Okay I finally hooked up my Digitax Zephyr and gave it a try since I am expecting my first switcher from BLI shortly. I put on a Bachmann K-4 and set the code to 00 for analog. The oval track is 8’ x 16’. The engine was creeping along even at full speed on the Digitrax.
I cleaned the track and cleaned the wheels on the engine and tried again. The results were only a little better.
I tried two other engines and they also ran slow. I only have one set of feed wires hooked up at this time but plan to hook them up in two more places. I finally hooked up a Railpower 1300 power pack and the engines speeds were 3 times as fast.
Where have I gone wrong? Can I expect lower speed from DCC? If so how will the engines pull a string of cars?
Despite what “they” say, non DCC equipped engines do not run well on DCC. I have several engines that I haven’t put decoders in yet and depending on which one it is, it will either crawl or only come up to 1/2 speed at full throttle.
Fergmeister couldn’t have said it better. Some DC locos run ok on DCC analog, but most exhibit some level of difficulty. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. DC is DC and DCC is DCC. Best advice, don’t mix the two.
For me at least, my Digitax Zephry will barely move my PK2 E9, and only moves my Athearn SD40-2’s at about half speed. I haven’t been running trains much lately because of that fact, although it’s mostly do to my procrastination to install my first decoder…
Athearn, P2K, etc, etc. None of them will perform at their peak.
From what I’ve read on the Forum it also sounds like one or two engines have had melt downs as the signal is pulsed and causes a lot of chatter when the engine is idle.
I’ve still got “cabs” and can isolate some of the tracks so I don’t expose the non-DCC engines to “DCC current”.
I have never had a motor fail when running DC locos on the DCC BRVRR. My grandson runs a herd of little Bachmann steamers all the time. Never a failure. Okay, one, when he stalled a little AMT 0-4-0 by holding it stationary too long, but that doesn’t count.
You don’t have to worry about a ‘melt down’ unless you short something out. Even then the Zephyr with protect itself.
All (never say all) DC locos will run slower on DCC at address ‘00’ at least on Digitrax systems, and I believe others as well, because the system puts out less than full voltage for the “00” address. I think the documentation even states the fact somewhere. It is a built in protection for locos without the ‘protection’ of a decoder. I have Bachmann, PK2, MRC, Athearn and BLI locos. With the exception of the BLI, they all ran slow on DC. On the other hand, a DCC equipped loco, those that are capable, only run at half speed on a DC layout.
Its not a malfunction either way, just a protective mechanism of the DCC system(s).