Wiring the track for DCC

have a look at

Bob

Exactly the same concepts as wiring for 2-rail analogue control. Except you don't need any section switches.

If its live-frog turnouts, you need to arrange to swap the power at the frog depending on the setting of the blades.

So, having got the local wiring of any live-frog turnouts out of the way... Take an item of rolling stock, clearly indicate left and right on it (write on some masking tape stuck to the sides!). Push it around your track without turning it round (ie as if it were a running train). Everywhere you want a feed, mark the track/baseboard on the left side with one colour, the right with a different colour. Connect all colours which are the same to the same side of your DCC supply.

I suggest that if your wiring will be easier if you arrange a "bus" supply along the baseboards. The bus is just two fairly thick wires (or solid metal bars if you want). Connect one to each side of the DCC supply. Then wire your track back to the appropriate side of the bus. Its much easier to make changes that way, and keeps the wiring tidy.

Your only complication is if you have a reversing loop - again, the wiring concepts are identical for analogue and digital.

- Nigel

Could you define 'complex'? Will this be using commercial or DIY track? And if commercial what sort? (They need different answers)

My idea of complex track here and it does operate on dcc. Keith

Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Bob

How you must wire it is dependent on the brand of turnout you are using.

Very generally and simply, the rules are:

- place insulated fishplates (rail joiners) on the rail ends beyond the turnout frog. (two, not four)

- make sure you have a power feed before every turnout. (the single track end)

There are lots of exceptions which may improve operation, such as single ended branch tracks don't _need_ the insulated fishplate, but either you accept the track being dead or you add the insulated fishplate and an extra feed to allow a loco to run while the turnout is set the other way.

Regards, Greg.P.

Only required for electro frog turnouts. On insul frog you can use ordinary fish plates.

Mark Thornton

Here's a REALLY good source:

OH MY GOD those are pretty!

bookmarked immediately!

thanks - and thanks too for this thread......important

Steve

With Peco "Insul frog" the frog rails are switched, so AFAIK with a passing siding when you throw one end before the other without insulated fishplates you create a direct short.

Not true. On insul frog the frog rails either have power in the correct orientation or are open circuit. With electro frog the frog rails are always connected to one side of the power supply or the other, and this will give rise to shorts unless insulating fish plates are used.

Mark Thornton

OK, I stand corrected - obviously I use electro-frog.

Greg.P.

I spent most of yesterday adding both sorts to my layout. I have a mix of setrack (curved points), an insul frog 3 way, and some electro frog points.

Mark Thornton