I have just started in N-scale and bought three atlas DCC ready locos( (at nice discounted prices) since I figured I would be using DCC on my layout. However due to budget issues (read very poor graduate student) I can not afford to buy a DCC system. According to atlas the decoders are set up to run on either system but before I try it and ruin a perfectly good engine I thought I would ask for some advice. Is this possible or am going to have to wait till I can afford the dcc system to enjoy my new engines?
Are they DCC ready or DCC. There is a difference. DCC ready means there are provisions for installing a decoder. This usually means there is a plug of some type. If they have decoders installed, they can be run on regular DCC without fear of damaging them. You may have some degradation in operating quality. This is due to the fact that the decoder needs to have enough power to start operating and then determine that it is seeing DC power not a DCC wave form. Since I operate in HO, I am not familiar with the N gauge locos. On the HO locos from Atlas that come with a decoder installed, there is a jumper that can be moved to bypass the decoder for regular DC operation. David
ncng: N scale Atlas diesel loco's don't have a"plug" for a decoder. It's a dropin decoder that slides in place. Most N scale loco's don't have a plug for the decoder. Albert : Your loco's will run on DC even with the decoder installed. The decoder's default value is set to run on analog or DCC. Stay cool and run steam.....
Thanks, for the advice. I will not mind if they do not run at their best as long as they can run that will be good enough. At least they can be taken out of the box and used.
