I’m planing my layout which will be an HO loop with a narrow gauge HOn30 point-to-point.
Can I use one DCC system (command station?) to run two independent pikes or do I need a control for each line?
Also, if my HO line is set up for DCC, can the other use the DCC system for analog? I don’t expect to run more than one train at a time on the HOn30 and I don’t know if anyone has installed a decoder into an N scale HOn30 motor.
Rob Carignan
Portland, Maine
Yes, to your first question and no, to the second. You could run both from the same booster. If so, I’d suggest you use electrical blocks for each to protect against shorts and make troubleshooting easier. The reason for “No” with the DCC analog is that the booster has just one output (not counting programming). It can’t put out DCC analog and normal DCC at the same time (AFAIK).
Actually almost all systems have the capability of running one locomotive without a decoder. So you could run all DCC on the main and control an analog loco on the narrow gauge but I must warn it’s noisy and you’d probably be better going all DCC or leaving the narrow guage DC. As for fitting a decoder in your loco there are installers that can mill out a part of the weight to fit it in. What you’re looking to do sounds pretty doable but I think you’ll be much happier going one way or the other with the narrow gauge.
Jesse
Do your HO and HOn30 share any track? You don’t want your DC and DCC power supplies to contact each other. If they are totally separate, go ahead and use the DC. If you have dual gauge track or a narrow/standard gauge crossing, look for an N scale chip for the narrow.