1- just got my On30 0-4-0 gas mechanical critter , it got a DCC chip, im assuing its safe to use on straight DC layut correct?
2- As far as handlaying track, is there anything specific one must go or should do to make conversion to DCC easier/less painful ? what about turnout? i hear a lot about DCC friendly turnouts but what does the "friendliness consist off? im planning on using bachmann DCC system
thanks
If your On30 Davenport Critter has the factory fitted Bachmann DCC decoder in it, then yes its a dual mode decoder and is safe to use on DC or DCC power.
In terms of turnouts there have been loads of threads on here recently about “DCC friendly” turnouts. Have a search through the last couple of weeks and you’ll find some. The basic theory is that an unadapted power routing turnout isn’t DCC friendly because there is a chance that wheels will short the diverging stock rail and the turnout blade (which will usually be the opposite “polarity”). Personally I think its a bit of an urban myth because I use supposedly un-friendly power routing turnouts with DCC and to date I don’t find it much of a problem.
Finally, if you are decided on DCC but thinking of using the Bachmann EZ DCC entry level system - I would seriously suggest that you don’t[8] it has any number of short comings which again have been discussed on here at some length over recent weeks; better options would include the MRC Progidy “family”, NCE Power Cab, or Digitrax Zephyr.
Sorry, I know nothing about this.
There is no difference in building a turnout for DC or DCC. If it is built properly, the same rules for wiring it will apply. In my opinion, the “DCC friendly” turnout issue is a mountain made out of a mole hill.
To me “DCC friendly” means NON power routing turnouts. This means that power is routed to all three legs of the turnout all the time. Since DCC allows you to control the locomotive, you want power to all track all the time with DCC.
Now there are a lot of issues with turnouts beyond this. But that’s how I see the “DCC friendly” issue. (The other big issues are insulated frogs vs non-insulated frogs and metal frogs vs plastic frogs. There are some other issues as well. It’s amazing to me how complicated such a simple thing a turnout is).
If you’re using Bachmann track components, there’s no need to worry about so-called ‘dcc friendly’ turnouts. All Bachmann track components are dcc compatible. The Bachmann EZ Command dcc system isn’t really all that bad. It’s good for controlling 2-4 trains at once and can control up to 8 sound functions. It’s addressing is very limited in that it can store the addresses of 9 locos, and these are 2 digit addresses. If you want to control more than a few trains or want to program CV’s and/or reprogram functions, one of the higher quality systems is what you’ll want to use.
I had a 10 year old DC layout that I changed to DCC about 3 years ago.
When I say ‘changed to DCC’ I mean I disconnected my DC power, hooked up my Lenz DCC, turned it on an did nothing else.
Too many anti DCC’ers who have no experience with DCC and some times they don’t even have a DC layout post mis-informatin on these forums.
If this steps on toes… so be it!