I was given a nice scenic finished 5 x9 HO layout. however I have DCC, and I was wondering how to incorporate it to my layout (electricaly). Do I run a bus and just drop feeders. Their are a few blocked sections, do I just ignore these?
Figuring out some one elses wiring is a nightmare. I was thinking of ripping everything out and starting over
Start with the easy way. Connect you DCC feeders to the DC input. Turn all the blocks on and it should run. Wyes and return loops will need some special electronics. With that size layout, all the feeder wires may be nice but are not necesary.
Run a bus and drop feeders. Treat it as if it’s an extension of your existing layout. As for the block, since you’re using DCC, turn all the blocks on. If in doubt, solder jumpers around the gaps in the rails. It’s a lot easier than the alternative.
As Arthill says, I would just connect the DCC unit to where one of the prior power packs (cabs) would have been. Set all the selectors to that cab and go. Unless there was something wrong with the pre-existing wiring that should do it.
If the layout ran before, as stated, just hook to it. No need to screw with the wiring. The only thing you have to watch for would be a reverse loop where it would be advisable to add a DCC reversing unit.
I have a layout, 8 feet by 20 feet that was DC and all I did was disconnect the DC power pack and connected my NCE Power Cab system and turned on all the block swiches. I did notice quite a lot of attention is needed to keep the track clean. DCC decoders are more sensitive to track imperfections than just a DC locomotive running on DC.
I did modify the layout by installing a two pole double pole switch to run the layout on DC or DCC. I sometimes have to check out a loco on DC before convering to DCC. I have to make sure the DCC locos are in blocks I can turn off.
rich
might want to check the gage of the wire in the new layout it may be a bit light, if so just run a heavier buss from your existing layout and add a couple feeders. shouldn’t be a major job which ever way you go.
If you do this, make certain the switch has a center dead or even a center off position. Otherwise it can bridge the two systems while being thrown.
Why? A constant voltage (of reasonible amplitude) applied to a DCC decoder isn’t going to hurt it in the least. They almost get that from the DCC unit any time someone runs channel zero anyway.
If the old wire was carrying the current just fine for DC, it will carry it just fine for DCC. The reason one would want to upgrade the gauge of the wire for DCC is if one is going to have a bunch of locomotives (hence a bunch more current) in one part of the layout at the same time. More current = heavier wire. However, if the layout is already in blocks then it already has multiple wires, so the sum of all of them would be equivalent to the “gauge” of the “bus” wire going to the track.
I did the same on mine, each block has it’s own center off DPDT switch that can be toggled to either DC or DCC but NEVER both at the same time.
I use center off switches.
I isolate DCC or DC locos as a precaution. Never know when Murphy might show up.
I agree, if the layout ran ok with DC, it should work with DCC. My experience and my club experience.
rich
As is often the case, I am late to this thread. However, logically, I am in agreement with those who say that you only need to power the layout via the same two leads as went into the terminals of the DC pack for that layout. I have never seen, let alone run or wired a DC layout with blocks, but it seems that the suggestion to close all switches/selectors to ensure that each fed segment of track (block) is able to draw power simultaneously would be a necessary step to get the trains to run around all of the track as one would expect with DCC.