Hey Guys, I have a concern about dcc short circuiting. I do not like the thought of meltdowns, locos or turnouts. I'm pretty much a model rr novice. I am beginning my second layout, this time in z scale. Just placing my engines on the track should give me plenty opportunities to cause a short. I've heard of ways to wire in protection (by fuse) at each point that receives power from the powerstation (t/o's, lights, etc.). This seems cumbersome, not to mention fundamentally flawed, but I'm sure this is my own lack of understanding. Is there a dcc system that allows for control of this aspect from within the system? I am trying to make a system(dcc) decision but do have a lot to learn. If this makes any sense help or point me to help, please. I'll have to return later to see if I have any responses but, if you're able to respond let me thank you in advance! Danny
I run The MRC Prod. advanced system with a 8 amp. powerstation on my G scale layout. Some times the blinde drives will short the iner rail and the outer rail at the frog. This will bring that loco to a hault, but dose not afect the others, they just keep on running. I have yet to trip the bulit in overloads on eather the power ststion 8 or the advanced base unit. I will say this thow, the loco that makes the short hums or sings just a bit, and for those who know the TWIN T, comenly used for signal system on HO layouts, and if you have layed your metal watch band acrosed the rails you soon now it! I'm not in a hury to test this on my layout with 8 amps a flowing!
I run the NCE powercab on an N scale layout. I have had times where a engine will derail and short across both rails. The DCC system just shuts down and restarts (just like unpluging it and plugging it back in). It doesn't damage any of the components.
I run NCE on Z-Bend Track modules, and have melted down plenty of Z Scale locomotives. The Marklin turnouts are not so DCC friendly, and the frogs have floating contacts that can touch each other. At the GTE last month, one of my turnouts melted down, with those frog contact strips glowing like a bulb fillament. We have tried the now unavailable Peter Wright turnouts, but they too have problems where instead of the turnout melting down, if you pick the frog and short your wheels there, the NCE will allow 5 amps to glow through your wheels for a few milliseconds, then reset your controller and repeat. It only takes 15 seconds of this to melt down the trucks of your locomotive, and it takes sometimes 30 seconds till you can run all the way around the modules to try and save your loco when there is a train show going on with people standing in the way looking and pointing at the smoldering locomotive. The bottom line is, if you watch everything that is running you should be OK, but for safety the fuse method looks like a good idea. I would think 500ma or 350ma slow blow would be good. There are also resetable fuse/breakers available that just pop out when tripped, and you just push the button back in to reset them. The larger scales like to use automotive light bulbs, but look for lower current bulbs like turn signal bulbs instead of brake light bulbs that take lots of current, or they might not do you any good. We set our NCE DCC systems to 9 or 10 volts for Z Scale, which is just a pot tweek for the NCE systems. I really like using DCC in Z Scale so I live with the bugs, but there is no free ride yet. Z Scale DCC requires a bit of goofing around with finicky trackwork, and decoders loosing their memory. Another thing to note, if you rant to MU locomotives in Z, you have to use the same model decoders in those locos, because speed profiles are much much more difficult to match between say a Lenz Gold Mini to Digitrax DZ123 equipt locos. -Robert
Z scale is of course much more exposed to meltdown than the larger scales, and as pointed out, you would have to be a track star to remove the short before your loco imitates a flashbulb.:sun: I run N scale, and always have a power manager (Digitrax PM 42 in my case) between the booster an the track. Rather than tripping at 5 Amps as the booster does, the trip point is 3.5 amps, but it can be set to as low as 1.5 amps. I would think the latter might prolong the life of your locos.
Wow, I never knew scale could make such a difference in the shorting issues. Thanks for the clarification.
