# Powering Turnout Motors in DCC



## KisNap (Aug 4, 2014)

In DC I would hook the turnout wires to the AC terminal on the controller to throw the turnout switches, but how do you do that in DCC without buying special decoders. I'm using Kato N scale switches.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

You can still use the AC terminals on the DC power pack to throw the turnout motors.


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## KisNap (Aug 4, 2014)

There's way/device that's smaller than a power pack that can be used?


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

with DC, wouldn't you power the switch machine from the AC or auxilliary terminals of the throttle and control the switch machine with momentary switches?

if so, you can use a spare wall wart power supply instead of the auxially power from a DC throttle


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Get the output specs from the terminals on your DC poweepack and purchase a wall wart with the appropriate output. Or, if you're like me, you probably have one just lying around somewhere.


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## KisNap (Aug 4, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> Get the output specs from the terminals on your DC poweepack and purchase a wall wart with the appropriate output. Or, if you're like me, you probably have one just lying around somewhere.


Interesting, like a computer power supply?


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

flyboy2610 said:


> You can still use the AC terminals on the DC power pack to throw the turnout motors.


NO!  DO NOT use AC power on Kato "turnouts". (track switches) They are designed to operate on DC only. AC current may destroy the coil that operates the Kato turnout.

Kato's "switch machine" (which is built into the "roadbed" base) uses a unique single-coil mechanism. It operates on DC only, and reversing the polarity of the DC current is what selects the route the train will take. AC current would be fine for Atlas, Bachmann, or Peco, twin coil switch machines. They can be safely operated with either AC or DC, but not Kato. It must be operated by DC only. A wall wart DC power supply, or the DC terminals of a DC power pack will work.

Traction Fan


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## Wooky_Choo_Bacca (Nov 13, 2020)

Yes, I'm hoping flyboy meant to say "ACcessory-12VDC", I don't have the original case of my Kato controller but IIRC it said "ACC-12VDC" on the side where the turnout switches connected. The wiring inside is simple, the plug from it's wall wart powering the box, the power out to the track which is variable DC, and the 12VDC for ACCessories.

I found the perfect wall wart for my turnout control, a 12VDC / 1.0amp, I know it won't ever be taxed that high on power usage even if I flip all 8 turnouts at the same time it will still just be idling along


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

To protect your turnout 'coils' from accidental burn out, use
a Capacity Discharge Unit. When you press the 'throw' button
a pulse of power is sent to the turnout then the CDU dies. It
rapidly recharges when you release the button. Uses 12 v DC.

There is a turnout control 'switch' available that throws the points AND
provides LED control for panel and/or trackside signal lights.
They have a model for Kato turnouts.



751 SERIES ELECTRONIC TURNOUT SWITCHES



Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

KisNap said:


> Interesting, like a computer power supply?


Computer, calculator, gaming system, PC speakers, etc., etc., etc. An actually computer power supply puts out something like 100W DC, which is probably way too much current. Wooly says 12W... that might be a bit stingy. I run my 36 servos and their associated controller cards and LED indicators on a 60W (that's 5 amps at 12 VDC, if you're not familiar with Ohm's Law) one from my kids old Nintendo handhelds.


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## Wooky_Choo_Bacca (Nov 13, 2020)

Wooly 😆 🤣 LOL that's a new one. Not meaning to be stingy on the turnout controlling juss don't have all the "proper" railroading gizmos and gadgets . . . . . . yet. No drop arms when the Choo Choo crosses a road, no pole lights telling if'n it's safe to proceed (yeah I watched a bunch of videos of Mr Porsche's layout in Germany) I'll do good to have the houses lit once again with street lights (I've got a box of wall warts here)


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Wooky_Choo_Bacca said:


> Wooly 😆 🤣 LOL that's a new one. Not meaning to be stingy on the turnout controlling juss don't have all the "proper" railroading gizmos and gadgets . . . . . . yet. No drop arms when the Choo Choo crosses a road, no pole lights telling if'n it's safe to proceed (yeah I watched a bunch of videos of Mr Porsche's layout in Germany) I'll do good to have the houses lit once again with street lights (I've got a box of wall warts here)


Yeah, I fight a continual war with Autocorrect. Sometimes I catch the stupidity, sometimes I don't... obviously, J missed that one (which is funny, because that was already a correction from "Wookie")


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## Wooky_Choo_Bacca (Nov 13, 2020)

LOL I think the "correct" term from Star Wars was "Wookie" but I've always had to be outside the box and is why my version has been Wooky and used that as a radio handle instead of Wolfman (400K of them out there already lol). Due to spellcheck I've gotten better at spelling words, who'd've thought, getting an online education LOL


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## VTtrainguy (Jan 18, 2019)

CTValleyRR said:


> Yeah, I fight a continual war with Autocorrect. Sometimes I catch the stupidity, sometimes I don't... obviously, J missed that one (which is funny, because that was already a correction from "Wookie")


Tell me about it!! I'm constantly using technical or vintage terms that autocorrect's social media context doesn't recognize. Sometimes I catch its idiotic assumptions, and sometimes it waits for me to hit "send" or "post" to jump in and change things. Samsung and Android seem to think they know what I mean to say more than I do myself. And autocorrect won't stay OFF!! If I default it to OFF, it comes right back ON the moment I refresh a page, change websites, or wake the phone up after it's been in standby. "Big Brother is watching YOU!"


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## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

VTtrainguy said:


> Tell me about it!! I'm constantly using technical or vintage terms that autocorrect's social media context doesn't recognize. Sometimes I catch its idiotic assumptions, and sometimes it waits for me to hit "send" or "post" to jump in and change things. Samsung and Android seem to think they know what I mean to say more than I do myself. And autocorrect won't stay OFF!! If I default it to OFF, it comes right back ON the moment I refresh a page, change websites, or wake the phone up after it's been in standby. "Big Brother is watching YOU!"


My brother is trying to start a trend of using Duck You as a curse, since that is how his social media auto-corrects what he types. I kind of like that idea.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

VTtrainguy said:


> Tell me about it!! I'm constantly using technical or vintage terms that autocorrect's social media context doesn't recognize. Sometimes I catch its idiotic assumptions, and sometimes it waits for me to hit "send" or "post" to jump in and change things. Samsung and Android seem to think they know what I mean to say more than I do myself. And autocorrect won't stay OFF!! If I default it to OFF, it comes right back ON the moment I refresh a page, change websites, or wake the phone up after it's been in standby. "Big Brother is watching YOU!"


Gee, my phone and tablet are Samsung too.... I don't think that's a coincidence. Autocorrect is just helpful enough that I don't want to disable it. Say about 55% of the time. But when it gets a wild hare up its kiester, boy look out. It DOES learn, too, so it no longer changes "loco" to "lock", but you have to train it. The latest update seems to have given it a bias towards proper names: if you try to "jimmy" a lock, you'll be talking about locking up a boy named Jimmy instead... Annoying.

You CAN make it "forget" words from the learned list, too. "And" is a common problem of mine: my lazy thumb often hits the m instead of the n, resulting in "amd". Autocorrect decided that, rather than the obvious typo, I must be talking about computer chip manufacturer "AMD" instead and started making the correction. Miss that a few times, and now it's a learned word. To get rid of them, deliberately misspell the word and wait for the suggested correction to show up in the "predictive text" bar above the key board. Hold down the suggestion you want to forget, and the you will get a window asking if you want to delete that word from the learned words list. You have to close whatever window you're in for it to take effect, though.


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