Model Railways - DCC help!
Discussion
After a 25 year hiatus, I’m in the early stages of building a model railway - following negotiations with the wife I’ve secured the use of one of the spare bedrooms for it, the room is 11.5 x 14 feet, so it will be quite a large layout.
The thing I’m struggling with at the moment is DCC Control. I want to use this, as it has so many advantages, but it seems so much more complicated that analogue, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by it.
The first problem I’ve come across is pointwork, where I can choose insulated or live frogs. I’ve just ordered £250 of points and have chosen live frogs based on this http://www.gaugemaster.com/instructions/dcc_concep... but have already seen contradictory advice elsewhere. It also appears that I’ve got to do substantial wiring work across the layout, and I’m not sure if I’m up to it frankly! I’m hoping that it’s less complicated than it appears at first glance!
I’d welcome any advice...
The thing I’m struggling with at the moment is DCC Control. I want to use this, as it has so many advantages, but it seems so much more complicated that analogue, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by it.
The first problem I’ve come across is pointwork, where I can choose insulated or live frogs. I’ve just ordered £250 of points and have chosen live frogs based on this http://www.gaugemaster.com/instructions/dcc_concep... but have already seen contradictory advice elsewhere. It also appears that I’ve got to do substantial wiring work across the layout, and I’m not sure if I’m up to it frankly! I’m hoping that it’s less complicated than it appears at first glance!
I’d welcome any advice...
Its fairly simple choice really, live frogs take a bit more work, but are more reliable especially for smaller locos, dead frogs make the wiring simple, assuming Peco or similar points.
Also a lot of the advice on the net can be quite old, when DCC first came out a lot of manufacturers points, especially in the US, was not comparable.
Live frog can also be more expensive as you need some way of switching the current with the points with a break before make electrical switch. Again more of a problem in the early days of DCC. The basic principle is make sure there can never be a short circuit, this was tolerable with DC but can break a DCC system at worst, with at best being a pain as you have to reset the circuit breaker every time.
Disclaimer - not got a layout ATM but was an early DCC adopter
Also a lot of the advice on the net can be quite old, when DCC first came out a lot of manufacturers points, especially in the US, was not comparable.
Live frog can also be more expensive as you need some way of switching the current with the points with a break before make electrical switch. Again more of a problem in the early days of DCC. The basic principle is make sure there can never be a short circuit, this was tolerable with DC but can break a DCC system at worst, with at best being a pain as you have to reset the circuit breaker every time.
Disclaimer - not got a layout ATM but was an early DCC adopter
I too am planning a layout (I've been trying to decide on a plan for 2 years now!) and am feeling a little confused about live frog points.
I don't want to add point motors from the outset due to cost so do live frog points work out of the box without having a point motor to switch polarity?
I don't want to add point motors from the outset due to cost so do live frog points work out of the box without having a point motor to switch polarity?
MBBlat said:
Live frog can also be more expensive as you need some way of switching the current with the points with a break before make electrical switch. Again more of a problem in the early days of DCC. The basic principle is make sure there can never be a short circuit, this was tolerable with DC but can break a DCC system at worst, with at best being a pain as you have to reset the circuit breaker every time
This is a good illustration of the difficulties I’m facing. Sounds like I need a quantity of switches of some type, but I’ve no idea what I need to buy! Gareth1974 said:
This is a good illustration of the difficulties I’m facing. Sounds like I need a quantity of switches of some type, but I’ve no idea what I need to buy!
Cheapest solution would be something like this https://www.maplin.co.uk/p/single-pole-sub-miniatu...or any SPDT swithch, on-off-on preferable but not strictly necesary
Just remember to slide it across when you change the points. Soldering skills also required. I have seen articals suggesting connecting a wire from the switch to the points to do both at once.
Or just get the tortoise/cobalt slow speed motors, expensive but gives a realistic motion.
All the above are assuming Peco points or similar
DCC and dead/live frogs are really to separate wiring issues. Live frog points need additional wiring regardless to get the best perfromance, I've used dead frog points and had no stalling issues but my locos are US HO so have heavy long wheelbase chassises. I'm pretty sure you can find all the wiring info you need here http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/index.html. Another alternative is a "frog juicer" this is a circuit board which is wired direct to the frog via the wire on the underside of a Peco point with 2nd and 3rd wires to each rail. 
Best advice is get on one of the model railway forums such as http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/
Best advice is get on one of the model railway forums such as http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/
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