Now I know it should not be that complicated, I did as folks suggested to run my DC transformer and DCC. I purchased a DPDT connector as recommended.
I wired the two track wires to the middle poles of the connector then I connected the DC transformer wires to one set of poles on the one end of the connector, then I connected the DCC wires to the other outside poles. I plugged in both units, the DC transformer seem to work but the DCC unit provided no power to the tracks and the engines were silent when I flipped the switch back and forth.
I disconnected the wires of the DC then soldered both the track wires and the DCC wires to the same poles on the DPDT connector switch, now the DCC works fine but the DC transformer is not connected so it doesn't work and I am afraid to wired it up for fear of burning out the new DCC Prodigy unit.
Any thoughts?
Robert Sylvester
Newberry-Columbia Line, SC
This is what I did some years ago. Looking at the bottom of the switch, I could flip the the switch left or right. The center went to the track. Left two contacts, DCC. Right two contacts, DC. Sorry no photo. Google could find you a photo.
It was an older style switch and larger.
https://www.google.com/search?q=dc+and+dcc+on+a+dpdt+switch&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrs735iZzjAhWhAZ0JHUBtBhsQ_AUIESgC&biw=1024&bih=674&dpr=1.25#imgrc=JsLQF4EPCoF8WM:
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I posted this photo in a related thread, just substitute "Prodigy" for Railpro:
Double Pole_1 by Edmund, on Flickr
Hope that helps, Ed
Much better photo. I was just going to post that one. Exactly what I did with a center off switch.
Eventually I went to a four pin plug. Either, or. 16 vac AC for the DC power pack. No AC for the NCE Power Cab.
The two central poles get the power from the power supply. Each outer pair should power one track control unit, whether DC or DCC/variant. That way, only one system gets toggled, or powered, at a time.
Each system would need access to the bus or directly to the rails.
If you were going to use a DPDT to reverse polarity, you'd only need to reverse the two wires on the opposite pair of outer poles. But to toggle two power deliver systems to one track system at a time, you'd simply feed each system through either of the two outer pairs of poles (polarity doesn't matter).
robert sylvesterI wired the two track wires to the middle poles of the connector then I connected the DC transformer wires to one set of poles on the one end of the connector, then I connected the DCC wires to the other outside poles. I plugged in both units, the DC transformer seem to work but the DCC unit provided no power to the tracks and the engines were silent when I flipped the switch back and forth.
Edit That sounds like the diagram Ed provided. Unless you forgot to turn on the DCC unit, maybe a bad switch?
With the switch toggle turned toward one side of the switch, there should be continuity between the central and outside pole on the same side of the switch. So in the photo if the toggle is pointed to the DC side, the top center and top right left should have continuity as should the bottom center and bottom right left.
Toggle turned the other way the should be continuity between the other poles.
robert sylvestersoldered both the track wires and the DCC wires to the same poles on the DPDT connector switch,
Basically you hard wired the track to the DCC system if they are on the same poles. Do not add DC to this arrangement.
Selector's first paragraph lost me. Maybe I am stumbling over what a track control unit is. Or maybe he is describing turning on the DC or DCC system. His last paragraph is the same as Ed's photo.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Ed: That makes since to me, I am not sure what Selector is saying. It seems to me the two track wires would go to the center poles, the power from the DC and DCC would attach to the outer poles with the two wires from the DC going to one side left or right and DCC going to the other side with center pole to turn things off, I will try again, thanks and thanks for the picture.
robert sylvester Ed: That makes since to me, I am not sure what Selector is saying. It seems to me the two track wires would go to the center poles, the power from the DC and DCC would attach to the outer poles with the two wires from the DC going to one side left or right and DCC going to the other side with center pole to turn things off, I will try again, thanks and thanks for the picture. Robert Sylvester Newberry-Columbia Line, SC
I agree with you. Selector's description made no sense at all.
selectorThe two central poles get the power from the power supply. Each outer pair should power one track control unit, whether DC or DCC/variant. That way, only one system gets toggled, or powered, at a time.
Adding a bit to clarify:
The two central poles, which feed the tracks, get the power from one of the two power supply supplies, depending on the toggle position. Each outer terminal pair should brings in power from one track control system unit, whether DC or DCC/variant. That way, only one system gets toggled, or provides power powered, at a time.
I understood it that way, but just tweaked the wording. (My spouse says I'm wordy).
P.S. - for most DPDTs, the toggle physical position is opposite to the outer terminals connected at a given time. That is, if the toggle is left (or up), the connected outer terminals are the right (or down) ones. Easy to confirm with an ohm meter checking the resistance between center and outer terminals.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
robert sylvester I wired the two track wires to the middle poles of the connector then I connected the DC transformer wires to one set of poles on the one end of the connector, then I connected the DCC wires to the other outside poles. I plugged in both units, the DC transformer seem to work but the DCC unit provided no power to the tracks and the engines were silent when I flipped the switch back and forth. I disconnected the wires of the DC then soldered both the track wires and the DCC wires to the same poles on the DPDT connector switch, now the DCC works fine but the DC transformer is not connected so it doesn't work and I am afraid to wired it up for fear of burning out the new DCC Prodigy unit.
Is it possible you got an ON-OFF-(ON) DPDT switch (that is what TEMCO calls theirs; other suppliers might sell them under a different name)? In these switches, only the ON side (without brackets) is a regular ON/OFF switch. The other, the (ON) side, is a temporary switch and stays connected only as long as you hold the switch manually in the ON position. When you let it go, it reverts to OFF.
JW
peahrensP.S. - for most DPDTs, the toggle physical position is opposite to the outer terminals connected at a given time. That is, if the toggle is left (or up), the connected outer terminals are the right (or down) ones.
That is correct and I was wrong above and in another thread started by the OP.
Your clarification of selector's post makes sense.
I got it, I got it! Followed the picture and bingo the DPDT worked. The track wires are soldered to the two center poles while the DC, (MRC transformer) is soldered to two of the poles on one side of the switch while the Prodigy is soldered to the other two poles on the other side. I plugged in both the DC and DCC systems with the toggle switch in the middle. When I flipped the toggle switch to the DCC side the decoder train moved flawlessly. The same with the DC side of the switch.
The Prodigy system fine, it did not blow up! It's fantastic, what an achievement, what success, and the trains ran great.
Newberry-Columbia, SC
So why did it not work the first time around, was it that I mislead you on the position of the toggle?
robert sylvesterI plugged in both the DC and DCC systems with the toggle switch in the middle. When I flipped the toggle switch to the DCC side the decoder train moved flawlessly. The same with the DC side of the switch.
If not noted in this thread, it's fine to run DCC decoder locos on DCC or DC power. But generally, having a DC loco sitting on DCC powered track is not recommended. The track signal is always there and it can be bad for some motors. At least I recall threads on that in the past.
To Henry and Paul, I think I didn't understand the running of things when I first hooked it all up and was concerned I might damage the Prodigy. Also, the DC MRC Command Twenty transformer kept running even when I switched the toggle switch off, then I realized the tranformer was plugged in so naturally it's going to be turned on and running, jokes on me.
So, I followed the picture, knowing what to do now and it works fine, the mistake was mine not thinking about how things work. I really do appreciate your input and instructions, everything works fine now except for the E unit with a Tsunami 2 decoder described above, can't seem to program it to run on DCC, it only operates on DC.
Also a good point, I do not place DC operated engines on the track when I am running DCC nor do I have the DC transformer turned on when I am running DCC.
Robert Sylvester,