# A Tip for Those Going from DC to DCC



## DavefromMD (Jul 25, 2013)

Rerailing a Locomotive.

In DC to rerail or put a locomotive on the track, you place the locomotive on the rerailer section and push it back and forth until all the wheels are on the track properly.

First time I did this with DCC everything shut down and the controller rebooted.
My first thought was "What the heck?". Then it hit me, doing that it was causing a short.

So I learned that to rerail or put a locomotive on the track with DCC, you can't do that. You have to place it on the track with the wheels pretty much in place and manually get the wheels on the track.

I guess that's one of the purposes of a program track connected to but isolated from the mainline - so you can use it as a place to put on another locomotive without the chance of shorting out the mainline.


----------



## RT_Coker (Dec 6, 2012)

I have a couple of short sidings with a single-gap that is shorted (powered) by a small local switch. I have found them to be very handy.
Bob


----------



## tr1 (Mar 9, 2013)

*localized DPDT toggle switch & rerailer spur.*

Thanks for your insights on rerailing loco's. The DCC systems will not tolerate shorts or dirty
rails.I'll have to employ that option on my control panel from my previous "dc" operating system. Regards, tr1


----------



## DavefromMD (Jul 25, 2013)

"DPDT" - Double Pole Double Throw?


----------



## rzw0wr (Aug 28, 2013)

I remember rerailing on my old DC layout.
I would forget to turn the power down and get a shock.
Messed a few good cars either throwing them or dropping them.


----------

