Any other N scale modelers out there?
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Postmaster
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From: Honkytonkville
Any other N scale modelers out there?
Just wondering if somebody here knew anything about DCC in N scale. I have a few older locomotives I would like to continue using and don't really want to convert my track over to DCC for that reason. Can DCC ready locos be used with older style controllers? I am looking at purchasing a DDA40X to move around a bunch of cars on track I haven't used in a while, and can't find one that's not DCC ready. Maybe I need to get into the 21st century. 
Thanks!
Thanks!
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
If it has a built in factory controller, usually you can move a jumper to run it on a non-DCC system. Otherwise, you simply unsolder the leads from the truck to the board and tie them directly to the motor brushes.
If you're on the fence about converting, installing DCC into an older engine is pretty easy. Some of the N scale engines need a bit of creativity if they have the split metal frame also acting as the conductors to the motor, but it's really not that hard overall. I used to do that.
If you're on the fence about converting, installing DCC into an older engine is pretty easy. Some of the N scale engines need a bit of creativity if they have the split metal frame also acting as the conductors to the motor, but it's really not that hard overall. I used to do that.
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From: Honkytonkville
Yeah my dad moved on to g scale garden railways. must be an old timer thing. J/K. I love the detail you can get into in those larger scales, but I love the compactness of my n scale stuff. I think i may just upgrade my system to DCC, I don't know though. i guess we'll see where that road takes me. I have been thinking about upgrading my controllers any way, but I have 5 locos that aren't DCC. Maybe it's time to replace/upgrade them. They are about 20 years old now anyway.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
You could always go the larger scale narrow gauge stuff. I never went insane with details, I actually had the trains playing a minor role in most of what I built, just passing through a scene. I started out in HO scale, then toyed with S for a while, now I'm into Sn2 modeling the Maine narrow gauge trains (I grew up in Weeks Mills, ME), but not following a specific railroad. I have tons of stuff waiting to be built when I get the time, tons of books and plans and such. I tend to get more satisfaction from something I built than something I bought anyways, and for this you pretty much have to build it.
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Postmaster
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From: Honkytonkville
Well I'm getting back into mine a little. I actually talked my wife into letting me run a track around one of the rooms about a foot from the ceiling. It'll be a fun winter project.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: cape may county NJ
That is going to be cool,I set up my addition to run my lionel 0 gauge about a foot off the ceiling but have not had the time or money to commit to it,I miss not having the room to set up my trains and slot car sets I have a bunch of cool cars for both my trains and slot cars sets.
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Postmaster
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From: Honkytonkville
yeah I am excited about it. I though about even tunnelling through one wall, but I doubt I will go to that extent.
A little more about the DCC. I was reading up on it, and trains that are "DCC ready" supposedly just have plug in's so the the DCC decoder is essentially a plug in ordeal, but they still run on analog unless you install the decoder on the train because from the factory they have a "short plug" that bypasses the DCC stuff until you need to run the decoder. Does anyone have any experience with that? I just wanted to verify that I was correct in assuming that.
A little more about the DCC. I was reading up on it, and trains that are "DCC ready" supposedly just have plug in's so the the DCC decoder is essentially a plug in ordeal, but they still run on analog unless you install the decoder on the train because from the factory they have a "short plug" that bypasses the DCC stuff until you need to run the decoder. Does anyone have any experience with that? I just wanted to verify that I was correct in assuming that.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: The Big, Oregon
S scale is 1/64- Not very common, but cheaper than Lionel, and even has it's own magazine, the S Gaugian.
Scottie, that bypass plug/short plug is what I was talking about.
There is a difference between DCC equipped and DCC ready, the equipped is of course all ready to go (address is usually programmed as the last two digits of engine number), the ready just has a universal plugin and spot set aside for the controller.
Scottie, that bypass plug/short plug is what I was talking about.
There is a difference between DCC equipped and DCC ready, the equipped is of course all ready to go (address is usually programmed as the last two digits of engine number), the ready just has a universal plugin and spot set aside for the controller.
Postmaster
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From: Clarksburg WV
I did HO scale years ago, in 8th grade/first couple years of high school.
Kinda fell out of it when I realized that all I really liked doing was building structures and detailing things, not really running the trains. But, I did LOVE building structures and detailing the crap out of them- sometimes I think I'd be better off doing dioramas maybe, I always thought they were cool.
Sold off all my stuff a few years ago, but who knows, might get into it again someday.
Kinda fell out of it when I realized that all I really liked doing was building structures and detailing things, not really running the trains. But, I did LOVE building structures and detailing the crap out of them- sometimes I think I'd be better off doing dioramas maybe, I always thought they were cool.
Sold off all my stuff a few years ago, but who knows, might get into it again someday.