# DCC Power



## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

On a DCC layout, what is the voltage that is always on the track?


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## capper (Feb 16, 2009)

DCC voltage is of equal amplitude in the plus and minus direction an made up of a series of pulses Which provides the information as to which device is being controlled as well as providing the power to operate it. There isn't a measurable DC type voltage that you may be used to. Conventional 12V DC accessories will not work off track voltage


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

capper said:


> DCC voltage is of equal amplitude in the plus and minus direction an made up of a series of pulses Which provides the information as to which device is being controlled as well as providing the power to operate it. There isn't a measurable DC type voltage that you may be used to. Conventional 12V DC accessories will not work off track voltage


 
So It is an AC voltage? Is there a constant ac voltage to run the motor when told to by the decoder?


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## capper (Feb 16, 2009)

Kind of, except DCC is pulses and not sine waves. With DCC the track is turned into an information Highway (select the engine, it's speed, direction, light on/off, etc.) as well providing the power to run the motor. The controller in the engine interrupts the information sent to it and runs the engine.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

From what I have read here an older DC engine can be converted if there is a way to islate both pos./neg. power to the motor and room for the decoder. Is that true?

Is the motor in an DCC engine D/C?


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Southern said:


> Is the motor in an DCC engine D/C?


For all two rail locomotives that would usually come with a DC motor, yes... The DCC signal follows the same pattern as the AC wave, but it is still a DC current in two rail applications...


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