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Track Wiring for DCC
Digital Command Control can still be wired to the track with two wires, just like the older DC system, but there is a better way.
Direct Command Control, DCC, requires more power (amps) to operate, not only more locomotives, but also the many options DCC provides. The old system worked well with two wires because it only powered one locomotive, or a mated pair.
The optimal wiring for DCC uses two heavy 10 to 14 gauge solid copper wires, one Plus (+) and one Minus (-). They should be of different colors so you can correctly connect track drop wires. These buss wires are suspended below the layout, and follow track where ever it goes. In this way your DCC signals are available to all points of the layout with power to spare.
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Actually DCC wiring can be much more simple than the old DC Wiring. Where in Old Standard DC a very simple loop might have only 2 wires attached at one location, A more sophisticated DC layout would require insulated rails and more power wires running off to these extra sidings and sections where you would have to shut down one train on one track to run another. Or if a couple of trains were run on the same track you would most likely divide the run into several sections so you could shut one train down to keep it from getting too close to the one a head of it. of course each train would have to be in it’s own section to do it. Unless you had a double pole switch to a certain section you could only run all the trains in one direction. Been there and done that.
Now that DCC has come along it is easy to run bus wires under the board and link to the rails with feeder wires. Now all power is on and left on all the time to the whole layout. Now instead of many wires feeding out from your switch board you are now down to two main feed wires. If you are just adding DCC to your existing layout and you already have wires going all over from your switch board then just turn everything on and in the proper direction and you can go anywhere.
Newman
I’m about to start wiring a club layout so that it can be used for DC & DCC sessions. Do the two systems require separate wiring circuits and can anybody recommend a site or book for information.
I heard that DCC can cause radio interferance if the bus wires are not twisted of run closley in parallel, is this correct?
once is converted to dcc, I will never go back , I enjoy my layout now even more, since I cant walk around my layout I have gotten rid of the electrical switches and I now make them my self. that way I see ahead down the track and make sure that all switches are open, and when I go through them I return them to the original spot. and wiring dcc was so much easier, if I want to expand my layout I can and maybe purchase a booster if needed, thanks for the information.
Wiring DCC from the beginning is easy and less wiring. Well worth the change. But if you are still using DC then just turn everything on and in the proper direction and instead of the old transformer hook up DCC and you have a DCC layout. But if your tracks have long runs you need wire leads following the tracks underneath and hook up extra wiredrops along the way with strong enough wire. Once you start using DCC you will never go back. To have capability to do either. In my case I have a portable layout and eventually I will get those engines converted. In that case I might run either. But my main layout is DCC from the start. I have always been told not to do both on the same layout. You don’t want to mix up your engines on the wrong system Some engines cannot handle both types. Just convert to DCC and you will be glad you did in the long run Newman