I just ordered the NCE Powercab for the layout I’m starting at the beginning of the year.The dealer I ordered my Powercab from is going to sell me Atlas track and Shinohara switches.I’ve heard that DCC needs switches set up for DCC.Should this be a concern? Also are the Shinohara switches good switches?
Thanks
Terry
Concern? Not.
SHINOHARA’S older ‘power routing’ turnouts only required INSULATED rail joiners on the two inner rails, wheras so-called ‘DCC friendly’ do not.
‘Power routing’ switches ‘select’ power to their tracks where 'DCC friendly’do not. Atlas beginner-simple ‘Snap’ Switches are now the model for DCC, everywhere. Simply put, ‘Simplity’ $ells.
WHY learn about Electricity, if you don’t have to?
Everybody wants to change the way electricity flows thru a turnout just because DCC is involved. Electrical current flow thru the rails of a turnout will not change nor will it ever change which was proven in the 50’s by Linn Wescott (God rest his soul.) He taught us that as long as we insulate the two inside rails of the straight and diverging routes of a power routing turnout (also known as an un-insulated frog which most shinohara turnouts are) there will not be a short problem with DC or DCC. A lot of folks don’t know this or forgot the lesson of Mr. Wescott because most layouts were wired in blocks which naturally insulated the turnout when they installed the insulators to create a block. Every power routing turnout I use ( and I do use several shinohara turnouts) is insulated at the inside rails wither a block is involved or not.
See this web site for a detailed description http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm
Bascially the problem is the wheels shorting the circuit as they pass the points. DCC is very sensitive to shorts (to avoid damage to the components). In power routing both points have the same polarity which means that one point is close to the rail of oppposite polarity, if the wheel on that rail makes contact with the point then a short happens. How often this happens seems to vary among folks. If all your wheels are correctly gauged and your track is well laid, then you may not have any problems with power routing turnouts. The downside to DCC friendly turnouts is that you have to wire the frog separately (and switch power in conjunction with the points) or live with a dead frog.
Newer Walthers Shinohara switches are DCC friendly see this web page http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_walthers.htm which shows with pictures what DCC friendly is.
Enjoy
Paul
What Don said[#ditto]
I have an NCE Power cab along with Shinoharo turnouts that supposedly are NON DC friendly and atlas code 83 track. Everything works great. Just make sure that the turnouts are properly gauged correctly with an NMRA Standards guage. I had one turnout that would short out all the time when I was running 6 axle locomotives over it. Solution? Checked it out with an NMRA gauge and bent the rail slightly with may fingers and wah lah! No more problem. You also may need to shim the Shinohara turnouts with the cardboard they come boxed in. I did that so that they would be even with the Atlas code 83 flex track, as the stupid atlas flextrack is slightly higher than the Shinohara switches. No problem…just took more time.
You will really like your NCE powercab. Much less expensive than the MRC stuff and quality is better. HA! Don’t buy MRC decoders either. MORE crap. Stick with NCE, Digitrax etc. I use Soundtraxx for my loco’s that require sound and they work quite well. If I had money to buy a loksound I would, but alas they are too expensive for me right now.
Thanks for the tip on using the box to shim the Walther/Shinohara turnouts. I will be laying track soon using Atlas code 83 and the Walthers turnouts and was trying to figure out a cheap and easy solution for shimming. I can’t believe I never thought about that, especially since it has been in front of me the whole time!! Again, thanks!!
Cardboard to shim and support turnouts, especially on slightly uneven roadbed or when there is necessarily the beginnings of a grade beneath them, was one of my early and fortunate discoveries.
Cut small rectangles, and either slide them so that they support five or six ties at their outer edges, or slide them directly below a single tie, aligned with the tie.
Hint- use the rough side, not the white or printed side to face upward. Hides it better until you can cover it with ballast.
Again, thanks for the hints. I don’t know why this never dawned on me. I am usually pretty good about figuring out a cheap route for stuff like this.
Great great info.Appreciate the comments on the powercab also.
Thanks
Terry
k41361
Be advised that ‘Shinohara’ products are code 100 and ‘Walthers’ (made by Shinohara) products are code 83. Different distributors, different franchises, (different prices).
Both are NMRA type designs #4 #6 etc. Atlas code 100 and code 83 flextrack works with Shinohara turnouts since they are both the same height (0.100").
Walthers turnouts should have Walthers flextrack since they’re both 0.083 inches high. Not a big difference, but you don’t want any ‘bumps’.
Shinohara also makes code 70 rail, but I don’t think that is what you Dealer is recommending. GO with his recommedations, as he is in a position to help you, more than us.
Don,
I wonder why my dealer was trying to sell me the Shinohara switches. I appreciate the post.Are the Atlas switches any good?
Terry