Turning Blocks on-off with DCC???

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am adding some track to the layout and I have always put sidings on a toggle switch to shut the power off to the siding so I can park an engine on it. I am going to change to DCC in the near future, Should I go ahead and bother putting the new sidings on a toggle?? I have heard that w/ DCC you shouldn’t park an Engine on a powerd track for a long period of time…

Thanks …Pat

2

With DCC you are supposed to be able to park locos anywhere on the layout. The exception would be those with no chip in them yet.
If you have a really large loco fleet and a small power pack, you might want to shut some of them off – every chip has a small power consumption plus any lights.
I found that I wanted to turn the sound off on locos that weren’t running – the sound always seemed to come back on after a power outage.
You can always leave the power on, and eventually remove the toggles. Or use them to trace shorts.

3

I think it’s a good idea, I have some tracks off the turntable that are switched, park 'em up and turn off.

Ken.

4

Having a toggle switch lets you completely shutdown the power to the unit so the headlights are off. I would install them on any staging tracks or tracks where you STORE trains. For plain old yard tracks or sidings you probably don’t need them.

Dave H.

5

Hey when i build my mega layout Atlantic Coast Southern RR i am going to use that method thanks for the idea

6

If you use Tortoise switch motors, you can use one of the contacts to do the switching off automatically. See the DCC Corner in MR a couple of months ago for an example of this. Using the Tortoise contacts, only the track currently lined will have power, all the others will be dead.

–Randy

7

The only tracks that I will shut off via toggle switches will be a couple of holding tracks coming off my turntable. They will usually be the home of some old locos that were given to me by my Father-in-law 25 years ago and are not worth converting to DCC. If you are not running any locos that do not have decoders installed and turn off the power (shut down) after op sessions, there is no real need to have tracks controlled by toggle switches.

8

Hi Randy
Do you need the “HARE” to do this?
George P.

9

Nope, just the contacts on the Tortoise. You can control the Tortoise with a toggle switch, or use the Hare if you desire. Quite frankly, I have no desire to spend $25 PER TURNOUT to control the darn things. If I put them under DCC control, I will spend < $20 each for an NCE Switch-It which controls TWO Tortoises, or $25 each for a CVP AD4MC which can control FOUR Tortoises.

–Randy