Thanks Chris! Yes, that's the main reason why I want to keep the test track for as long as possible, as it's not so much fun running in locos on a rolling road! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian nice job with the wiring, I get worried about wiring because used to think it was too complicated but you have showed me that it can be simple when broken down. Thanks Nat 👍🚂
Hi Nat! I guess the wiring is as complicated as you want to make it! For me though, I think keeping the DC / DCC power separate was the easiest way of going about things! There are definitely other ways of achieving the same goal, but this was the simplest way for me! Cheers, Ian.
Greetings, Shelfington, and hello Ian 👋 A comprehensive A to B on DC to DCC 😎 empowering 💪🤭 You really are becoming a soldering maestro 😇 good thinking leaving all that dangerous drilling action out of the video 👍 it's not for the feint of heart 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Good morning Paul in the Emerald Isle! Haha! Don't introduce more letters, it was bad enough having to say all of those D's and C's! Lol! I have to admit to being rather pleased at how my soldering skills have improved in recent months! I'm not so annoyed about missing filming the drilling as I was about missing filing out the holes! Even the balsa wood, it took a surprising amount of time! If I'd attempted it with the plywood I'd still be filing away now!!! :) All the best, Ian.
Big hi from Western Australia. I have a smallish N about 2.5 mtr x 560 mm . Two ovals with side lines for parking and a point to point which might end up getting a tram. I have 3 locos .... 2x EF 66 and 1x EF 510. Should add they are Japanese ( Tomix ) . Great to see N, getting sick of HO.
A big HI to you too Chuck! Sounds like a decent sized layout with two loops! It's amazing what you can fit into such a small space with N scale models, and the rolling stock is so much better than it was only a few years ago! I'm not familiar with the locos you have, but I've got a couple of Tomix products, and they're great! Good luck with your layout! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, that's a nice neat solution. I quite like shopping for connectors of various kinds and have a stash waiting to be used to make things neater... it's been quite a few months and counting! I like how those jacks look on your panel, and it looks much more robust than what I've got, so I may do likewise.
Good morning Jonathan! Thank you! Haha! I'm the same, and have a growing collection of wire connectors and joiners! The jack plugs are ideal, I just wish I hadn't had to cut the end off to fit the 16AWG wires through, as it spoils their look a little! I've now wrapped electrical tape around the end of the plug to try and tidy things up a bit, and to add some strength to the wires! The jack plugs are definitely a lot easier to use than the spring connectors, and it's now a whole lot more obvious which device I'm connecting to what! All the best, Ian.
for my old layout I needed DC or DCC control, thankfully not both at once. design choice from day one: DCC bus _only_ powers the track, if anything else wants the DCC bus to drive it, it will get its own control bus. ended up with a changeover relay to drive the "source", trigger by plugging in a control handset. not sure on auto frog stuff, but I kept the comms data away from the track bus (meant I could use JMRI to drive points and accessories while driving one loco using DC)
That's an interesting approach, and I did consider having the ability for the DCC bus to be able to be switched to alternatively carry a DC signal! However, I want to add spike suppressors to each end of the bus, and the DCC Concepts ones are DCC only! The Gaugemaster Autofrogs also require a DCC signal to work, and they connect directly to the track, so having a DC alternative was a non-starter unfortunately! I'm pretty happy with what I've done here, as eventually the test track will be going away, and I'll have to set something up elsewhere, or rely on my Rolling Road for running in locos! All the best, Ian.
Hi Simon! Haha! There'll definitlely be enough wire below the baseboard to implement a telephone exchange by the time I've finished! The DCC bus / test track split is really about getting the right type of power to the right place, without getting cross-wired! Simple really! :) All the best, Ian.
@@iansngauge It's the bumps on the head while wiring up all the droppers that gets me. I'll be using chocolate blocks again but also soldering. Then you bump your head a second time wiring the lights. The things we go through. Actually I think it's the knees that give out more than the head!
Hi Frank! I can't remember where I picked up the tip for using the iron itself on the shrink wrap, but it's a good one! Yes, all of the locos seemed to do well in this test! Will be fitting the DCC decoder to the Large Prairie this week, so it'll be interesting to see if it maintains its smooth running status! All the best, Ian.
Hi Darren! I know exactly what you mean! Voodoo is a very good word for it! I've never been any good at it either, but I've persevered, practiced a lot, worked out what works for me to do specific jobs, and clumsily cobbled together some form of technique! What I'm doing is far from perfect, but if I can solder two bits of metal together, anyone can!!! All the best, Ian.
Hi, a handy lil install / test there. Its always handy to have DC amd DCC controllers on hand, especially diagnosing loco failures ie whether its the loco on DC or whether its the decoder etc etc etc. Fitting plugs will make life so much easier, I did the same just a different plug. Are you planning a variety of controllers for the final build, understanding you bought the powercab as a stand-in whilst the 'yammog' (forgotten) was repaired?
Thanks John! I'm very pleased with how the jack plugs and sockets have turned out! So much easier than keep having to work with the spring connectors! The plan is to keep my options open regards the DCC command station! I'll be using the YaMoRC YD7001 (upgraded Digikeijs DR5000) for the time being, and the Powercab will be my backup, and will eventually power a new test track once I can no longer host the current one on the Shelfington baseboard! Cheers, Ian.
Very interesting Ian. Good that you now have the flexibility you need to run both DC and DCC stock, and start fitting components. Did you prefer the flux paste to the liquid stuff? I haven’t used the liquid stuff much, partly because I find the paste so dependable. Always good to see two trains running and it is a good idea having the test track as long as you can so that you can have trains running. Stephen
Thanks Stephen! I prefer the liquid for tinning wire, as it allows the solder to flow more freely! However, I like the paste for when I need to solder onto a specific point - like the bottom of a rail, or the plug connectors you saw in the video! If I were soldering wires to the side of a rail, I think I'd go with the liquid flux! Also, for soldering fishplates I'd definitely go with the liquid variety! Cheers, Ian.
Evening Ian 👋. Very good bit of electrical malarkey there. Good idea to have the ability to switch between DC and DCC safely. Did you finish all the tricky bits before getting waylaid into this - I can't remember😅. Cheers Euan
Good evening Euan! Haha! Yes, I want the ability to run on DC for as long as possible, as it's more fun to run new locos in around a test track than it is on a rolling road! My excuse for not finishing off The Tricky Bit first is that I needed to do this job, otherwise I couldn't wire up autofrogs or servo controllers! I'm probably going to begin work on the second section of The Tricky Bit before the first one is complete though, so maybe that excuse doesn't hold water! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Very nice job Ian, i remember the manufacturers always recommended running engines in on DC, now you have the best of both at your finger tips.
Thanks Chris! Yes, that's the main reason why I want to keep the test track for as long as possible, as it's not so much fun running in locos on a rolling road! All the best, Ian.
Great video very informative thank you for sharing 👍
Hi Clive! Thanks very much! Very kind of you to say! Cheers, Ian.
Excellent update and solution Ian 👍
Thank you Sir! Most appreciated! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, all those DCs and DCCs! Thanks for making it all sound a little bit simpler. Chris
Hi Chris! Haha! Yes, it was a bit of a tongue twister to narrate this one! Lol! Glad it made some sense in the end though! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian nice job with the wiring, I get worried about wiring because used to think it was too complicated but you have showed me that it can be simple when broken down. Thanks Nat 👍🚂
Hi Nat! I guess the wiring is as complicated as you want to make it! For me though, I think keeping the DC / DCC power separate was the easiest way of going about things! There are definitely other ways of achieving the same goal, but this was the simplest way for me! Cheers, Ian.
Greetings, Shelfington, and hello Ian 👋 A comprehensive A to B on DC to DCC 😎 empowering 💪🤭 You really are becoming a soldering maestro 😇 good thinking leaving all that dangerous drilling action out of the video 👍 it's not for the feint of heart 😳 Very best wishes from the Emerald Isle ☘️
Good morning Paul in the Emerald Isle! Haha! Don't introduce more letters, it was bad enough having to say all of those D's and C's! Lol! I have to admit to being rather pleased at how my soldering skills have improved in recent months! I'm not so annoyed about missing filming the drilling as I was about missing filing out the holes! Even the balsa wood, it took a surprising amount of time! If I'd attempted it with the plywood I'd still be filing away now!!! :) All the best, Ian.
Great Vid Ian. 👍
Thanks very much Dave! Glad you enjoyed it! All the best, Ian.
Big hi from Western Australia.
I have a smallish N about 2.5 mtr x 560 mm . Two ovals with side lines for parking and a point to point which might end up getting a tram.
I have 3 locos .... 2x EF 66 and 1x EF 510. Should add they are Japanese ( Tomix ) . Great to see N, getting sick of HO.
A big HI to you too Chuck! Sounds like a decent sized layout with two loops! It's amazing what you can fit into such a small space with N scale models, and the rolling stock is so much better than it was only a few years ago! I'm not familiar with the locos you have, but I've got a couple of Tomix products, and they're great! Good luck with your layout! All the best, Ian.
Hi Ian, that's a nice neat solution. I quite like shopping for connectors of various kinds and have a stash waiting to be used to make things neater... it's been quite a few months and counting! I like how those jacks look on your panel, and it looks much more robust than what I've got, so I may do likewise.
Good morning Jonathan! Thank you! Haha! I'm the same, and have a growing collection of wire connectors and joiners! The jack plugs are ideal, I just wish I hadn't had to cut the end off to fit the 16AWG wires through, as it spoils their look a little! I've now wrapped electrical tape around the end of the plug to try and tidy things up a bit, and to add some strength to the wires! The jack plugs are definitely a lot easier to use than the spring connectors, and it's now a whole lot more obvious which device I'm connecting to what! All the best, Ian.
for my old layout I needed DC or DCC control, thankfully not both at once. design choice from day one: DCC bus _only_ powers the track, if anything else wants the DCC bus to drive it, it will get its own control bus.
ended up with a changeover relay to drive the "source", trigger by plugging in a control handset.
not sure on auto frog stuff, but I kept the comms data away from the track bus (meant I could use JMRI to drive points and accessories while driving one loco using DC)
That's an interesting approach, and I did consider having the ability for the DCC bus to be able to be switched to alternatively carry a DC signal! However, I want to add spike suppressors to each end of the bus, and the DCC Concepts ones are DCC only! The Gaugemaster Autofrogs also require a DCC signal to work, and they connect directly to the track, so having a DC alternative was a non-starter unfortunately! I'm pretty happy with what I've done here, as eventually the test track will be going away, and I'll have to set something up elsewhere, or rely on my Rolling Road for running in locos! All the best, Ian.
Morning Ian, I've just entered a world spoken in a foreign language! I'll stick to telephone exchanges - they are a far easier to deal with. Simon
Hi Simon! Haha! There'll definitlely be enough wire below the baseboard to implement a telephone exchange by the time I've finished! The DCC bus / test track split is really about getting the right type of power to the right place, without getting cross-wired! Simple really! :) All the best, Ian.
@@iansngauge It's the bumps on the head while wiring up all the droppers that gets me. I'll be using chocolate blocks again but also soldering. Then you bump your head a second time wiring the lights. The things we go through. Actually I think it's the knees that give out more than the head!
I'd never thought to use the soldering iron to shrink heat shrink. Saw Harrison over on SMT use that technique. Loco's running smooth!
Hi Frank! I can't remember where I picked up the tip for using the iron itself on the shrink wrap, but it's a good one! Yes, all of the locos seemed to do well in this test! Will be fitting the DCC decoder to the Large Prairie this week, so it'll be interesting to see if it maintains its smooth running status! All the best, Ian.
I dccccc what you did there😂
I think I dc'd what you did too! 🤣
I have never been good at soldering , it is voodoo to me :)
Hi Darren! I know exactly what you mean! Voodoo is a very good word for it! I've never been any good at it either, but I've persevered, practiced a lot, worked out what works for me to do specific jobs, and clumsily cobbled together some form of technique! What I'm doing is far from perfect, but if I can solder two bits of metal together, anyone can!!! All the best, Ian.
Hi, a handy lil install / test there. Its always handy to have DC amd DCC controllers on hand, especially diagnosing loco failures ie whether its the loco on DC or whether its the decoder etc etc etc. Fitting plugs will make life so much easier, I did the same just a different plug.
Are you planning a variety of controllers for the final build, understanding you bought the powercab as a stand-in whilst the 'yammog' (forgotten) was repaired?
Thanks John! I'm very pleased with how the jack plugs and sockets have turned out! So much easier than keep having to work with the spring connectors! The plan is to keep my options open regards the DCC command station! I'll be using the YaMoRC YD7001 (upgraded Digikeijs DR5000) for the time being, and the Powercab will be my backup, and will eventually power a new test track once I can no longer host the current one on the Shelfington baseboard! Cheers, Ian.
Very interesting Ian. Good that you now have the flexibility you need to run both DC and DCC stock, and start fitting components. Did you prefer the flux paste to the liquid stuff? I haven’t used the liquid stuff much, partly because I find the paste so dependable. Always good to see two trains running and it is a good idea having the test track as long as you can so that you can have trains running. Stephen
Thanks Stephen! I prefer the liquid for tinning wire, as it allows the solder to flow more freely! However, I like the paste for when I need to solder onto a specific point - like the bottom of a rail, or the plug connectors you saw in the video! If I were soldering wires to the side of a rail, I think I'd go with the liquid flux! Also, for soldering fishplates I'd definitely go with the liquid variety! Cheers, Ian.
Evening Ian 👋. Very good bit of electrical malarkey there. Good idea to have the ability to switch between DC and DCC safely. Did you finish all the tricky bits before getting waylaid into this - I can't remember😅. Cheers Euan
Good evening Euan! Haha! Yes, I want the ability to run on DC for as long as possible, as it's more fun to run new locos in around a test track than it is on a rolling road! My excuse for not finishing off The Tricky Bit first is that I needed to do this job, otherwise I couldn't wire up autofrogs or servo controllers! I'm probably going to begin work on the second section of The Tricky Bit before the first one is complete though, so maybe that excuse doesn't hold water! Lol! All the best, Ian.
Ian, I’ve not watched your video, yet, but you do that the title page has DDC (Presumably, typo of DCC)?
Hi Rob! Thanks for the heads up! Too many D's and C's for my brain to handle! 😀 I'll fix it when I'm next at the computer! Cheers, Ian.