Has anyone done any research (or have anecdotal evidence) as to whether DC or DCC generates more wheel grime?
Just wondering out loud after reading the wheel grime thread.
Tom
Tom,
I think that wheel grime is more a function of the type of track cleaners you use and whether you have plastic wheels on the rail rather than whether the voltage is square-wave modulated AC or direct current. Static from the plastic wheels attracts the dirt to the rails. Residue from the “cleaning” can be a good start for more junk to adhere to the rails.
Mark C.
Tom,
I have been running DCC for the last two years after running DC for several years before that on the same layout. Can’t say I have noticed too much difference. If I had to make the choice I would say my locos generally run better under DCC and I have few problems.
Regards from Downunder
Courtesy of Tony’s Train Exchange.
Oxidation is an inorganic form of track contamination. With metal surfaces oxidation is more rapid. Friction between wheel and track can cause transfer of wheel oxidation to the track.
There are other contaminants that also contribute to “dirt” on track.
Thanks for the input everyone.
It was just a stray thought that got away!
Tom
i’m planning to switch to dcc in the near future and i have been told by users of dcc that and dirt or crud buildup will affect the signals from the controller getting to the locomotives which may mean that the track should be kept cleaner.
A person would think that track should be cleaned every so often. It all depends on the circumstances. Whatever works best for you. As far as DCC atracting more dirt and grime, I wouldn’t think so. That said both the wheels a track
should be cleaned periodically.
Running a Digitrax Zephyr. I have almost no plastic wheels on my drooling stock, only a few passenger cars need conversion. My layout sits in limbo during the warmer seasons and track cleaning is needed after I get back to the trains, in the fall. When this is needed, I run a cheap loco, pulling two track cleaning cars around the layout for a couple hours. If I find bad spots that the loco has a problem with, I go after these with a bright boy. This is a pretty simple method, which I have found works for me. I have little or no wheel grime/crud with metal wheels and I think the layout works slightly better with DCC.
I was at a train show today and this topic came up when I was talking with one of the dealers. Now according to him there have been reports of Kadee metal wheels leaving residue on track when used in conjunction with DCC. Personally this is the first I’ve heard of this. That being said I don’t use Kadee but P2K. He was selling Intermountain.
Any one else know anything about this?
Fergie
At the Cochise & Western Model Railroad Club, we can run either DC or DCC. I have noticed no difference in the need for track cleaning when running either way. Replacing plastic wheelsets with metal seems to make a bigger difference than anything else. Theoretically, DCC should keep the track cleaner because high frequency electricity, in the form of the DCC command signal, should loosen dirt. The electronic track cleaners that have been marketed over the years put a high frequency AC signal on the rails, so all locomotives and rolling stock have to be removed while they are in use. The DCC command signal is probably too weak to have the same effect as one of these cleaners, however.
Modelers have reported the the black coating on KDs do wear off onto the track and then, you have to clean the track
I recently went through all of my rolling stock and replaced every Kadee wheelset and truck with Proto2000, LBF, Atlas, or Kato wheelsets or trucks. Not because of the coating coming off of the Kadees, but because other brands roll so much better than Kadee. Kadee has not kept up with technological advances in metallurgy. Their wheelsets, in particular, are still made with the same materials they were using 20 years ago. Proto2000 or LBF wheelsets roll better in Kadee trucks than the original Kadee wheelsets.