FAQs on DCC

The Train Buddy’s FAQ on DCC:

A State Of Mind

  1. 1. What does it take to be “DCC”?
  2. 2. What does this cost?
  3. 3. If I wanted to make my layout DCC, what does it cost?
  4. What do I have to do to my layout to make it DCC?
  5. What about my high frequency generator that provides constant lighting for my passenger cars?
  6. 6. What else is practical but not absolutely necessary?
  7. 7. I am concerned about the level of expertise that I have to have to “go DCC”.
  8. 8. I have heard so many bad things about DCC. What can go wrong?
  9. 9. Do I have to replace/fix all my turnouts?
  10. 10. Do I have to learn about hexadecimal or computers to use DCC?
  11. 11. Can I just put a decoder in my old analog engines?
  12. 12. Can I put a decoder in my brass engines?
  13. 13. I heard that you have to clean your track more often. Is this true?
  14. 14. Can I run Analog on Digital and Digital on Analog?
  15. 15. What should I watch out for when starting?

–  What’s Next?

–  Out of reach of mere mortals

–  Things to do when you just want to depress your train buddies.

All or nothing?

  1. What does it take to be “DCC”?
  2. Well, if you have one loco that has a decoder in it then you are already doing DCC.
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  1. What does this cost?
  2. You can buy a DCC ready engine for about $55 Street Price (it has a 6 pin plug on the top), a Digitrax DH123PS for under $30. Just remove the plug and replace it with the decoder. You are now “DCC” (see question 1). You can run your engine on anyone’s DCC layout and you can run it on your own analog layout. Or just buy a Bachmann DCC engine for $87 MSRP if you just want a “run out of the box” DCC engine.
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  1. If I wanted to make my layout DCC, what does it cost?
  2. My recommendation is Digitrax Zephyr Xtra for $225 MSRP ($176.62 at TrainBuddy.Com – Code ZEPX).  The top of the line is the Super Chief Xtra, Duplex Radio 5-Amp set for $665 MSRP ($515.38 at TrainBuddy.com – Code SCFXD).
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  1. What do I have to do to my layout to make it DCC?

Not much. If you already have a working layout just remove the two wires from the transformer to the track and put the computer (Command Station/Booster) between them. You are ready. What happens on most layouts is that you want to do more than this.

  1. What about my high frequency generator that provides constant lighting for my passenger cars?  
  2. Disconnect it from the track. It will interfere with the computer. Surprise! The lights will be constant without it.
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  1. What else is practical but not absolutely necessary?
  2. Most people will want to put in UP-5’s (Universal Panels), throttle connections, for convenience. This is almost a necessity if you are going to not use radio and you have a large (greater than 20 feet in any dimension) railroad.

A2. If you have a large layout where you have a large yard and many operators you might want to consider a Power Manager, PM42, that will split your layout up into “fault zones” (my new term).  I define it as anywhere that a fault is likely to occur and that you wouldn’t want that one fault or short to incapacitate the whole railroad. A minimum of three would be 1. the main yard, 2. staging, 3. the rest of the railroad.

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What, me worry?

  1. I am concerned about the level of expertise that I have to have to “go DCC”.
  2. DCC can be challenging if you want it to be. It doesn’t have to be. Like a lot of model railroading, DCC is still in it’s infancy although the last year has made significant improvements which allow a lot of equipment to be “ready to run”.
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  1. I have heard so many bad things about DCC. What can go wrong?
  2. Not a lot really.  You shouldn’t leave your railroad unattended as a DCC locomotive is meant to be “driven” by the throttle.  By design, you can run more than one locomotive on a single mainline.  This means that you should have one person responsible for each engine.

The worst that can happen (besides rolling an expensive engine onto the floor…which is not a DCC problem) is that you can have a short (usually at a turnout) that doesn’t shut the system down (short protection) and then makes the wheels hot and melts the trucks on an expensive engine.   This can be avoided by (see rule in previous sentence) and heavier under-table wiring that allows the system to “see” a short.

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Challenging questions?

  1. Do I have to replace/fix all my turnouts?
  2. No. See below. This is a challenge, not to mention an additional expense with not a lot of benefit or need.
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  1. Do I have to learn about hexadecimal or computers to use DCC?
  2. No. Today’s throttles are very easy and non-threatening.  The UT-4, Digitrax’s “buddy” throttle, is a single knob and a reversing switch.  function buttons (8) and the 4 digit address are simple, no-nonsense, controls.  Other, with more functions, throttles can still be intimidating but are necessary since the capabilities of DCC is so much more than the analog environment.  Other throttles; NCE, Lenz, Bachmann, and MRC are still in the market because of early Digitrax deficiencies in this area.  Some are limited in their capability.  For example, Bachmann allows only 9 engines which can only be addressed with one number.  Digitrax offers the largest capability and pricing per function is very competitive.
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  1. Can I just put a decoder in my old analog engines?
  2. Yes you can, but you probably don’t want to. If the motor pulls over an amp at stall then it will burn up the decoder. The other issue is that most older analog engines used either a common frame ground (Athearn and Proto) or a split frame motor (some Bachmann and Kato) and these require a fair amount of work to isolate the motor from the frame.  Some require the frame to be modified (milled) to make room for the decoder under the shell.
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  1. Can I put a decoder in my brass engines?

Yes, again, there are very few engines that cannot have a decoder in them. But you may not want to because of the motor, load, etc. Again, the stall current could burn out the decoder.  Some need to have the motor replaced and some need to have gears replaced to be reliable and worth the expense.

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  1. I heard that you have to clean your track more often. Is this true?
  2. No. As a mater of fact, I clean mine less often. It is the wheels on my engines that need the most attention.
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  1. Can I run Analog on Digital and Digital on Analog?

Basically, yes. The limitations are: one analog engine at a time on Digital for the whole layout. You can run a digitized (DCC) engine on an analog layout. It just doesn’t start until you get to five volts.  Older analog engines that have not been run for a long time need to be cleaned up and made sure that they run well on DC before you try to run them on DCC.  You can fry a motor that is seized if you try to run it on DCC.

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  1. What should I watch out for when starting?

Many decoders required you to change your bulbs from 1.5v to 18v. This is not necessarily the case today but you should check before you burn out your bulbs.  You can add a resistor in series with the lower voltage bulbs.  Many engines and decoders today are fitted and accept LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs.  Again, a resistor may be necessary to put in series with the decoder.  Read the instructions that comes with the decoder to be sure.

You may have layout wiring that is insufficient. With an analog layout you would not really know whether it is good or not. You can check this out simply on a digital layout with a quarter laid across the rails. If the command station does not beep (indicating a short), then you need to beef up your wiring in this section of your railroad. You can melt a truck if you don’t do this (I have!).  It only has happened when the railroad was left alone to run for long periods of time without supervision.  The short and damage was because an engine’s wheels got caught in a turnout frog and it didn’t shut down the command station.

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What’s Next?

  • You might consider more than one throttle for guests.     The UT-4 is a great, simple throttle.     Make sure that you add more UP-5’s (throttle outlets).     The UT-4 doesn’t have radio capability but it does have infrared.  You must put up infrared receivers however.
  • You might consider a dedicated power supply to the command station.
  • You might consider wiring an engine for DCC that was inexpensive just to gain confidence.
  • Add automatic reversing.
  • Add stationary decoders.
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Out of reach of mere mortals

  • Turnout control
  • Block detection
  • Add sound decoders
  • Signaling
  • Transponding
  • CTC (Centralized Train Control) by Computer
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Things to do when you just want to depress your Train Buddies.

  • Redo all of your turnouts with “DCC friendly” turnouts so that there are no shorts on the layout.     And then tell your Train Buddies that they need to do this too.
  • Remove all of your cab control wiring and start from scratch. And show them the pile of useless wire and selector switches.
  • Put decoders in all of your vintage brass that you haven’t run since 1969. Then show them off. This may only work for a few seconds and probably without any cars attached so don’t run them until you have everyone gathered around.
  • Change out all of your decoders for the newest models with six functions and try to figure out six functions to control.     Firebox lights? Remote uncoupling? truck lights? engine compartment lights?
  • Automate your staging yard.
  • Get the actual response characteristics for each prototype, if possible the exact engine (?), calculate and program the appropriate configuration variables for the 28 speed steps to match for every engine on your roster.
  • Switch to Z scale and THEN try DCC.
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Kim Parker
Copyright © 2003-2015 K. A Parker & Associates, Inc. dba Train Buddy™. All rights reserved.