I know you can use one DC loco on DCC… but can you use a DCC Equipped locomotive on a DC layout?
thanks… saw something i liked and its dcc
P&LE,
Not a dumb question at all. Yes, most DCC locomotives come with the capacity to operate in dual-mode (DC & DCC). Some decoders have to be switched manually from DCC to DC (and vice versa) in order to operate on a DC track. (Usually by moving a jumper on the decoder board). Others can detect it automatically. Be sure to read the decoder manual that comes with the locomotive first so you know which one you have.*
*[Added: Some older decoders can neither automatically detect the presence of DC or nor be manually switched for DC operation. Again, it’s important to know which decoder is installed in your locomotive so that you know exactly what you have, as well as what to do.]
Is this a sound unit? If so, you shouldn’t have to do anything at all. Even so, double-check the decoder manual - just to be sure.
Tom
Thanks Tom! Good to know that I don’t need to automatically rule out a DCC loco…
If you purchase a DCC fitted loco and it doesn’t run on your DC layout it might just mean that it has to be reprogrammed. That happened to me. I was able to visit a guy with DCC and he reprogrammed it for me. The loco now runs pretty well on DC, but it can be a bit hesitant due to the decoder.
Mike
There are no dumb questions, except for this one. Always wanted to say that. [:D]
The factory installed DCC locos usually will operate on DC or DCC, but the home installed DCC units won’t always operate on DC. The factory equipped sound units will operate on both DC and DCC.
Almost all the posts I’ve read on this forum that have a DCC system that allows for a single DC locomotive to run on their DCC system say the loco’s run like crap. Is this still true?
If so why even bother?
Frank,
I think they run okay. Its just that annoying “buzz” that gets real old, real fast.
Tom
While you can run most DCC locos on DC, some don’t run very well. Some Soundtraxx decoders (not Tsunami’s) will be damaged by use on DC.
Also all DCC systems won’t run DC locos.
Mike
Remember that a DCC locomotive running on a DC layout will behave differently than the same locomotive that has come from the factory with DC. The electronics require a bit of juice before it starts working.
David B
This is kind of a funny story. I had around 15 loco’s sitting on my layout one day when I wanted to run this old Rivarrossi Big Boy my dad gave me. It hadn’t run in probably 25 years so I took it apart, cleaned it up, etc. I put it on my layout and it started humming like all DC loco’s that are being run on a DCC layout. I set a throttle to 00 and gave it some power and all it would do was crawl, it wouldn’t even make it up a 2% grade with out stopping. I thought to myself that the poor thing just wasn’t getting enough power from my old Digitrax Zephyr so I decided to hook up a Tech 4 transformer I had sitting around. Well I hooked up the wire to the layout and turned it on and gave the old Big Boy a good shot of power. Well what happened next scared the living heck out of me, all the DCC equiped loco’s just took off crashing into box cars and each other before I cut the power to the layout. Who knew that DCC equipped loco’s would run on DC, lol.