What's a DC loco?

[GunnerBill]

OK yes it's Direct Current but am I led to believe that all the loco's I'm presently running on my analogue layout are useless for DCC?

But still that's puzzling as how can so called DCC ready loco's that are not therefore "DC" run together with DC loco's?

Yes I am very confused now.

Help!

[Sprintex]

ALL locos are essentially DC as that's what the motor needs to run. ANY loco can be converted to DCC, although some more easily than others. "DCC ready" means it has a socket inside that you can plug a DCC decoder into, and usually it comes with a blanking plug fitted so it works on DC. Even "non DCC-ready" locos without a socket can be converted using a decoder with trailing wires which you solder to the loco's circuit-board (if it has one) or direct to the pick-ups and motor.


Paul

[GunnerBill]

ALL locos are essentially DC as that's what the motor needs to run.

Yes that's what was confusing me - if it wasn't DC then it must be AC & surely... well anyway thanks for clearing that up, I feel much better now!

[Sprintex]

DCC systems do apply an AC voltage to the track, and it's this that contains the digital signal to communicate with the chosen decoder and tell it what to do. The decoder then rectifies the AC current into a DC supply to the motor to make it move. Does that help?


Paul

[GunnerBill]

It all helps! I'm actually pretty OK with the idea of DCC and normal analogue operation but was suddenly alarmed by a couple of recent posts which semed to suggest there was a seperate breed of old DC type loco's that simply couldn't run on DCC. I've got about 10 loco's ('80's issue) in a box at my Mum's that are being shipped up to me and I was suddenly quivering with the thought that they might all be useless.

Now it appears that all non DCC are actually DC. I'm good

[m8internet]

Personally, do NOT mix trains which are DC and DCC

If the track is DC, then use only DC trains

If the track is DCC, then use only DCC trains

My track is all now DCC and I try to avoid using DC trains now, the latest DCC ready ones clearly don't like it as they BUZZ as soon as the electric is turned on (and that's the problem it is live and at full voltage all the time, unlike DC which varies as you control the train)

If you are staying with DC, then don't worry about any of the DCC terms
If you are really interested in how a DCC ready item can operate as DC, then basically the printed circuit board (PCB) has the ability to operate at 12V AC or DC, however it still powers the motor by DC, and if you look at the coils you wll see a pair of diodes which determine if each side receives + or - (on the Dapol they are even marked!)
Before fitting a DCC decoder, the model is supplied with a "blanking" decoder and this simply bypasses the AC components of the PCB and feeds the motor coils direcly (and since they have diodes it makes no difference!)