I am an American living in Brazil now. Building a large HO layout in Araxa´ MG. I am concerned that 1. Frateschi does not build or support DCC or N scale. 2. The Brazilian import tax prohibits buying DCC items from other countries. So, I was interested in your 2016 post that you were converting your DC locomotives to DCC. Frateschi did not provide any information to me, when asked, about which models of decoders work with their different DC locomotives.

Could you please provide me some information on which DCC decoders you have used for which of your Frateschi locos? Any response will be greatly appreciate.
Ken

Graeme,
I wouldn’t discount your older engines just yet. It is a matter of getting the right Chip installed for that engine. I have been installing chips in some of my older engines and they have been working well. Yes if the engine does not perform well in Standard DC it won’t be any better on DCC You are right there. I have gone through my engines and one at a time I have been converting them and in most cases cheaper than buying a ready to go DCC engine. If your engine only has one truck that picks up power from the track it will likely stall on switches and power gaps. The Bachmann Thomas engine for instance runs terrible in DC but performs well in DCC It will get a chip. In DCC I can make it creep along the tracks and you can actually see his eyes move unlike in DC his slow speed is fast and his eyes are a blurr. He will get a chip when I find the right chip for it sor space and sound.
At the National train Show in Indy Bachmann and I ran each of our Thomas engines. I have older ones no sound Bachmann has one that has DC sound. But theirs was DC also and I think I can find a chip to make it just right in DCC. I started out with a commercially installed DCC to get started, I watched several installations and now I am doing them Your old engines can do well if you give them a chance. Newman

Mike

I agree with David, I model in “N” scale on a hollow core door due to limited space. My grandson runs his trains with DC and I run mine with DCC, but not at the same time. The attached photo is of my control cab.
Lloyd.

Sorry all u need is a E-Z Command ® Digital Command Control System it can do it all u can control up to 9 DCC and one DC I have use this all my time and I love it it works really good

Skip
You are correct that a DC engine can be run on a Digitrax system But not advised for very long. 1. DCC puts out a couple of volts more than standard DC does. The Chip you install in your engine adjusts the voltage to your motor as needed by your imputs.. A Standard DC engine will respond to inputs for a zero zero code setting on the tracks. But you have constant power on the rails So if you have the engine stopped the motor is getting full power from the power supply. This then overheats the motor. If you keep the engine moving it will not get to hot very fast. The Zero Zero code is really only to be used to test a Standard DC engine and see how it responds if you would install a chip in the engine. It is only a way to test the engine and not to run it constantly and by all means do not leave it stopped on the tracks or you will smoke your engine. The system actually tricks your DC engine to run on a zero zero code. All Digitrax system owners I know agrees with a test run of an engine but not to overdue a test run either. We recently did a test of a DC Brass Steam engine. We set Zero-zero code and ran it around the layout twice but we did not leave it stopped at anytime and we also felt the engine many times to make sure it is not getting too hot. I also have a KATO Amtrak engine that is DC. Right on the box it says not to put it on DCC unless the chip is installed or the motors will burn out. I am now installing this chip without a test run Better safe than sorry. It might be a warning that is to protect KATO MFG. But I am not taking a chance, I am installing the chip as we speak.
Newman Atkinson