Comments on: Connecting Power Pack Leads To DCC Wired Layout… How? Where? https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout Model railroads and model trains Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:54:38 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Ed McEntee https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37760 Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:54:38 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37760 Something I havent seen mentioned is, How big is your layout? How big is the DC power pack? A small power pack from a small store bought set may not be strong enough to supply sufficient power to a large layout.

]]> By: Geoff_ https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37757 Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:33:37 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37757 With DCC, you need a place to program the locomotives, either on a separate piece of track on the workbench or a spur/siding on the layout. However you do it, you need a way to electrically isolate the rest of the layout so that only the program track is connected to the controller. The point here being that there’s most likely going to be some switches to change between the program track and the layout, and if they are not currently set to the layout (I leave mine in the “off” position when I’m finished running the trains for the day) then you won’t get any power to the layout if all you’ve done is to connect up your DC controller in place of the DCC one.

(You can also “program on main” but that means taking all the other locomotives off the layout while you do so, so I think that’s unlikely in this case.)

]]> By: ROBERT SCHWORM https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37696 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 17:29:36 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37696 I agree with the folks above.

Start small. Take a piece of test track, set the loco on it, and run the two wires from the transformer to the rails. See if it runs and you can adjust the speed. If so, the transformer and loco are good.

Then after that, go to the layout. Be sure there are no other power sources going to the tracks on the layout. By the way, I would go and get a reasonably good multimeter, from a big box store. Just one for 20 bucks or so. A very valuable tool around layouts.

An even simpler test is to lay your loco on its side on a table and touch the two wires from the transformer to a wheel on each side of the lcoc. If they spin up, same test results. If not, you then have a fundamental problem. Start with the transformer and put a small 12 volt auto light or a meter across the wires and check for 12 volts. If so, you are down to the loco.

Now – since this is a DCC layout also, you might want to consider a DCC loco, or put a decoder into a loco, which requires a bit of skill and also a soldering iron. You decide.
If there are still problems at this point, off to a friend’s house or the local hobby shop to sort it out.

Bob S

]]> By: Monty Bates https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37694 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:41:18 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37694 In reply to Rowan.

Volt meter is ok too.

]]> By: Mike Straus https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37690 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:01:57 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37690 Hi Rowan,
There is no reason your DC controller should not work on your Poppa’s DCC track. The wiring is the same other than with DCC the voltage is a constant 14 to 16 volts. With DC the voltage is variable. So just hook up the two wires from your controller to the track o e wire on each side where your Poppa hooked up his DCC controller. One wire to each side of the track.

]]> By: Mike Straus https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37689 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:50:43 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37689 There should be a spot where your Poppa hooked up his DCC feed to the track. Take the leads from your DC controller and connect them to those track feeds. Make sure you are using the correct feed from your controller as one set of feeds will be to control the track and the other set will be for accessories such as switch controllers. Use the ones for track as this is a variable voltage to control train speed. If you can get hold of a voltmeter thingy (multimeter) you can test the outputs from your controller. If you find the variable voltage and connect those wires to the track and your engines are good you should be all set. The only thing you may find is if you have the controller set for forward and the train runs in reverse just switch the leads and the train will run in the correct direction.

]]> By: Geoff https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37684 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 04:23:11 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37684 It sounds like there’s either a problem with the power pack or the locomotives. You could try using alligator clips to connect your DC power pack to the track, on a straight section, and then try your locos at that point. If neither locomotive works, find a 12 v light bulb (given that you don’t have a multimeter) and see if your power pack lights that up. You could also take your locomotives to a local hobby shop and see if they will put them on a test track to check they work.

]]> By: Merlin https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37683 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 03:48:53 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37683 Basically you just need to figure out a way to connect one wire from your DC controller to one side of the track and the other wire from the DC controller to the other side of the track. I assume you have a two track layout such as an HO layout. This works for simpler oval layouts. If you have a reversing loop then it is a little more tricky.

]]> By: Bob https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37681 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 02:43:43 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37681 Grab a DPDT knife switch. Take the wires you have now from DCC power supply and connect to one end of the switch. Wire a conventional analog DC power supply to the other end. Run a pair of wires to the track – or to the feeder wiring for your track (for track of any length the feeder should connect to the track at multiple locations so that the digital signal is strong everywhere – I have mine connected to track about every 6’; not so essential for DC). Now you can easily throw the switch to the DC side if running a DC loco, and you can throw it to the DCC side if you ever get a digital loco again. You should not be trying to run a DC loco from A DCC power supply.

]]> By: GENE BRADLEY https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37677 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:45:42 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37677 Hi Rowan,
Like others have said your DC power pack should work if it is good.
If your Poppa’s layout was wired for DCC it may have a power bus. That would be 2 wires under and parallel to the track with leads running up to the track. If it has such a bus, connect the 2 wires from your power pack to the 2 wires of the bus. If there is no bus, then figure out a way to connect your power pack directly to the track. BTW your Poppa’s layout should have had a connection to the track somewhere. Look where his DCC system used to be. Good Luck.

]]> By: GENE BRADLEY https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37676 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:43:41 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37676 Hi Rowan,
Like others have said your DC power pack should work if it is good.
If your Poppa’s layout was wired for DCC it may have a power bus. That would be 2 wires under and parallel to the track with leads running up to the track. If it has such a bus, connect the 2 wires from your power pack to the 2 wires of the bus. If there is no bus, then figure out a way to connect your power pack directly to the track. BTW your Poppa’s layout should have had a connection to the track somewhere. Look where his DCC system used to be. Good Luck/.

]]> By: David Smith https://blog.model-train-help.com/2020/04/connecting-power-pack-leads-dcc-wired-layout.html#comment-37675 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:18:28 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5559#comment-37675 My advice would be to take a good quality photograph of the layout from directly overhead, and another from underneath and post these on the blog. An expert may then be able to see what needs to be changed, if anything. They might need you to take a few close-up shots to fully understand the wiring, but this will be better than “flying blind”.

I know that a number of clubs have wired their layouts so they can run both DC and DCC in different sessions, so it would be good for you if you could do the same thing. Later, you might like to get the equipment and decoders to convert your collection gradually to DCC.

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