As long as all the blocks are open?I’m curious about the other features on my dcc engines.
Yes, sure can. My layout was set-up as a two-cab DC system. I simply connected my DCC system to the A cab and left the block switches all set to A. The old cab control selection switches also make it easy to isolate electrical problems.
Be aware that you should be very cautious about mixing DC and DCC. If all there is is a set of gaps separating the two systems, a loco could come to the gap, bridge over it and short out, quite possibly destroying the DCC system. Best to run one or the other or be very cautious about running both separately at the same time.
If your DC block control layout was wired for common rail wiring, you will have to put in more feeders on the common rail and daisy chain them together, other than that, you should have no problem’s switching to DCC, if your layout worked fine on DC.
Frank
I set up my lay out like this too, so I can power it with DC or DCC, never both at the same time. I gapped both rails at each “block”, and ran feeder wires from the bus to power each one, so in DCC it’s like a “power district”, than use the cab control switches to power them. I have too many locos that I like to run that have not yet been converted to DCC.
Mike.
Yes, as Mike said. Replace one of the DC cabs with the DCC system (e.g. cab A), and set all the blocks to that same cab.
At one time I had a cab system that was no longer used for selecting cabs but for selecting control systems. Cab A was PFM Sound, cab B was Railcommand, and cab C was DCC.
The other features of the DCC system are going to depend mostly on the decoder(s) in the locomotive(s). Different decoders have the ability to change the lighting effects, turn on and off marker lamps, letter boards. Sound equipment has another whole range of options. Then there are the consisting functions to group several locomotives to function as one.
I have may layout set up to run either DC or DCC; this will continue until I have added decoders to almost all of my locomotives. I installed a DPDT switch between my DCC base station and my DC power pack, so one system is totally isolated from the other as far as the tracks are concerned. On the DCC side, I have only one power district.
The only caution I have read about is not to have DCC things like auto-reveresers, power shields, etc, as they may be damaged by DC power.
Mr. Cold.
Expanding on Frank’s advice above I strongly recommend you perform the ‘quarter test’ at many locations around your layout to ensure your DCC booster’s short circuit protection operates. If the test fails, that is, the booster does NOT shut down when a short circuit is placed on the track, more feeders are required. Pay special attention to divergant routes on power routing turnouts.
It is not inconceivable that traditional DC wiring will enable DCC control of locomotives but fail to provide a sufficiently low impedance that will allow the DCC’s booster safety mechanism to operate.
Keep your stick on the ice. Dwayne.
If you have any loops or a Y you will require a “reverse” circuit. I believe (but don’t quote me!) Digitraxx makes one and it is called a AR-1
Maybe require is not quite the right word. You can actually continue to use your DC reverser circuit. You just have to to throw the switch manually when running DCC, as with the typical DC DPDT reverser wiring. So no conflict on this.
I agree with Dwayne,
Do the quarter test and do it on each block.
I converted my traditional 2 cab system to DCC but I use the powercab which has less than 2 amp capability. My cab selection switches are old Telephone switchboard keys that were rated for about 1.5 amps. If I was to change to a more powerful DCC system, I would replace the Telephone switches. For now I’m happy that I can run DCC and DC although I never have both systems connected at the same time.