Hornby 56 toasted by DCC ?

"The Bradshaws" wrote

You say it 'sat' on DCC energised track? This basically suggests that the

My recommendation is to avoid using non-chipped locos on DCC - it is not sound practice whatever the manufacturers may claim.

John.

The Bradshaws once wrote in ...

I ended up with a live steam version of Hogwarts Castle doing that :-)

It's waiting on a new motor as I speak

When I was first experimenting with DCC, a Hornby Pannier tank was accidentally left sat on the track. After a minute or so I was alerted to it by the smell of a burning motor. I should have known better, having spent 14 years as an electronic engineer...... Cheers, Bill.

"David Morris" wrote

I ended up with a live steam version of Hogwarts Castle doing that :-)

It's waiting on a new motor as I speak

David Morris

David, Same here, but I found new springs were all that it required. The very thin copper or whatever it was gave way first, bit like a fuse so everything else worked fine and it now runs a dream again (and I also have a spare motor)

Andy

Perhaps that's why my Hogwarts Castle now runs really crap. I ran it in on my DCC powered track on address 0 for about an hour prior to fitting the decoder. Removed the capacitors and fitted a Lenz 1014 decoder, runs crap and jerks along if you try to run it slowly. Changed decoder for a Lenz

Although I have regularly run the old Hornby Class 25 using the DCC address

Eddie.

So are Bachmann's DC models immune? I test-ran a new Class 37 on DCC for about an hour with no ill effects. It actually ran better than Bachmann's DCC Class 25.

(kim)

"David Morris" wrote

Doesn't take that much effort to fry the motor in one of those bloody things - the motors go pop at the first opportunity.

I'm just fearful I've done something similar on a Fleischmann loco. :-(

John.

John.

"kim" wrote

There's a difference between running a non-chipped loco on DCC and letting it sit on the track. In practice running shouldn't be a problem, but I got a lovely smell of burning from Fleischmann 4-6-0 when I had it on test the other day.

John.

Which DCC system(s) are we talking about here ? Not all DCC systems support a loco on address 0 and consequently, if you put a DC loco on one of these systems it almost certainly will be fried.

Probably best to get a decent DCC system which does support a DC loco if you really want to run such a loco, but my advice would be that I wouldn't recommend it for any length of time and certainly DO NOT try it with Portescap/coreless motors.

Graham Plowman

to be on a DCC track (not fitted to a decoder) for any length of time. Sounds as if at least the armature is burnt out. Contact a Hornby dealer for spares. The major UK manufacturers do not use coreless motors. regards, Steve

wrote

As far as I'm aware ALL DCC systems support running an unchipped loco, but they do it by modifying the wavelength of the AC track current and not by supplying a genuine DC current.

The trouble is when the loco is not moving its motor is absorbing an unmodified full 15v AC which inevitably generates heat and can result in motor failure.

John.

And with many systems you can hear the motor buzzing when the engine is stopped.

Actually John, it was only there for a few seconds (my son switched the points then asked what the "funny noice" was).

Either way, I'm pretty sure it's a gonner.

Adrian

OK, I'm puzzled now. If an analogue loco is sitting on energised track why doesn't it move. I am in the process of building a layout that will become DCC but is analogue at the moment. I have assumed that I could run an analogue loco on DCC by merely placing it on the track and powering up. I am obviosly mistaken so how is an analogue loco controlled on a DCC layout. Does it put a 12v dc current down the track for the analogue loco?

Kevin

"Kevin" wrote

Because the track is energised with AC current and an analogue motor requires DC to move. A DCC controller is able to mimic a DC current by varying the AC wavelength, but that doesn't happen when the loco is stationary.

John.

Because it's effectively receiving a high frequency AC not DC. Very likely the motor will buzz which isn't good for it. Which is why I rarely ran my engines at the HO club where I used to be a member, although the Bachmann Cambrian Coast Express looked great on it!

When 0 was selected, you could run a DC locomotive. As far as I can tell it raised the voltage in the spaces between the pulses and assumed that the frequency part would get smoothed out by the engine.

So all locos should be chipped in case they are used on DCC track?

(kim)

You can hear that with DC systems as well, especially cheap Hornby controllers.

(kim)

"kim" wrote

I don't want that - I want to be able to fit a decoder of my choice and not have something foisted on me which might not meet my requirements.

An example of the potential problems pre-fitted decoders can cause is with the rather naff chip fitted to the class 25 in the Bachmann digital freight set. To replace it means completely stripping out the PCB and hard wiring a new decoder. Much easier to start with an NEM652 socket on a DCC ready loco.

John.