decoders all at once).
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
My entire fleet has been converted now, but I have several engines that I ran that way for a couple of years. They ran fine and I never damaged one. They only buzz when stationary or running very slow. NEVER LEAVE A DC LOCO PARKED ON A POWERED DCC TRACK. Short duration stops won't hurt anything. Do you think the DCC Manufacturers would offer the capability if using it it would damage your stock?
That said, perhaps this is a "cart before the horse" situation. What is the point of buying and installing a DCC system before buying or converting any locos? Most DCC decoders will work on DC unless that function is turned off by changing the CV. Why not install the decoders first, then buy the command station?
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Motors make a buzzing sound and overheat trying to run them with a DCC system. One local modeler even had a motor destroyed from running it too long that way.
As suggested, put a DPDT center-off toggle switch on your layout so you can switch back and forth between DCC and DC control, and run locomotives only on the correct type of power.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
It depends on which DCC system you buy. Not all of them can do zero stretching, which is how it runs a DC loco.
Digitrax and Bachmann can. Others in here can tell you which other systems can.
Hi Guys
My layout is currently running DC and I would like to know if I switch over to a DCC system can I run in DC mode until I get the wiring harness units for my older athearn units?
Right now all my diesels are DC and I don't own any decoder equipped diesels either. I only run one loco at a time on my layout.
Any help would be great
Jeremy