Soldering
Turnouts
Track
Parts
Locomotives
Q & A Forum
Turnout Control
Sound
Booster
Decoder Installations
Block Detection
Wire Resistance
Site Map / Index
Make Donation
DCC in the Garden
HO RR Photos
Home
Manufacturers
DCC Topics
Garden RR Photos

Site Map & Index

How to use this page:

1. Use the site map below to find a general topic page.

2. Use theAlphabetical Site Index to find a particular topic without knowing the general topic page.

3. Or use the power of Google to search this website

 

 

Site Map

ADVANCED TOPICS

BEGINNERS

BLOCK DETECTION

BOOSTER NETWORKS

future page

CLINCHFIELD RR

Clinic
  Overview
  SoundCar

COMPUTER CONTROL

CUBICAL TRAIN
  HO
  G
  Timer

DCC CURRENTS

DECALS

DO IT YOURSELF

DONATION

FIRST LOOKS

GARDEN DCC

GARDEN RR
  
Christmas & Snow
  FAQ's
  People Scenes
  Picture Set #1
  Picture Set #2

HEXADECIMAL

HO LAYOUT

INDEX (HOME)

JOKES

LIGHTING
 
Adding a Tender Headlight
 
Using Miniature LEDs and Lamps

LINKS
 
Railfan
  Manufacturers
  Tie Height Reduction

LOCOMOTIVES

LOCOMOTIVE INSTALLS
  
Aristo Craft C-16
  
Aristo Craft Doodlebug
  
Athearn HO PA-1
  Atlas HO RS-1 or RS-3
  Atlas HO RS-3
  Atlas HO S-2
  Bachmann G American w/snd 
  Bachmann G Consolidation
  Bachmann HO Daylight
  Bachmann HO GS-4 w/snd
  Bachmann G Shay w/snd
  Bachmann HO F40
  Bachmann GP-30
  European Locomotives
    Fleischmann, Liliput, Lima,
    Maerklin, Piko, Rivarossi, Roco,
     Trix

  Generic G Sound
  IHC HO Consolidation
  IHC HO GG-1
  IHC HO Mikado
  IHC HO Mountain
  Kato N Mikado

  LGB C&S Mogul
  LGB F-7A
  LGB Logging Mallets
  LGB G Track Cleaner
  Mantua HO 2-6-6-2 Logger
  Mantua HO Mikado
  Mantua HO Pacific or Mikado w/snd
  Microtrains Z F7
  Opening a Rivarossi Tender
  Oriental Powerhouse 2-8-8-2
  Proto 2000 HO E7
  Proto 2000 HO GP-9
  Proto 2000 HO GP-60
  Proto 1000 RS-2
  Proto 1000 RDC
  Rivarossi HO Bigboy
  Rivarossi HO Challenger
  Rivarossi HO Challenger w/snd
  Rivarossi HO FEF
  Rivarossi HO 4-8-4
  Stewart HO F3
  Walthers Trainline FA-1

NCE PCP Enclosure

PARTS

RUNAWAY

SCHEMATICS, READING

SIGNALING

SOLDERING

SOUND

TABLE OF CONTENTS, DCC

THROTTLE NETWORKS

TRACK WIRING
  Modular Wiring
  Track Part I
  Track Part II
  Track & Wire Resistance
  Common Wire - Avoid
  Track DCC Waveforms

TROUBLESHOOTING

TURNOUTS
  Drop Feeders and Bonds
  Atlas
  BK Enterprises
  Controlling Turnouts
  Elite/Pilz/Tillig
  Kato
  Micro Engineering
  Orr Traction
  Peco
  Roco
  San Juan Car Co.
  Walthers New DCC Compatible
  Walthers Old Style

Wire sizes, US and Metric

WRITE ME

WWW TIPS

   

Alphabetical Site Index

A   B   C   D  E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   Y   Z

- A -

Acid flux

Walthers ACM roundhouse track control

Allied

Aluminum rail

 

Amps - measuring DCC

Air operated

Asymmetrical DCC

Athearn - see Locomotive Installs
Atlas turnouts

Auto-reversers and circuit breakers

Automatic
  Braking for signals
  Turnout control
- B -

Bachmann - see Locomotive Installs

  Back EMF

Baffles, speaker

Balloon Automatic control

Batteries


 

BEGINNERS
  Basic components
  Blocks in DCC
  Convert old DC locomotives
  What is DCC?
  computer, using
  Circuit breakers
  DC and DCC on the same layout
  Dogbone with double crossover
  Existing layouts, using DCC
  Flux; acid and using no flux
  Fuses
  Getting started
  How DCC works
  How many boosters do you need?
  Incremental Installation
  Interchanging DCC components
  Programming track
  Signaling
  Soldering joiners
 Locomotives
  Back EMF, speed compensation
  CVs, What are they?
  Capacitors (EMI) across motor
   DC and DCC, using both at the same time
  DCC Ready
  Decoder, picking one
  Locos bought with decoders
  Loco out of control
  Long addressing
  Low speed control
  Momentum control
  Number of trains, throttle
  Reversing Basics
  Selecting DCC systems
  Sound
  Speed steps
 Turnouts
  Controlling turnouts with DCC
  DCC friendly turnouts
  Wiring differences

  Options for controlling turnouts

BK Enterprises turnouts

Block wiring

BLOCK DETECTION
  Between Towns

  Cheap block detectors
  Compensating twisted pair buses for block detectors
  Conductive paint
  DC Breaking
  Digitrax DS-54 block detection
  Easy block detection
  Locating block detectors
    Locating block detectors with twisted busses
  Resistor attachment to axle
  Resistors, gluing them on
  Resistor location
  Resistor value
  Resistive wheels, ready made
  Undetected blocks, equalizing

Booster districts, insulate between

BOOSTER NETWORKS
  Booster, resetting
  Common rail, avoid
  Grounding
  High current boosters
  How many boosters do you need?
 
 
Location, physical
  Location, electrical
  Loconet wire function
  Networking
  Number boosters required, how many
  Transformer mounting
  Transformer sizing

  Transformer, 1 per booster
 Troubleshooting
  Booster, testing
  Bus runs, long
  Command station, booster mode
  Crossing between booster districts
  Command station, spare
  Mysterious operation

Bulbs
  
Taillight bulbs
  Tail light sockets

Bus, generally: see Track Wiring
  Bus, routing
  Bus runs, long
  Bus terminator

  Bus, wire size

Buzzer, track wiring

- C -

Cable ties
Capacitors

Circuit board throwbars

Circuit breakers
Circuit breakers and auto-reversers

CLINCHFIELD RR

 

COMPUTER CONTROL
  What to Display
  Do I need a computer for DCC?
  Does a computer make DCC easier?

  Ladder logic
  PLC, using
  Software suppliers
  Turnout control

  see also Turnout, Automatic control
see also Braking, Automatic

 

Command station
  Booster mode
  Command station, spare

Coils

Conductive epoxy

Conductive paint

Connectors, miniature
Connectors, PowerPole

Crossings/Crossovers

CUBICAL TRAIN

- D -

DC mode, disable

DCC decoders, garden
  Back EMF
  Cooling
  Decoder selection
  Load Compensation
  Locked rotor, measuring current
  MTS decoders
  Speed Stabilization
  Why DCC?

 

Decoders
  Connector pinout
  Incremental installation
  Locked rotor, measuring current
  Problems, decoders
  Selecting decoders

  Speed Stabilization
  Wire Color Code, decoders
  Zimo decoders

Decoder installations into specific locomotives

Diesel strobes, LED

Digikey

Digitrax
  Booster mode of command station
  DS-54 block detection
  DS-54, CVs
  DS-54, programming sequence

  DS64, DS54, sensors, using
  DS-54, setup
  Loconet wire function
  Loosing control of a locomotive

Diodes

DO IT YOURSELF

Dogbone, passing siding

- E -
Edge card connectors   Elite turnouts Enclosures, speaker  
- F -

Feeders, experiment, max length, size

 

Feeders, garden
  Bonds, soldering
  Insulating
  Sizing
  Spacing
  Type
  Watertight heatshrink

First_Looks


Flange squeal sound

Fleischmann  - see Locomotive Installs

Flux
  liquid
  using none

Frogs
  Automatic frog polarity
    controller (frog juicer)
  Dead and live frogs - which to use
  Insulated
  Types
  Which frog is best for me?
  Wiring up a frog to a Tortoise

Fuses

- G -

GARDEN DCC
  Aluminum rail

  Lightning protection
  Live steam

  Wooden ties - bonus!
 DCC Decoders
  Back EMF
  Cooling
  Decoder selection
  Load Compensation
  Locked rotor, measuring current
  MTS decoders
  Speed Stabilization
  Why DCC?

 

Garden DCC cont'd
M U'ing
  Electronic gearing

  MU'ing locomotives
  
Sumpter Valley, MU'ing
   Unitah, MU'ing
 Feeders
  Bonds, soldering
  Insulating
  Sizing
  Spacing
  Type
  Watertight heatshrink

Garden DCC cont'd
 Sound
  Brackets, trigger
  Motorboating sound
  Sierra
  Triggering
 Turnout Control

  Air operated
  Turnout power
 Lighting
  Bulbs, 19V
  Lighted cars, non-DCC

GARDEN RR

- H -

Hare (Tortoise decoder)

Harness plugs
Heat shrink tubing

  Headlight
Headlight, rear
HEXADECIMAL HO LAYOUT
- I -
IHC - see Locomotive Installs Incremental Installation Inductors Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDCs)
 
- J -
Joiners, soldering
       
- K -
Kato - see Locomotive Installs
  Kato turnouts    

- L -

Labels, wire

LEDs
  Dimming

LGB - see Locomotive Installs

Light bulbs
  Taillight bulbs
  Tail light sockets
  Alternatives

LIGHTING
  
LED Basics, lead identification
  Constant
  General
  Tender Headlight

 
Miniature Lamps

  Flickering firebox, 1 to 4 lamps
  Flickering firebox with sound units
  Grain of Rice bulbs
  Grain of Wheat bulb

  Headlight
  Headlight, rear
  Light Emitting Diodes
  Resistors, locating
  Mars light
  Passenger cars, lighting
  Coach & caboose LEDs
  Power Supply Consideration
  Power supply, 12V
  Power supply, Grain of Rice
  Resistors, dropping
  Resistor Substitution Box
  Strobe, diesel

 Lighting, garden
  Bulbs, 19V
  Lighted cars, non-DCC

  LGB 19V bulbs

 Troubleshooting
  Headlight problems

Lightning protection

Lighted passenger trains, wiring wyes.

Liliput - see Locomotive Installs
Lima - see Locomotive Installs

 

 

LINKS
 
 Manufacturers
 
Railfan

Live steam

Load Compensation

LOCOMOTIVES
Beginners
  Back EMF, speed compensation
  CVs, What are they?
  DC and DCC, using both at the same time
  DCC Ready
  Decoder, picking one
  Locos bought with decoders
  Long addressing
  Low speed control
  Momentum control
  Number of trains, throttle
  Selecting DCC systems
  Sound
  Speed steps
 Decoders
  Connector pinout
  Incremental installation
  Problems, decoders
  Selecting decoders
  Wire Color Code, decoders
  Zimo decoders
 General

  Filters, locos with
  Loosing control of a locomotive
  Loco out of control and going fast
  Metal Chassis Locos

 Motors
  Isolation
  Stall current, measuring
 Lighting
  Grain of Wheat bulb

  Headlight
  Headlight problems
  LGB 19V bulbs

LOCOMOTIVE INSTALLS
  
Aristo Craft C-16
  
Aristo Craft Doodlebug

  Athearn HO PA-1
   Atlas HO RS-1 or RS-3
  Atlas HO RS-3
  Atlas HO S-2
  Bachmann G American w/snd 
  Bachmann G Consolidation
  Bachmann HO Daylight
  Bachmann HO GS-4 w/snd
  Bachmann G Shay w/snd
  Bachmann HO F40
  Bachmann GP-30
  European Locomotives

    Fleischmann, Liliput, Lima,
    Maerklin, Piko, Rivarossi, Roco,
     Trix

  Generic G Sound
  IHC HO Consolidation
  IHC HO GG-1
  IHC HO Mikado
  IHC HO Mountain
  Kato N Mikado
  LGB C&S Mogul
  LGB F-7A
  LGB Logging Mallets
  LGB G Track Cleaner
  Mantua HO Logger
  Mantua HO Mikado
  Mantua HO Mikado or Pacific
  Microtrains Z F7
  Opening a Rivarossi Tender
  Oriental Powerhouse 2-8-8-2
  Proto 2000 HO E7
  Proto 2000 HO GP-9
  Proto 2000 HO GP-60
  Proto 1000 RS-2
  Proto 1000 RDC
  Rivarossi HO Bigboy
  Rivarossi HO Challenger
  Rivarossi HO Challenger w/snd
  Rivarossi HO FEF
  Rivarossi HO 4-8-4
  Stewart HO F3

  Walthers HO FA-1

Long lash-ups, wiring wyes.

- M -

Maerklin - see Locomotive Installs

Magnetic sensors

Mantua - see Locomotive Installs

 

Measuring DCC - amps and volts

Metric wire sizes, conversion to US sizes

Micro Engineering

Microtrains - see Locomotive Installs

Model Railroader

MU'ing, garden
  Electronic gearing
  MU'ing locomotives
   Sumpter Valley

   Unitah

Motors
  Isolation
  Stall current, measuring

Mouser

- N -

NCE, ProCab throttle holder

  NEWBIE NOTES
Frog types
Which frog is best for me?
Switchmachine types

NMRA DCC website

NTRAK

 
- O -
Orr Traction turnouts        
- P -

PARTS
 Suppliers
  Allied
  Digikey
  Fry's
  Hosfelt
  Home Depot
  LGB
  Lowes
  Mouser
  Radio Shack

 

Parts cont'd
 Components, buying
  Batteries
  Cable ties
  Capacitors
  Circuit board throwbars
  Coils
  Conductive paint
  Diodes
  Edge card connectors
  Flux, liquid
  Harness plugs
  Heat shrink tubing
  Inductors
  Labels, wire

  Light Emitting Diodes
  Magnetic sensors
  Phone cables
  Phone jacks
  Phosphor bronze
  Relays
  Resistors
  Ribbon cable
  Slow motion motors
  Solder
  Speakers
  Surge suppressors
  Switches
  Tail light sockets
  Terminal strips
  Transformers
  Wall Transformers
  
Wire

Passenger trains,lighted, wiring wyes.

Passing siding, dogbone

Peco turnouts (full listing of Peco topics below under "Turnouts")
Piko - see Locomotive Installs
Pilz turnouts

Phone cables
Phone jacks

Phosphor bronze

PLC, using

Polarity Car, Track

Programming track

Proto 1000, 2000 - see Locomotive Installs

 
- Q -
Quarter Test        
- R -

RC network  
RC terminator

Relays
Resistors

Resistors, color code
Resistors, standard values

Resistors, equation dropping

Resistor Substitution Box

Resistors, dimming for LEDs
Resistors, values for lamps and LEDs

 Reversing
  Adjacent reversing sections
  Auto-reversers and circuit breakers
  
Balloons
  Basics
  Circuit breakers and auto-
reversers

  Crossovers
  Dogbone, reversing
  Reverse loops, simple
  Reversing sections, insulate between
  Three-rail wiring
  Turntable wiring
  Wiring reversing sections
  Wye configurations
  Wyes, simple
  Wye,wiring for long, lighted passenger           trains or long lash-ups.


Ribbon cable
Rivarossi - see Locomotive Installs
Roco - see Locomotive Installs
Roco turnouts
RUNAWAY
  Avoid basic throttles
  Disable DC mode
  Loosing a locomotive
  Rescue a runaway
  Turn down throttle
 
- S -

San Juan Car Co. Turnouts

SCHEMATICS, READING

Siding, dogbone

SIGNALING
  Beginner's topic
  Reverse sections
  Turnout position

Silver epoxy

Slow motion motors

Small layout considerations

SOUND
 Garden
  Brackets, trigger
  CurrentKeeper
  
Motorboating sound
  
Sierra
  Triggering

 

Sound cont'd
 General
  Bass, better
  Bell, triggering
  Bell, trigger mounting
  
Button assignment
  
Chuff Sync
  
Decoder location
  Flickering firebox
  
Installation notes
  Locomotives, smooth runners
  Motorboat sound
  SoundCar
  
Sync disk preparation
  
Through rail sound
  Wire, color caution
  Whistle, triggering
  Whistle, trigger mounting

 Speakers
  Gaskets
  
Speakers, buying
  Clearance, front
  Cutting to fit
  Enclosures
  
Holes
  HO, good
  Info general
  2 in parallel
  2 in series
  3 in parallel
  3 in series
  4
  Phasing

SOLDERING
 Soldering to:
  Dirty track
  Enameled wire
  Pre-weathered track
  Joiners
 Soldering tips:
  Conductive epoxy
  
Cool, allow to
  Contact, good mechanical
  DCC safe soldering equipment
  Good joint, knowing when
  Heat, right amount
  Heat, the work, not the solder
  Iron, solder, right size
  Lead-free solder
  Liquid flux

  Metal MUST be clean
  Resistance soldering
  Silver epoxy
  Solder selection
  
Tip must be clean
  Bonds, soldering
  Third hand

Speakers, buying

Stewart - see Locomotive Installs

Surge suppressors
Switches, electrical

- T -

Tail light sockets
Terminal strips


Track, Aluminum rail

Track, status indicating

TRACK WIRING
 Basic Wire
  Blocks
  Blocks, large layouts
  Booster districts, insulate between
  Bus, routing
  Bus runs, long
    RC network
  Bus Terminator
  Bus, wire size
  Color code
  Common rail, avoid
  Crossings/Crossovers
  Crossing between booster districts
  DC and DCC on the same layout
  Dogbone, reversing, siding
  Insulation Displacement Connectors
  Joiners
  Push pins, colored
  Polarity Car
  Polairty ID
  Programming track
  Roundhouse cut off
  Snubber
  Taillight bulbs
  Tortoise, reversing
  Track connection, good
  Track, connections
  Track DCC Waveforms
  Terminals, screw
  Twisted pair
  Wire, buying
  Wiring tips, WWW
  Wiring, overview
  Wiring, which wire is which
Crossing, electrofrog Peco
  Yard cut off
 Feeders
  Feeders, short blocks, placement
  Feeders, spacing
  Feeders, wire size
  Joiners, soldering
NTRAK
 Testing
  Beeper, short detecting
  Measuring DCC
  Track polarity, checking
  Track polarity, ID
  Wire adequacy, testing

  High current boosters

 

Track Wiring cont'd
 Track and Wire Resistance
  General

  Stranded wire
  Solid wire
  Nickel-Silver track
  Brass track
  Taillight bulb

  Test light (bulb)
 Special Situations
  "Accept" yard signals

  Catenary wiring
  Dual gauge track wiring
 Reversing
  Balloons
  Crossovers
  Reverse loops, simple
  Reversing sections, insulate between
  Three-rail wiring
  Transfer table wiring
  Turntable wiring
  Wiring reversing sections
  Wye configurations
  Wyes, simple

Throttle holder, NCE ProCab

THROTTLE NETWORKS
  Phone cables, modular
  Throttle nuts, tightening
  Track status light
  Troubleshooting

Tillig turnouts

Tin whiskers

Tools
  Electronic,general source for
  Third hand

  Wire stripper, mechanical
  Wire stripper, thermal

Transformer
  Mounting
  Sizing

  1 per booster
  Transformers, buying

Trix - see Locomotive Installs

TURNOUTS
   Frog types
   Which frog is best for me?
   Balloon automatic control 

  DCC friendly turnouts
  Wiring difference
     Atlas
    BK Enterprises
    Controlling Turnouts
    Elite/Pilz/Tillig
    Kato
   Micro Engineering
    Orr Traction
    Peco
      #4 HO, #6 N
      #6 HO, #4 N
      #6 N Crossover

      3-Way Insulfrog & Electrofrog
      Insulfrog vs. Electrofrog

      Insulfrog
      Insulfrog shorts
      Electrofrog 100
      Electrofrog 75
      Double-slip Electrofrog
      Double-slip Unifrog
      Electrofrog crossing
      Unifrog
   Wrong way entry, prevention
  
 Roco
  Walthers New DCC Compatible
   Double-slip
    
#6 HO crossover

    3-Way turnout
    3-Way turnout position indicator
    DCC friendly, availability
    Switchmachine types
 Walthers Old Style
    3-Way turnout
    Double Crossover
    Double Crossover Tutorial

 Control
   3-Way turnout position indicator
 
  Balloon track control
  Booster, use separate
  Control, methods
  Controlling turnouts with DCC
  DCC control, benefits
  DCC control, benefits to clubs
  Drop Feeders and Bonds
  Feedback
  Hidden bonds
  Jacks, handset, 4 wire
  Powering points
  Tortoise, reversing balloon track
   Wiring

Turnouts cont'd
 General
  Connecting feeders
  Fixing bonds

 Slow motion
  3-Way turnout position indicator   
  Benefits
  Control, simple, low cost
  Digitrax DS-54, CVs
  Digitrax DS-54, programming sequence

  Digitrax DS-54, setup
  Hare (Tortoise decoder)
  Tortoise
  Tortoise, extra switch contacts
  Tortoise, reversing, balloon track
 Control, garden

  Air operated
  Turnout power

Turntable roundhouse track control

TROUBLESHOOTING
 Booster
  Booster, testing
  Command station, spare
  Command station, booster mode
  Mysterious operation of booster
 Bus
  Bus runs, long
 Decoders
  Problems, decoders
  Headlight problems
 General
  When nothing works
 Locomotive
  Headlight problems
 Sound
  Motorboating sound
 Throttle Networks
  Throttle Networks

 Wiring
  Bus runs, long
  Ohm meter, using
  Shorts, between districts
  Shorts, between rails
  Isolating problems

Trucks, power pick-up


- U -
   

- V -

Voltage drops

Volts - measuring DCC

Voltage, measuring deocder output
- W -

Wall Transformers

Walthers New DCC Compatible turnouts
 Walthers Old Style turnouts

Walthers ACM roundhouse track control

Wheel squeal sound

Wire, buying
Wire Color Code, decoders

Wire, US and metric conversion
Wiring, modular
Wiring, track
Wiring, twisted
Wiring, which wire is which
Wiring, voltage drop

 

Wooden ties - bonus!

WRITE ME
  Asking Allan a question

  Copying this website
  Decoder installation instructions
  Have a question?
  Manufacturers
  Want to help?

WWW TIPS

Wye,wiring for long, lighted passenger   trains or long lash-ups.

- Z -
Zimo decoders    

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