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Too Many Locos To Convert To DCC?
Allan Wright shares these Thoughts:
“A friend across the other side of the country mentioned in passing that he would be sticking with DC because he had so many locos it would be impossible to convert his entire stable to run on DCC. It made me wonder how many others are in the same predicament because, in reality, you don’t need to convert every loco. Most people don’t operate every loco on their layout. If you are like me, you will likely operate a handful of personal favorites… the ones you can rely on. If you were to operate all your locos, you could allow for a line on your layout to be isolated from the DCC circuitry and controlled by DC. For some switches, you could share the line between DCC and DC. Just a few thoughts I wanted to share.”
7 Responses to Too Many Locos To Convert To DCC?
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Hi, you can use a toggle switch to switch from DC to DCC. There are several videos that describe the wiring required to do this. One that I used was from Fifer Hobbies titled How to use DC and DCC on your layout. He does a very good job of explaining how this works.
I too have many more engines for DC vs, DCC. My layout was wired for DC block control prior to adding DCC several years ago. I changed out my DPDT for 6 position rotary switches. 3 tracks in my engine facility are DCC only. Several of my turnouts I had to reconfigure do to shorting issues. Some of my DC engines I’ll install decoders but most not
I have 97 locos, 7 of which are DCC, I run my analogue locos on my main tracks and DCC on my branch line
When I started into DCC I couldn’t afford to convert all 32 locos to DCC
So I paid to have 1 steamer & 1 diesel loco with sound converted.
Then using DIGITRAX & a 400 hand controller I could run 2 DCC
and any one DC loco.
If friends came over a DC loco would run as a # 00 & any DCC
Any DC loco will run as # 00 on Digitrax.
Good luck Robt.
Useful information on Digitrax – thanks.
I have my layout setup to run DCC, DC & PBL systems. Because I service and sell so many used locos, my layout is the test track for all types. I find myself only running DCC & Sound when I want to just run trains, DCC is so much better. THe PBL system is DC with sound signals sent through the track to a speaker in the loco. Eventually, I hope to have DCC in all of the loco’s that I plan to keep, and sell off all the rest. My layout also has blocks, because having blocks is a good way to isolate problems and just turn off when not is use. All of the blocks have block detection to ease tracking trains and movements. These days, DCC is very affordable, helping me to decide what to run.
Joseph Bonadies,
I run both locos on my track DC. or DCC, using Digitrax DCS 52, you can control locos by switching from 00 DC. to DCC. locos. I hope this will help you.