Francis-Dublin Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 I'm confused about whether I can use a Hornby turnout straight from the box on a DCC layout. Most of the turnouts go to sidings, some allow transfer from one oval to another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTSR_NSE Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 (edited) You can but since DCC is designed for all track to be live constantly (and Hornby points are designed to only pass electrical conductivity in the direction they are set) you will need to employ 1 of the following options: • simplest option is to add the DCC clips (they look a bit like staples) to the points - however not everyone likes them & under certain conditions they can overheat & melt points/sleepers. • more involved option is to solder connecting wires to the tracks either side of the points (or employ a completely separate electrical ‘bus’) - thereby bypassing the need to use the points for electrical conductivity. • no modification (but most problematic) option - keep the layout just as you would with DC so track is only live where you set the points. You can still run multiple locos/trains over the live sections - but will have the same limitations as with DC on isolated sections. Edit - This option would actually be worse than with DC, since (with DCC) you can’t use multiple controllers to overcome isolation limitations (due to certain damage if the controllers were ever to be electrically connected!) Edited August 16 by LTSR_NSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HST Mainline Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 I use the R8232 point clips. It's easy and I can easily "go back" should I want to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 @HST Mainline Will try this first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModelerXYZ Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 I use the DCC point clips. Its simple to install them. XYZ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 A summary from my recollections on point clips over some years here: not best practice but many have used them successfully on layouts for years overheating to red hot and destroying points - yes this happens, but occasionally best practice - install a bus clips and bus - your choice on leaving the clips in with a bus. If any clips go high resistance (hence subject to getting hot on their own), current will divert via the bus and the clip is unlikely to heat up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 19 Author Share Posted August 19 I have very few DCC installed or dcc ready locos so I'm going to stay on DC for the time being. I have a reversing loop which I'm going to automate and put my Cricket grounds in it. Interesting aside, my Daddy had 7 brothers and they had their own cricket team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 Reversing loops have to be electrically isolated sections of track and have a way of reversing the power polarity while the train is completely within the loop. With DC that's usually a case of using a double pole changeover switch and also changing the direction of the controller before existing the loop. With DCC the norm is to use an electronic module to reverse the polarity as the first wheels cross the isolation gap on entry or exit. Unfortunately those modules don't usually work with DC. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 (edited) The new yet-to-be-released Hornby RLM is said to work on DC. Edited August 19 by Fishmanoz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 @Fishmanoz Yes so I've read. Will be interesting to see if it does otherwise HM7000 running on DC track power is going to be severely hampered on layouts having reverse loops. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 Exactly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 20 Author Share Posted August 20 My layout is basically two interconnected ovals. I'm going to isolate them and run one as DC and the other as DCC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 @Francis-Dublin be very very careful and make there is a suitable length of totally dead track between the two systems at crossovers - not just isolating joiners. Something accidentally running the wrong way and bridging the two systems can cause damage to the DCC system. Also make sure you don't place an unchipped DC loco on the DCC trackwork as you'll fry the motor quite rapidly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brew Man Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 The REV2 Auto-reverser from Block Signalling works on DC and DCC https://blocksignalling.co.uk/DC-Products/REV2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis-Dublin Posted August 22 Author Share Posted August 22 On 20/08/2024 at 09:38, ntpntpntp said: @Francis-Dublin be very very careful and make there is a suitable length of totally dead track between the two systems at crossovers - not just isolating joiners. Something accidentally running the wrong way and bridging the two systems can cause damage to the DCC system. Also make sure you don't place an unchipped DC loco on the DCC trackwork as you'll fry the motor quite rapidly. I've removed the turnouts from the two ovals and the are now seperated from each other 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntpntpntp Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 (edited) On 20/08/2024 at 12:41, Brew Man said: The REV2 Auto-reverser from Block Signalling works on DC and DCC I like that this unit uses IR sensors not the detection of a short circuit at the rail gaps. A much better arrangement to pre-set everything as the train approaches. For DC it switches the main track not the loop, again that makes sense and your train is running in the opposite direction on exist from the loop. It doesn't say in the instructions, but I wonder if the capacitor is for a CDU when firing the point motor? Edited August 22 by ntpntpntp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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