DCC HORNBY ELECTRICS

[Forum-1211528]

I have a a few Hornby class 86 locos and class 90 locos these are not working on DCC as they are running under live Triang overhead as does my never released CLASS 81 but you simply cant run Electric locos that run under live overhead on DCC as it cant work but i have used a HELJAN class 86 on DCC as the pantograph on that loco is a dummy one so even if Alstom Heritage is running under the Triang catenery it wont get any power from it as its a dummy pantograph! Are there any solutions to this problem where Hornby and former Lima locos have working pantographs so DCC is no go with them??

[96RAF]

We did discuss DCCing live panto models a long time ago Colin and came to the conclusion the only way to do it was to bypass the panto/rails switch on top of the loco.

 

The logic behind it was that with DCC you couldn't arrange the overhead feed by way of the switch to match up with the both live A-B rails, only one. It could be rigged as OK in one direction but if you turned the loco round on the track you effectively introduced a return loop which could only be fixed with an RLM inside the loco - too difficult.

 

I DCCd my live panto CL90 by taking the switch out completely thus isolating the metal panto, but then I dont have any overhead wires either.

 

On DC your overhead live is tapped off the live rail and either can use the other rail as common return as set by the loco switch.

[Forum-1211528]

We did discuss DCCing live panto models a long time ago Colin and came to the conclusion the only way to do it was to bypass the panto/rails switch on top of the loco.

 

The logic behind it was that with DCC you couldn't arrange the overhead feed by way of the switch to match up with the both live A-B rails, only one. It could be rigged as OK in one direction but if you turned the loco round on the track you effectively introduced a return loop which could only be fixed with an RLM inside the loco - too difficult.

 

I DCCd my live panto CL90 by taking the switch out completely thus isolating the metal panto, but then I dont have any overhead wires either.

 

On DC your overhead live is tapped off the live rail and either can use the other rail as common return as set by the loco switch.

Well really the easiest way is to not have live Triang overhead anymore and run the locos DCC from the track then it cant cause trouble as Heljan class 86 locos have dummy pantographs  but my electrics remain Analogue they will never be DCC as i simply wont bother have a Unique never released CLASS 81 so its better that way and unless Hornby found another way of doing this the Triang catenery stays Analogue!