engines

[rshark2]

Hi. I have a question that deals with ho scale train engines and other scales as well. Will a DCC equiped or ready train engine run on a standard DC system. I am asking this because I am looking on buying an engine that is DCC equiped and I run my trains on a DC sytem. As you answer my question, you will be helping me a lot and I thank you very much.

Ronnie

[Jim Banner]

A DCC ready locomotive has additional wiring making it easy to install DCC but does not contain a DCC decoder.  It will run on dc because it is a dc locomotive.

A locomotive equipped with DCC has a decoder in it.  Bachmann refers to such locomotives as "DCC on board."  Such a locomotive will run on dc if the decoder is set to allow it to do so.  Bachmann locomotives are shipped with this option turned on so that you can run them on dc right away.  Locomotives bought used or from other companies may have this option turned on or off when received.  If it is turned off, it can be turned on quite easily with an appropriate DCC command station.

[Virginian]

Or, some decoders like those from QSI and, I believe the Tsunami, are dual-mode, meaning the decoder will sense whether or not the system is DC or DCC and run on either with no adjustment required.  I guess LokSound does too since my PCM Y6b runs fine on DC, and I believe that's a full blown DCC decoder, not just a sound chip.

[Jim Banner]

... the decoder will sense whether or not the system is DC or DCC and run on either with no adjustment required.

This is true if the decoder is set to allow it to do so.  The dual mode is turned on only if bit 2 of CV29 =1.  If this bit =0, then the decoder will respond only to DCC.  In some decoders, you also have to program CV12 to specify what alternate power sources are acceptable.  This may or may not be dc.

This is  not rocket science, and is no big deal if you are aware of it and can program CV29 (and possibly CV12) if required.  But it could cause you some headaches if you were unaware and/or could not reprogram the appropriate CV's.