6 locomotives. 1 decoder

[cacole]

There are too many technical issues involved here to provide a detailed answer, but you are likely to burn up a decoder and / or your DCC system trying to save money this way. In order to operate properly, DCC decoders need a fairly uninterrupted data stream with no voltage surges or dropouts, and motors do too. Trying to use couplers as electrical connectors is flaky at best, and creates electrical sparks, pulses, surges, and dropouts that are damaging your motors if you are actually doing this; not to mention the strain placed on the decoder's output transistor from the constant surges and interruptions in current draw. Electrical wiring between the locomotives is the only safe way to attempt running more than one motor from the same decoder. If each locomotive's motor draws, say, 1/4 Amp of current, and you have 6 locomotives connected to one decoder, that means you're drawing 1.5 Amps minimum. Most decoders are rated at only 1 Amp, so you are overloading the decoder and it is not going to last very long. The voltage surges caused within the couplers are creating even more current draw. Unless you're using an O or G scale decoder rated at 3 to 5 Amps, it isn't going to run very long before it turns into a smoke generator.

[nfmisso]

This can be done, BUT you will most likely overload the decoder, which will shut down if it's thermal protection is working, if it is not working, the very expensive smoke will be let out.

If you do this, use four pin connections between the locomotives, and make sure the motor is electrically isolated. Two conductor to carry current to the motor, two to carry the track power to the decoder equipped locomotive. There is as much labor in this as installing a hard wired decoder.

This concept would work best with a semi-pernamently coupled cab set (like ABBA F units)

Make sure the decoder is rated to handle the total current of what ever number of locomotives you mu. Which brings up cost, a great deal. A three amp decoder, if around four times the price of a 1.5 amp decoder.

Bottom line, doing this right takes as much time, and costs more than just installing decoders in each unit.

[Jacktal]

There's something I don't understand.From what I understand with DCC,you have AC current running in your trackwork,isn't it?However,if you want to run non-decoder equipped locos(DC powered) by wiring them in parallel with your decoder equipped loco,I believe you will have to remove their current pick-up through their wheels so that you don't push straightened current(DC) into AC carrying tracks.

And if my understanding is still correct,it means that only the lead loco's wheels will carry all the reqired load for all the locos.Wouldn,t this load be too much for both the lead loco's wheel pick-ups and the decoder's diodes?If i'm wrong,please do correct me.

[GDRMCo]

To get consits running on one decoder will require a bit of eletrical know how. first get a locomotive with a decoder and take off the shell. connect wires from the decoder and connect them to a metal coupler. once all is wired repeat this process on other locomotives but do not put decoders in them. instead connect rhe wires to the DCC plugs if they have them and put metal couplers on both ends same with the decoder equipped locomotive. do this to as many as you want. you can also put speakers in the locomotives too. just connect their wires to the other wires.
hope this helps.

[ShaunCN]

ok how do you do it.

Mu ing locos has been toubleing me for some time now.

Shaun

[GDRMCo]

Anyone want to know how to mu model locomotives. applies only to HO