Hello everyone, this is my first post here. After a false start 15 years ago I am now building the benchwork for a 20’ x 8’ HO layout. Many things have changed of course in 15 years and I am planning on using DCC. I have a couple of Walthers ( shinohara ) code 83 turnouts that were manufactured before DCC came along. My question is, can I use these turnouts with DCC and if not is there a modification that will allow them to work with DCC? I am sure there will be more DCC related questions coming ie. DCC decoders for my Atlas and Proto 2000 locomotives. I look am forward to getting to know some of you other model railroaders and learning from you and your experiences. Thank you and happy railroading!
You can run any remote-controlled turnout machine from DCC. The connections are all in the wiring, and don’t affect the switch machine at all. For each turnout, you will need a “stationary decoder” to do the job. These typically come in units that control up to 4 turnouts.
When running with DCC, you don’t have to use DCC to power your turnouts. Many of us (myself included) still run our turnouts from control panels rather than from the DCC remote. Of course, others really like using the same controller for everything, and a lot of modellers still flip their turnouts over manually with a “ground throw” nearby, or a mechanical cable linkage back to the outside of the layout.
I’m assuming that your turnouts have uninsulated frogs (where the frog is all metal made of rail). Technically, if they were working alright with DC, they should work with DCC. However, in practice, there will be minor little shorts as the wheels traverse the frog and that will bring everything to a halt.
The fix however, is relatively easy. You need to cut a couple of gaps in each rail on either side of the frog. Then take a thin piece of styrene and glue it in the gap to keep the gap from closing (once the glue has set you can file the styrene to the countours of the rail). If you have a moto-tool with a cut-off disk things go really quick, but using a small track saw will work fine (it just takes longer). It takes longer to type how to fix the turnout than it actually takes to do the work!
You can check out http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm for more detailed info.
I converted a Walthers code 83 curved turnout, and it was a pain, but it worked. Once you insulate the frog, you lose the current path to the rails in the center of the exit sections. All six of mine had empty slots for jumpers, but no jumpers. I had to cut the ties off and solder in a. a peice of #14 stranded, then b. tried part of a paper clip. I had to make four jumpers, and it was real easy to melt the ties. You also have to find some way to camoflage the fact that the ties are missing. Be real careful not to cut more of the ties than you absolutely have to or part of the structure will come apart. Mine also had power routing points that created a short, so I had to drill out the rivets, remove the shunt and carefully superglue and trim some #0 screws.
I will definately not do that again.
I use nothing but Bachmann EZ track, incuding the turnouts, with the built-in switch machines. Call me “Old School”, but I prefer to run my switch machines from the control panel, along with all my block control, which I still use, even with DCC.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions, it really helps. I am trying my best to educate myself on all aspects of putting together a realistic AND reliable layout. I just purchased Model Railroader DCC made easy so hopefully that will help. I will always appreciate the combined " realtime " experiences of all you modellers in helping me along. I look forward to at some point in the future being able to contribute as well! I will let you know how this DC to DCC conversion works when I actually get to that stage. Thanks again, I appreciate the advice.
I planned my layout over 2 years ago, got the benchwork up and the subroadbed. Because I didn’t know any better, I put a double crossover into the layout. I’m finally getting around to wiring the layout. Looking over the double crossover portion, I read on the WiringForDCC website about how you can take a Shinohara double crossover and make it DCC-friendly. I picked up a #4 double crossover at an auction for almost nothing about a year ago, along with a bunch of Peco turnouts, switch machines and some Tortoise switch machines.
Anyway, after reading several articles on the WiringForDCC website I concluded that: 1) I wanted to use DCC-friendly turnouts only and 2) the #4 Shinohara double crossover I got for almost free was going to take me, a rookie, a very long time to make DCC-friendly. My modeling skills aren’t nearly what everyone else’s is so I started looking for a #6 Shinohara double crossover (code 83) that is DCC-friendly. This is stock number 948-8812 to be exact. I finally found a hobby shop in Alabama that had one in stock. I ordered it immediately.
My advice would be, since you are already committed to code 83 rail, take the plunge and purchase only DCC-friendly turnouts. All Peco InsulFrog turnouts already are. The only reason I used the Shinohara is because it’s the only double crossover I could find that is definitively DCC-friendly. Read the WiringForDCC website - it has probably THE best collection of articles on wiring I could imagine. You are at the stage where the information is very useful as you can make track planning and turnout decisions now based on what is truly DCC-friendly.
I don’t know what these other guys posting are smoking [;)] but if you’re current layout is utlizing the old walthers code 83 turnouts then I have to assume you’ve already gapped the rails and frogs at the correct places to run on DC. In that case DO NOTHING. They’ll work just fine. I bought a DCC friendly Walthers code 83 curved turnout and am SORRY I did. With short wheel base locos with traction tires, it STOPS the locomotive.
How do I know all this? Because my layout consists of over 20 walthers code 83 OLDER DC turnouts and they work fantastic. NO MODIFICATIONS NEEDED!!!
I communicated with Tony at Tony’s Train Exchange about the problem with short wheelbase locos, and he recommended a Lenz Gold Mini decoder plus their Power-1 USP Power Storage Module, a kind of electronic flywheel that compensates for short power interruptions because of dirty track or unpowered frogs.
Dante
Cool, I’ll have to check out the USP storage module. I can’t change my decoder as my short wheelbase loco is a commercial sound unit.
Ooops I guess this won’t work as it also is a lenz product that goes with their decoder.