What are the risks?
If you leave it sit still and not moving, the motor will heat up. Long enough, it will heat up to failure.
It makes an annoying buzzing noise. Less when moving, more when stopped.
If it’s a coreless type motor, usually only found in remotored locos, it will burn up nearly instantly. Don’t worry, none of the stuff you have has one, nor does any of the locos you mentioned possibly buying so far.
If it’s a large layout and you are running a DC loco on address 00 and a dozen or more people are also running regular DCC locos, they will notice a lag between changing their throttle settings and the loco responding, because of the way the address 00 thing works, it’s called ‘zero stretching’ and makes the DCC ‘0’ (as in binary 1 and 0) pulse have a longer duration to increase the average DC voltage the DC loco sees. Naturally, if it take longer to transmit a 0 bit, it will take longer to transmit a whole command, comprised of series of 0 and 1 bits. With only 1 throttle, the most I’ve dared is 2 locos runnign at once, and saw now lag int he DC engine’s response. But it does happen in larger layouts.
–Randy
Hey Chip, I am still 3 seeks new, but I noticed that my regular engines the lights stay on full bright when I run them on my DCC track. Speed works ok, but I bet some of them lights will burn faster at the brighter rate. Maybe some of the smarter engineers no more on the electricity part, I just know what I see, and I see “bright lights”
Take care
Tim
Sorry guys, but you have it backwards.
I have a DC track.
I have a 4-4-0 with a DCC decoder.
Should I run it on this track?
Should I let it sit and wait for DCC?
DO you know what kind of decoder? Most do automatic analog conversion and run just fine on DC. Maybe a SLIGHT drop in top speed.
–Randy
Not a clue. It hasn’t arrived yet. I might see if it can be easily disconnected until I get my DCC operational.
Just put it on the DC track and try it. Either it will run, or not. It won’t smoke. If it does not run, it could be simply that analog conversion is turned off. If one of your club guys did the programming for it, it might be club rules to turn off the analog conversion - it prevents random runaway locomotives when the DCC signal is interrupted for any reason.
So unless you have some kind of wacky DC power pack that puts out 30 volts, you won’t hurt anything. If it’s set up, it will run nicely. If it’s not set up, it will just sit there and look dumb. Since your other locos run fine (except for poor Lil’ Guy) I’ll assume your DC power pack is just fine.
–Randy
Most DCC decoder equipped locos will run on DC. In Atlas dual mode decoders you have to change a jumper. Sound equipped locos from BLI will work on DC. My Digitrax equipped locos all run on DC without doctoring. (I haven’t bothered to disable the DC capability since my grandson ‘borrows’ some of them for use on his DC layout.). I don’t know about Soundtraxx. I have been reluctant to lend ‘it’ to the grandson. Your owner’s manual for the DCC equipped loco or the manual for the decoders you install yourself will tell you if they can be operated on DC. Most can, but I would check the instructions first.
Here is a twist… I have a set of DC Life like Proto FA units. They sit and look dumb on a DCC address 3. (Assuming digitrax Address 3 is for DC locos) now what??
The Soundtraxx LC line of decoders will not run on DC and I believe the same is true with the
DSD. The Tsunami (if they ever release it) will be DC compatible. Dave
Address 0 is for DC loco’s. Dave
Chip,
This is off topic, but you are only 20 -30 miles from Horseshoe Curve. Been there?
Mark C.
No. It is weird, but I was just reading about it no 45 minutes ago. Will have to check it out.
Oh DEFINITELY go there, and take the kids, Chip.
I was out there for a presentation last Spring, drove all the way out there for a half hour of work. I wasn’t going to waste the rest of the day, I took off for the Curve. All I can say is…WOW! I used to live along the former Reading East Penn Branch, which is now Norfolk Southern’s main line from New Jersey to Harrisburg, and I thought there were a lot of trains on that line…until I stood up by Horseshoe Curve for a hour. Then since I still had plenty of day left I went into downtown Altoona to the PRR Railroader’s Museum, it was shown in MR a year or so ago. That was pretty neat too, although probably a bit boring for younger kids.
Oh yeah - I was there with a co-worker who is not at all a train person. He was mightily impressed by Horseshoe Curve.
–Randy
Correct. In fact, I believe they might be damaged by DC power. I know they are a bit touchy with the DCC track voltage - the typical 14-15v is fine, but the Atlas Commander using Atlas’ power supply puts some 19v on the rail and can damage Sountraxx decoders.
–Randy