# Tortoise wiring in DCC



## charter.pa (Apr 23, 2014)

I have 5 separate blocks. Each one has a few turnouts. Do I wire the Tortoise to the block sub buss or to the main buss ?


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## timlange3 (Jan 16, 2013)

To power the Tortoise? To the Tortoise buss.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

charter.pa said:


> Do I wire the Tortoise to the block sub buss or to the main buss ?


the tortoise is powered separately from track.

the tortoise is powered by 9-12V DC. Reversing polarity causes the Tortoise to change positions. A Typical way is shown below


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## charter.pa (Apr 23, 2014)

I have 41 switches to power. The NCE PB-5 does not have a 9-12V supply. Can some one recommend a power source that can run all 41 Tortoise's ? I will assume that each one has to have both a positive and negative to work, going to the 9V power source ?


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

Each tortoise requires as much current as an LED, 10 ma. So 41 require about 0.5 A. You don't need an NCE power supply. A unused 9-12V DC wall wart would work. It doesn't need +/gnd/- if you use the reversing switch in the diagram.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

A short summary of DCC and turnouts.

The track is continuously energized with around
14 volts of modified AC. The track power is never
used for accessories except for special DCC stationary
decoders that can work your turnouts.

Stall motor type turnouts require around 12 volts DC.
Each one is controlled by a Double Pole, Double throw
panel switch. 

You can use any old DC power pack or unused
wall wart with 12 or so volt DC output to run
your Tortoises. Tortoises take so little current
most any amp output would be sufficient.

Don


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## charter.pa (Apr 23, 2014)

Ok. I'm glad you guy's got me straight on where to get the power. I thought it was from the NCE buss. I have an old Tyco gold top power pac in the closet. Time to run even more wire. However, I'm asking this. The tortoise gets 12v from power pac. How does the frog get 14v ? I cut gaps in the peco and shinohara turnouts so they can't short and soldered a wire to go to the tortoise.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

The frog is powered from the rails, the switch motor is not. see post 3 wiring diagram. on the far left are the track feeds going to the relay for the frog.


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## charter.pa (Apr 23, 2014)

Yes this is where I got lost. Brown/ blue wire shows track feed and also show brown/blue wires to the power terminals of the DPDT switch. Which made me think that the track powered the tortoise. you guy's are telling me to use 12v power for tortoise. Red wire goes to frog so I assume it gets the power from the 12v power pac ? OR, it gets power from the track at legs 4&5 (which are isolated from 1&8) to send 14v thru 2&7 to power frog ?


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

the tortoise has an internal DPDT switch that can be used to power the frog and/or panel lamps.

wrong >>> the frog could be wired to pin 7 and track to pins 5 and 6. <<< wrong

frog should be wired to pin 5 and track to pins 6 and 7.


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## charter.pa (Apr 23, 2014)

Ok I got it now. Quite a bit different than the smail's. They just wire to the track buss.


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## gregc (Apr 25, 2015)

sorry, frog should be wired to pin 5 and track to pins 6 and 7.


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