Track and electrical/DCC

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Is DCC right for me?

Wed, 2015-01-07 21:56 — K07

Track and electrical/DCC

I recently installed some lighting kits into my Bi-Level Gallery coaches and absolutely love how my train looks! One thing that bugs me is the flicker of the lights on low throttle. I either have to sacrifice realistic acceleration or I have to sacrifice the lighting.

Digitrax UP5 & Daisy chaining

Wed, 2015-01-07 13:19 — rsn48

Track and electrical/DCC

Okay I know you can daisy chain the cable around the layout as UP5's are installed so my question isn't about this. Instead, as you know there is this little hole you add wire and briefly apply heating iron on other side to secure wire, but only one location for the wire that allows you to leave throttle plugged in without draining its battery. So it looks like you can't daisy chain that wire around, or can you? Do you have to run that single wire back to a common connection or can you somehow daisy chain in?

2 comments

DCC - Multiple controllers

Tue, 2015-01-06 23:12 — SPDaylightFan

Over the past 5 years or so I was never concerned much with DCC. I always have run straight DC? My main interest was in building my Moose Lake & Eagle Pass RR layout. I bought motive power because I liked a particular locomotive. As a result, now that I want to use DCC, I have a mix of manufacturers(Broadway Limited, Bachmann, Atlas, etc.). How can I run them all when each has its own controller. I have bought each manufacturers controller.

Three track curved crossover in code55 Nscale by Fastrack

Mon, 2015-01-05 13:45 — Marc

A curved triple crossover to exit my yard and make an interchange btween the three lead of my yard

I used Vallejo wash to weatherd the track including Golden artist acrilycs, my favorite paint,

Electrical bullet proof Peco turnouts

Mon, 2015-01-05 13:06 — Marc

Since it nearly exist I use Peco Nscale code 55 track; Peco offer a great line of turnouts, crossing, and double slip.

All of them are handsome good trackwork and work quite well.

However after some years of use, they show some electrical problems, in fact electrical continuity trough the point; this is true on turnouts because of the hinged point which whith time take play and make false contacts.

I modify since years all of my Peco turnouts whith this method and they are become nearly electrical bullet proof.

DCC Track Wiring "infrastructure strategy" for a large layout

Mon, 2015-01-05 10:36 — Onewolf

Track and electrical/DCC

I plan to get started building a rather large HO layout within a couple of months (pending completion of detached garage/workshop). The layout will be 28ft x 32ft and three levels (mushroom design). I plan to use Digitrax DCC to control the layout. My previous layout was much smaller and much simpler and was controlled by a Digitrax DCS-150 and DB-150 booster. It used NCE Switch-its and tortoise to control turnouts.

Getting ready to take the plunge...

Sun, 2015-01-04 16:16 — Rob_C

Hi there,

I have a large garage layout that I'm going to be rebuilding for signaling and block detection. Possibly eventually some automated running.

I currently have a Prodigy Advance 2 and about 8 (mostly) wireless cabs representing a fairly big investment. JMRI seems to work fine with it, running trains with wifi and all. There are no signals or blocks on the current layout to test any of the other features of panel pro.

Position indication of a wye

Sun, 2015-01-04 15:15 — LKandO

My primary prototype railroad used green/yellow switch indication within yard limits and green/red switch indication for switches on the main. I have adopted the same on my railroad with the additional meaning of green/red switches must always be returned to the green indication whereas green/yellow switches can be left in either position.

My question is what to do about a wye near the end of an industry spur? There is no straight or diverging route to go by. The green/yellow combination will be used since it is not on the main.

Conisting with speed tables set.

Sun, 2015-01-04 14:46 — patfaherty

I have one engine with an MRC decoder a second engine with a Digitrax decoder. I have set up the speed tables to the point that both engines are running within 1 mph. However when I put them in a consist, the MRC still responds the same the Digitrax just sits there until I get to step 8 then it moves but very slow. Any ideas what I can look at?