From your post, it sounds like either the Digitrax Zephyr or the NCE PowerCab would be good choices for the DCC command stations. The Zephyr may be the better choice of the two as it allows you to run a single DC locomotive (or consist). If you don't (yet) care about sound, you can get decoders for $15.00 to $25.00 each. Another advantage in your case is that your friends are using Digitrax. I hope this helps. Vernon

Your friends are running Digitrax sort of dicates which way to go;  Zephyr. You can eventually , as funds permit, get a hand held throttle to bring over to your friends and use at home for a second operator. You probably allready have a DC throttle, it can also be put to use on the Zephyr as a jump throttle, not the end of the world but viable cost cutting alternative.   Virtually all decoders will work with the Zephyr.

Marc Fournier, Quebec

If your layout was wired for DC cab control you can make one of the cabs a DCC system. This leaves the other cab as a way to run DC locos.

However, if you're going full DCC you can run one DC loco with a DCC booster. BUT because the DCC signal on the track is a square wave and that square wave goes directly into your DC loco's motor you can expect a rather unpleasant squealing noise while a DC loco is on DCC tracks.

Add onto this the fact that the square is balanced around 0(zero) volts so half the time it will be trying to make the loco go fwd and the other half go backward, with these modes switching back and forth several thousand times a second you'll be subjecting your DC loco's motor and drive train to a lot of vibration. It's also conceivable, under certain circumstances, that some DC motors might overheat when powered from a DCC signal (motor not spinning but has full volts on it makes for heavy current drain).

I'd recommend NOT running DC locos on a DCC system very much. Sorry.

Regards,

Charlie

on a layout set up for dcc, is to install a double pole, double throw, center off switch that will allow you to switch from dcc to dc.  I would not try running a dc loco with dcc locos on the same layout at the same time.

Even though you can run a DC loco on some DCC systems (like Digitrax), you can only do one loco/lashup that way and it's not very satisfying.

The loco will emit various harmonic tones as you adjust the throttle, which can get annoying.

The loco speed control is coarse at best.

Running a loco very long this way almost certainly generates excess heat and is not doing the motor any good.

More than a few DCC system vendors have dropped DC running from their feature set because it's mostly marketing hype and not especially practical. Spend the extra $15 or so and put a fleet decoder in your loco. You'll be much happier.

The only reason to have dc capability that I can see is to be able to check the amp draw on an unfamilier loco to size the dcc decoder correctly.

The way to go would be to get a Zephyr initially, then perhaps a throttle later. I remember occasionally running a DC loco on DCC, but as Joe says, it emits a harmonic (irritating) noise and I'm sure it doesn't do the motor any good in the long term, so I no longer do that. I've still got a few DC loco's left but they don't normally get a run out. If you want to carry on running them then have a dual system with a DPDT switch, safer that way.

Brian

Thanks to everyone who responded. I think I'll go with the Zepher. Sounds like my best bet. Chris