# ? Can a DCC Loco be run on DC ?



## Texas Pete (Sep 28, 2011)

Dropping in from the O gauge three-rail side.

I decided to break out my N gauge stuff, which is so old that I got it before the advent of DCC. Most new locos come equipped with DCC, but my setup will be so small that it would make no sense to go that route.

The layout will be powered by an MRC Tech II Loco-motion 1500. Will that power pack operate a DCC equipped loco? If not, will such a loco operate on DC if the decoder is simply unplugged, or would it have to be rewired as well?

Thanks for any help.

Pete


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Hi Pete,

There are DCC decoders will operate on DC.

The DCC CV #29 has a bit (#2, value 4) which controls this.

http://www.digitrax.com/support/cv/calculators/

I do not know if all decoders have this feature.

Frederick


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Pete,there's no single answer to your question so I'll try to keep the explanation as simple as can be.
First allow me to let you know that DCC isn't the monster some believe it to be.It has its cost and there's a learning curve to it but I know no one who want to go back to DC once they tasted it.

-Earlier DCC decoder didn't work on DC,no damage whatsoever though,the loco just won't move.Simply un-plugging the decoder won't work,the electrical path from the wheels to the motor have to be repaired.If you have the original lightboard the loco came with,the retrofit is a five minute job.But if the loco has a hard wired decoder,it's more complicated.

-Most if not all newer decoders will run on DC out of the box.However,if you buy or are given a pre-owned DCC equipped loco,it may not run because the previous owner has disabled DC running.Many DCC operators do this to avoid runaways that occasionally happen on DCC layouts with DC enabled.In this case,you'll need a DCC friend to reprogram the decoder,provided the decoder has this feature.

-You can even run a sound equipped loco on DC.In this case however,you won't be able to use the manual sounds like horn,coupler sound,etc.You'll have the automatic sounds like throttle,blow off valve,brake squeal,etc.Sound engines usually need 5-7 volts to activate their processors so will start moving at about half throttle on your DC controller.

Now the other side.I understand that you don't wish to retrofit all your older DC locos but having engines that you can't use to their full potential may be frustrating also.Should you wish to go DCC,be aware that some (not all) DCC systems (like Digitrax) allow you to run one DC train and DCC powered locos at the same time on a layout.In this case though,DC locos CANNOT BE LEFT IDLE ON DCC POWER,they have to be removed from the track when not running.You don't need a top notch DCC set to achieve this.


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

Brakeman Jake said:


> Now the other side.I understand that you don't wish to retrofit all your older DC locos but having engines that you can't use to their full potential may be frustrating also.Should you wish to go DCC,be aware that some (not all) DCC systems (like Digitrax) allow you to run one DC train and DCC powered locos at the same time on a layout.In this case though,DC locos CANNOT BE LEFT IDLE ON DCC POWER,they have to be removed from the track when not running.You don't need a top notch DCC set to achieve this.


Yeah, even the really basic Bachmann DCC controller had a channel for DC locomotives. If the locomotive is idle, it sits there and squeals. As I understand it, the strange sort-of-DC power makes the motor sit there and vibrate if it's not in motion. I'm told that extended exposure to that will fry the motor.


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## Texas Pete (Sep 28, 2011)

Brakeman Jake said:


> Pete,there's no single answer to your question so I'll try to keep the explanation as simple as can be.
> First allow me to let you know that DCC isn't the monster some believe it to be.It has its cost and there's a learning curve to it but I know no one who want to go back to DC once they tasted it.
> 
> -Earlier DCC decoder didn't work on DC,no damage whatsoever though,the loco just won't move.Simply un-plugging the decoder won't work,the electrical path from the wheels to the motor have to be repaired.If you have the original lightboard the loco came with,the retrofit is a five minute job.But if the loco has a hard wired decoder,it's more complicated.
> ...


Thanks a heap for your very helpful reply. DCC sounds swell but I'm not sure I see the value of it to operate a 2x4 layout that can easily be wired for DC only.

Attached is a preliminary version of the track plan.

Pete


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

With that track plan I can easily see the advantage of DCC. First, if you were to place a couple of turnouts in the north east corner to make the access track into a passing siding as well as an access track it will make operations smoother, allowing for 2 or more trains easier. It will make switching your industries much easier, by giving you control of the actual train, that way if you have an engine waiting on one of the tracks you are not moving it as well, or if you isolate those tracks so this doesn’t happen, DCC will just make the wiring much simpler. 

The learning curve is not hard. Some of the programming can get complex, but for this layout I don’t see the need for much of the consisting and thus the speed matching, but the ability to call up a loco by it’s number and move it out to get a job done is far more satisfying than turning a dial and flipping a switch to make sure the track itself has power. 

As for DCC systems I prefer Digitrax, their systems are more thought out than the others and if you start with the Zephyr you can upgrade it with better throttles (and more than one) even use a dc power pack as a second throttle, it supports stationary decoders for switch control or animations, also it can be interfaced with a computer for easier decoder programming and much more. It’s not the cheapest out there, kinda in the middle but the features are as good or better than some brands’ top end systems. 

Just some food for thought.


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