Help -Hornby R8213 DCC plus Hornby R8012 HM 2000 on same set

[PedroNolasco]

Hello

I am new at this, just started think what to do.Received from a friend some old pieces. A few questions regarding electric system. 1-Can  i join on same set both R8213DCC and a R8012 HM2000 controler? Do they need to be totaly separated tracks or i can join them?  2- Does DCC locos work with non DCC controler? And other way around, can a non DCC loco work on a DCC track? If they are on same track, some locos have decoder so they are runing under DCC controler, and the others without decoder runing on normal power controler? I have see some videos, and people are passing wire under the table and connect with smaller wire to the tracks. does this is necessary or depends on track lenght? 3- and final - The Hornby digital 15V 4Amp tranformer, do i connect it to the R8213DCC replacing the original, 1amp transformer? Is this to be possible to run more locos?

Thanks a lot for your help. I am very excited to start doing things.

Pedro

[Chrissaf]

Pedro, welcome to the forum.

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1-Can  i join on same set both R8213DCC and a R8012 HM2000 controler? Do they need to be totaly separated tracks or i can join them?

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Under no circumstances must you allow the output of the HM2000 to come into contact with the output of the R8213 DCC controller.

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If you connect the HM2000 to track oval #1 and the R8213 to track oval #2, you can then run a DC loco on the HM2000 track and DCC fitted locos on the R8213 track, but to reiterate. Do NOT have any point (turnout) crossovers between the two ovals, not even if using insulated rail joiners. The output of the HM2000 will damage the R8213 if it comes into contact.

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Some on here will say that you could put in electrical switches to switch the different controllers in and out of circuit, but it only takes a tiny lapse in concentration to forget to throw a switch and the R8213 could become damaged.

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2- Does DCC locos work with non DCC controler? And other way around, can a non DCC loco work on a DCC track?

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Yes you can put a DCC fitted loco containing a DCC decoder on the track being controlled by the HM2000, but do not put the DC loco on the R8213 controlled DCC track, you will most likely burn out the motor. Maybe not straight away, but it will happen eventually. You may have read or heard elsewhere that you can put DC locos on a DCC track and use something called Zero Address DC control. Just because something is technically possible, doesn't make it a good idea.

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I have see some videos, and people are passing wire under the table and connect with smaller wire to the tracks. does this is necessary or depends on track length?

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This is called a DCC BUS. It is not a necessity to do, but it can give benefits. Whether to use a BUS or not, has no real bearing on layout size, but the benefits are potentially more on a larger layout with longer track runs

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and final - The Hornby digital 15V 4Amp tranformer, do i connect it to the R8213DCC replacing the original, 1amp transformer? Is this to be possible to run more locos?

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The P9300 4 amp Digital power supply is the official Hornby replacement power supply for the R8213. Yes it is totally compatible with the R8213. The 1 amp supply will support about 3 or 4 modern locos, less if the locos are older more current hungry types. The 4 amp supply will support up to about 10 locos running simultaneously.

[PedroNolasco]

 Thank you very much for your help, thi will prevent me from burning something. Great. Have a good weekend.