Kato Track and DCC Continuity?

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J

JHansen

Member
I'm back with another question. James at ModelTrainStuff.com said that I must have really good continuity in the track for DCC to work. I'm running Kato UniTrack and recently added a couple of turn-outs. I notice that my oldest loco hesitates and jerks when passing through that area. If it's going slow enough it will stop completely. That loco has always been my test for good track. Is this a problem as far as DCC is concerned? My newer locos pass the area without any visible problems except at the slowest speeds. Keep in mind that all this is with straight DC. I haven't received my DCC unit yet.

If this is a problem, how do I solve it given that I'm using Kato UniTrack? I'd think that soldering in additional wiring would risk melting the track and ruining it. Anyone dealt with a problem like this?

Thanks,
John
 
Check the power pickups on the engine. Does the engine have a short wheelbase between the trucks? In order to keep the power flowing, at least one truck has to be powered through the rails since the frog is insulated. If the power pickups on the loco aren't touching the wheels/connected to the board in the loco, then those wheels may not be picking up power to power the locomotive through the switch.
 
John, I agree with locomotive being the problem, but it also could be the switches. What kind of engine is it? Do the Kato switches have metal frogs? If so, they are power routing and can be a problem for short wheelbase engines. You will have the same problem with DCC. The best type of switch to use plastic frog type, with both routes powered regardless of point position. If you have plastic frog switches, look closely to see where the engine hesitates and stalls. Sometimes frogs are not deep enough and lift a wheel off the rail just enough to lose power, You can solve this with a small flat file, making the bottom of the frog a little deeper. Sometimes the frog is also too tight, again causing the locomotive lift and lose power, and some work with a file will fix that too. If you don't have an NMRA gauge, get one. You can then check the frogs, guard rails, and track to make sure everything is within tolerance.
 


Thanks. I'll check all that out later. The loco I was referring to is an ancient Bachmann steamer that does have a short wheelbase. I also have an Athern 2-8-0 that is really short but doesn't seem to have a problem. My new Kato SD 70 M with its long wheelbase just glides through.

Thanks again,
John
 
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