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Stayin' Alive
Reduce dirty track woes
D
CC users have long been aware of the need for
good continuity between the loco and the rails.
Having the control signal and the motive power
supplied together makes the track connection doubly
important.
As I discussed last month, Lenz came up with a way
to enhance the reliability of the DCC signal being
received through dirty track. To my knowledge, no other
manufacturer has adopted the Lenz Uninterruptible Signal
Processing technology.
Ok, so let’s look at the other side: keeping the loco moving.
What keeps the loco moving down the track without applied
power is stored energy. The most direct method to store
energy is a flywheel. Once the flywheel is moving, inertia
keeps it moving. A loco with a flywheel will run over “bad”
spots that will stall a loco without a flywheel. This is, by
DCC Impulses column
by Bruce Petrarca
Keep minor track power disruptions from
stopping your loco ...
DCC Impulses Column - 1
the way, the only energy storage option available for DC
operation. You don’t want a huge flywheel, even if you
could fit one in the locomotive, as you would have a hard
time stopping it when you want to.
What causes power dropouts?
The most frequently discussed cause is dirty track or wheels. But
this is not the only reason for loss of power.
You can’t build a turnout without isolating the track somewhere
or you will have a rail-to-rail short. These breaks can range from a
few thousandths of an inch up to several inches. No matter how
big or small the breaks, they are a dead spot. Some turnouts pro-
vide a way to connect most of the frog to external power, which
can be switched, depending upon the direction of the turnout.
While powering the frog will restore much of the lost electrical
contact, there will still be an insulated area at each end of the frog.
1: Insulated frog turnout – Atlas HO Code 83 #8
frog is insulated between the two black bands.
Copper ring nearest the camera is provided to electrify
the frog.
1
MRH-Mar 2013
