The SPH Gandy Dancers are bulding (on a shoesring budget) a layout for the residents of a retirement community. At the present, we are planning to run on DC, but with hopes (and prayers!) that we may either be gifted with a DCC system or accummulate enough funds to purchase such a system. What help can anyone give us?
SPH Gandy Dancer
As long as you wire it for EITHER DC or DCC at once, you are ok. Never, ever mix the 2.
David B
If you wire for DC (electrically-isolated track blocks, cab selector switches on the panels, etc) you can convert to DCC without heartburn.
If the layout is wired for DCC and you connect a DC pack instead of a master control station, you can run ONE locomotive (or lashup.) A separate train would end up slaved to the one available controller - not a good thing.
Wiring a layout for simultaneous DC and DCC operation has an element of danger. If the two systems are not completely isolated from each other, a moment’s inattention could let the magic smoke out of something - anything from a motor or decoder to an entire DCC base station.
If I ever go off the rails sufficiently to allow a DCC locomotive onto my layout, I could provide for the beastie in an otherwise all-analog DC environment. Due to the peculiarities of the MZL operating system, it is possible to keep a block of dead track between DC and DCC powered rails. Given that, I could allow an electronic marvel to invade the land of open-frame motors, diode-controlled headlights and sound restricted to gear whine - but only if it’s a Japanese prototype locomotive that could have operated in (read my signature)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, MZL system)
You could have both the DC and DCC system connected to the layout through a DPDT center-off switch. If the switch is thrown one way the DC pack is connected to the layout, if it’s thrown the other way the DCC system is connected to the layout. If the switch is set to the center position neither power source is connected. Never will both systems be connected to the tracks at the same time.
That will work just fine, as long as you are using one DC cab. If the layouts wired for multiple cabs, it will be a little more complicated.
This was discussed further here: http://cs.trains.com/forums/1435314/ShowPost.aspx
Rotor
You would also need to remove or isolate the DCC locos when running DC and vicw versa.
Interesting situation…I have a friend who has just gotten into DCC and layout is hooked up with the DPDT switch. That part is OK but his block control panel also has all his turnout controls running off the DC part of his system. This is fine UNLESS someone bumps one of the DC throttles, eh? Sounds a little risky to me? Any thoughts? jc5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA