Ed, Thanks for the clarification. Before Danny had to tear down his layout, he had a DC and DCC loop so he could run his non-DCC locos.
Billy On Feb 15, 2012, at 3:37 PM, Ed wrote: > > Ed, > > I was under the impression that your layout is DCC. Was the U33C running on > > your layout DCC? > > Billy > > Hi Billy..... > > My layout can be anything I want it to be! After all, it is my layout. What > an interesting concept. <grin> > > OK, to the point: Each block has a DPDT toggle switch which can set the block > to DC or DCC. If set to DCC, the signals work with CMRI/JMRI/computer while > the locos use NCE. If set to DC, the working signals and all the fancy > electronics are excluded from the circuit. The track goes directly to my DC > source which is usually the Aristo-Craft wireless variable-DC system. > > If the track is connected to DC, there is also one other DPDT that swings > into action. This one connects the track to either DC or > to "Guest Power" (GP). > > GP is merely a couple of screws to which any power source can be connected. I > could run the layout on my car battery if desired. In this case, a friend > loaned me his U33C and his Lionel TMCC system which, as we all know by now, > is Lionel's proprietary command control system. With TMCC, there is a > constant AC voltage on the track. > > Over the past weekend, I set one mainline loop to run on DCC and the other > loop to run on TMCC. Two trains on the DCC loop (eastbound) and one Lionel/AF > U33C on the other loop (westbound). Worked fine and without problems. Of > course, this is not the first time things like this have been done. For > insurance, I turn off the power to switch motors so that a train cannot > accidentally run from one main line to the other. > > I like to make things easy for friends and visitors who frequently come over > to experiment and try things out. This is a convenient way to accommodate > them. > > All clear now? > > Speaking of the Lionel/AF U33C, there will soon appear a more detailed > overview of that loco on THE S SCALE SIG at > > www.sscale.org > > It will probably appear within a week or so -- depending on how hard we all > work to satisfy your demands for more information. Pictures have been taken > and the text is in the works. Here is a teaser: The U33C (as it comes from > the factory) will work with TMCC and with conventional plain old AC, but not > with DC or DCC. With AC, some functionality and some control of the sounds > are not possible. > > I wonder what might be possible if all the TMCC electronics were removed? > Tune in to THE S SCALE SIG and find out. > > Cheers....Ed L. > www.sscale.org >
