Hi, Are there any good web sites to explain how to convert my layout from DC to DCC in simple easy to understand english. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank You
Don
I think Tony’s Train Exchange has some pages on conversions
www.wiringfordcc.com is a good site. I learned a lot from this. Don, perhaps you could list some details of your current DC setup so that you can get some specific thoughts from the group. Unless you have a really complex layout, it may not be hard at all.
one more: http://www.loystoys.com/MiscHTML/dcc-topics.html
You now have the three best DCC sites going.
Thanks for the sites. simon I have posted a new topic with my layout plans. Hopefully someone can help me out.
Don
Unless you have reverse loops or other tricky DC wiring, converting to DCC from DC is taking the two wires off the back of the DC power supply and connecting them to the DCC power supply.
Tony’s Train Exchange has a pretty good primer for beginning DCC users that covers most everything a new DCC user would want to know. It’s a free download from this page:
http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm
I hope this helps.
-Joe
[?] [?] [?] [?] Spacemouse,
What about different AWG? What about running power buss? What about power districts? What about power boosters?
I only raise the above questions because I’m standing on the sidelines trying to assimilate the DCC experience posted on the forum and referenced websites before plunging ahead with the layout wiring change.
Jon
Hi, if your layout has none of the “Tricky Bits”, then you should like I be able to take
the Wires from your “Transformer” and attach them both to your “DCC Unit”, then go
around your Layout and turn on all your “Switches” that power your “Mainline” and
all your “Branchlines”, “spurlines” and “Fiddleyards”, Once everything is on you can
run DCC powered Loco`s & Diesels to your hearts content.
Regards,
All my turnouts are Atlas remote snap switches. Do I need new turnouts?? What about reverse loop wiring is different?
I’ve tried reading Tony’s site but got myself lost (the meds kickked in)
I am on the DCC fence right now and should make up my mind before I build my layout. That means soon.
I thought the DCC fence got mowed over by a runaway locomotive!! oh sorry… DCC in my opinion is the only way to go. Wiring is much simpler and the ability to run TRAINS not track is very appealing. If you want a good hand held reference to DCC consider buying the book DCC Made Easy from Kalmbach publishing. The sites above are also good references.
here is a little break down of some of the terms: (no particular order)
Command Station(or module); The brain or computer that runs the show
Booster; Small power amplifier that assists the Command station (usually part of the command station)
Cabs; Also called a throttle, this is the little hand held controller that you use to program and control trains from. Also used to program the command station in most cases
Power Districts; Isolated areas of the track that carry the DCC signal and if shorted will only leave one area dead, and the rest of the layout running. Power Districts need to be double isolated.
Auto reversing; Where the polarity of the rails is automoticaly reversed in a turnaround loop or turn table so that the trains direction is not interrupted. This is done with a seporate module or a Boosted wired/programed for reversing operation ( some can do this some cant so refer to the booster’s instructions)
Decoder; this is the little computer that goes inside your locomotive, passenger car or hidden in the layout to control various different things. Mobile decoders are designed to be located in rolling stock or locomotives and control speed and lighting effects (sound if equipped) Stationary decoders are similar to mobile decoders but are designed to be mounted somewhere on the layout and used to control turnouts, and other track side accessories suck as signals and structure lighting.
Power Bus; This is the main power lines that feed your tracks power. A power bus will carry the operating voltage and the signal for all the decoders on your layou
Hello!! In my opinion, DCC is the cats meow[^]. Once you go DCC you’ll never go back! Wiring isn’t really any harder then dc, in fact I think easier. Try Ton ys web site again, or buy the Big Book of DCC They both were a great help to me!
Go to dccinstaller.com. He will install any decoder on any guage for you. He is also a great source for answering questions.
Jon,
Space Mouse speaks truth. All that stuff you listed can be assimilated as you go along. None of it is required to get started… and I’m afraid the endless discussion of it keeps folks “standing on the sidelines.” If you have locomotives with decoders, hook up the two wires and run multiple trains with DCC…
Exactly. I have feeders every 3-6 feet, but when I got the first loop completed I hooked just one set of feeders to my Zephyr and had no problems running trains around an 8x12 layout. Now, it’s flex track so there are fewer joints then there would be with sectional, and EVENTUALLY some of those joiners would have failed electrically, but the point is, you CAN just hook up two wires and run trains. Later you’ll want to go back and do all the other goodies, but you can start simple.
–Randy