I have my Kato Switches hooked up to a standard switch panel with toggle momentary switches. Can I hook up the DS51K1 stationary decoder in addition to this wiring? In other words, if hooked up the DS51K1 to the Kato Switch Machine that was already wired to another source to throw the switch, would the momentary power damage the decoder when it is operated by the standard control panel? I would like to operate these switches via DCC and by the control panel. In this situation, it would appear that using a DS64 configured for Kato turnouts (solenoid turnouts) and ...

The Kato 4-8-4 FEF Steam Locomotive accepts the DN163K4A board replacement decoder. To disassemble the Kato 4-8-4 FEF, perform the following steps:   1. Gently slide the cab towards the tender.   2. Using a small Phillips head screwdriver, remove the screw located at the rear of the locomotive.   3. Slide the boiler toward the front of the locomotive.   4. Lift the entire boiler assembly off the chassis   5. Remove the plasic clip which is covering the analog circuit board.   6. Carefully remove both of the motor power tabs from the analog circuit board, being careful ...

The Digitrax DS51K1 Stationary Decoder is for use with single coil Kato powered turnouts only.  These turnout include the following: 20-202 N Scale #6 Left Hand Powered 20-203 N Scale #6 Right Hand Powered 20-210 N Scale Double Crossover Powered * 20-220 N Scale #4 Left Hand Powered 20-221 N Scale #4 Right Hand Powered 20-222 N Scale #2 Wye Powered 2-860 HO Scale #6 Left Hand Powered 2-861 HO Scale #6 Right Hand Powered 2-850 HO Scale #4 Lef Hand Powered 2-851 HO Scale #4 Right Hand Powered * The 20-210 Double Crossoever requires a total of 4 DS51K1 ...

The DN163K2 will fit into the Kato RS2 and RSC2 locomotives with the same frame design. Installation for the Kato N scale SD90/43MAC is also similar.  Kapton tape should be applied in the saddle area of the frame above the motor to prevent shorting. Install the DN163K2 decoder into the frame by tilting it slightly as you insert the front corners into the forward frame clips. Press the decoder motor clips down over the motor contacts and slide the decoder board forward and press the board down into the frame. Be careful not to bend the motor contacts or let ...

Kato makes a Unitrack double-crossover, their No. 20210: Kato has advised us that this unit has four solenoids in its base, each operating one turnout point set. Connecting the DS51K1 to the red / black wire pair at the base of the track will damage the decoder since the four solenoids of the crossover will draw more than the rated current capacity of the DS51K1. If you are wiring the DS51K1 internally to this track segment, it is easiest to program each turnout pair to the same address; done this way, activating one track switch address will result in the ...

Kato recommends, and Digitrax concurs, that the best DCC performance with the Unitrack turnout requires that you set each turnout to "Non-power-routing". Kato has offered a variety of turnouts in their H0 Unitrack line.381-2840 - LH, 490mm Radius, selectable operating mode with power or non-power routing.381-2841 - RH  490mm Radius, selectable operating mode with power or non-power routing.381-2850 - LH, #4, power routing only. * Some additional power feeds required for use with DCC 381-2851 - RH, #4, power routing only. * Some additional power feeds required for use with DCC381-2860 - LH, #6, live or insulated frogs, power or non-power ...

Move to decoder installation section? on main site or set up decoder installation notes in TSD?DN123K3 Kato NW2 Installation Instructions 1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame (Figure 1). Notice the orientation of the shell to the frame so that you can reinstall correctly. 2. To remove the Kato NW2 standard lightboard you will need to remove the motor clips first. The NW2 Motor clips can be most easily removed by rotating the motor gently so that the circular motor brush caps release the motor clip. Next pull the motor clip directly off each side of the lightboard. ...

Note: These instructions cover the hardwired installation of any Digitrax decoder with wires into a Kato GP35 H0 Diesel. Currently, the recommended decoder for current production GP35's from Kato are the DH163K0 board replacement decoder.  Using the board replacement decoders are much simpler and cleaner installation than the one described here.Tools Needed for Decoder InstallationYou'll need a few simple tools:1. A soldering iron, preferably temperature controlled.2. Solder3. Screwdriver4. Small diagonal cutters for cutting and stripping small wire5. TweezersMotor Isolation for Kato GP35Carefully remove the loco's shell and weight.To isolate the motor, disconnect the brass strips (motor brushes) from the track pick up ...

Photo Courtesy Kato, USA The DN143K2 replaced the earlier DN122K2 as a custom decoder designed for the Kato RDC in N-Scale. This is not a particularly easy installation and there have been some reports of problems with the headlights. Paul Lator has some experience with this installation, and this may be of help to you: "The wiring with the DN143K2 works well if you do not route the wires over the top of the seating in the RDC, rather completely disassemble the unit, mount the decoder in it's designated location then run the wires through the drive shaft tunnels. Place ...

The DN163K2 will fit into the Kato RS2 and RSC2 locomotives with the same frame design. The decoder is also installed using these same steps in the SD90/43MAC. Kapton tape should be applied in the saddle area of the frame above the motor to prevent shorting. Install the DN163K2 decoder into the frame by tilting it slightly as you insert the front corners into the forward frame clips. Press the decoder motor clips down over the motor contacts and slide the decoder board forward and press the board down into the frame. Be careful not to bend the motor contacts ...

Kato and Digitrax recommend the best DCC performance with the Unitrack turnout requires that you set each #4 turnout to "Non-power-routing".  You can do this by changing the position of the screw that sets power routing which is located on the bottom of each #4 turnout.  There are two screw adjustments on a Unitrack turnout, one for making the turnout non-power routing and the other being for setting either "live" or "insulated" frog (the point where the two rails cross)l  Leave the frog screw in the "insulated" position.It should be noted that some N-scale Unitrack production has the routing/non-routing connections mislabeled, with the English-language ...

Q:  Is it possible to use Digitrax equipment to wire the Kato N-Scale Automatic Track Crossing? If so, how do I do it? A:  The answer is a probable "No", but there may be a workaround. The Kato, USA website notes: Some Unitrack components such as the Automatic Crossing Gate and 3-Color Signal were designed with DC operation only. So, the official position is that that these devices don't work in the DCC environment. However, we are not above speculating on how to do this, nor are others. An online web search turned up this bit of message traffic by ...

This article courtesy of Ken Bessler, concerning installation of a decoder into earlier Kato C4400W's.  Current produiction of these locomotives use DN163K1C or similar board replacement decoder.I wanted to convert my 2 new Kato AC4400CW's to DCC but there were several problems:1) The recommended PnP decoder, DN163K1a has a chip right where a shell component is. Using this decoder requires shaving off the plastic retainer clip under the exhaust stack. IMHO this is not good as it leaves too little support for the stack.2) My dealer was out of stock of the PnP decoders.3) A quick look inside the loco shows ...

Photo Courtesy Kato, USA Installation Instructions: The DN143K2 cannot be tested prior to installation in the rail diesel car. 1. Carefully remove the shell from the RDC. Carefully remove the plastic casting from the bottom side of the RDC frame, using a flat bladed screwdriver to pry it loose. 2. Gently remove the white clip that holds the seat panel in place. Remove the seat panel by pushing up gently from the bottom of the frame. The seat panel has clips underneath that are very easy to break, so be careful. 3. Take extra care to notice how the RDC ...

Kato N-Scale GG1 steps needed for the DN163K1D decoder Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell and light board retainer from the frame. Notice the orientation of the light board inside so that you can install the new decoder in the same orientation. Carefully remove the factory light board by sliding it toward the back of the locomotive and out from under the forward frame notches. Then gently lift the board out of the frame. Be careful not to bend or damage the motor tabs. Carefully remove the motor tabs from the factory lightboard. The motor tabs attach to the board with ...

Kato N-Scale DD51 steps needed for the DN163K1D decoder Carefully remove the DD51 locomotive shells (3) and gray plastic light board retainer from the frame. Carefully remove the factory light board by sliding it toward the back of the locomotive and out from under the forward frame notches. Then gently lift the board out of the frame. Be careful not to bend or damage the motor tabs. Place one or more layers of Kapton tape on the frame underneath the forward frame clip. Carefully remove the motor tabs from the factory light board. The motor tabs attach to the board ...

There have been reports of headlight problems with some DN143K2 decoders; the unit will be running in one direction but the headlights are backwards. There is a simple fix for this problem. Set CV33=2 and CV34=1; this will remap the function outputs F0F and F0R.

DN163K0b Installation Instructions for Kato F-3, F-71. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. 2. Remove the black plastic cab seat panel by gently pressing in at the sides. 3. Carefully remove the plastic plug that retains the brass motor clips and bend the brass motor clips up and away from the circuit board. 4. Slide the circuit board forward to release it from the clip on the locomotive frame and lift the board off the frame. 5. Remove the brass pickup rail from one side of the locomotive, being careful not to bend it. Wrap a small piece ...

1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. Notice the orientation of the shell to the frame (Figure 1) so that you can reinstall the shell correctly. 2. Remove the dummy plug from the locomotive’s DCC-ready socket. (Figure 2) The jumper plug allows the loco to operate on a standard DC track or in analog mode on a DCC track. Pin 1 is marked for proper orientation of the decoder. 3. The DZ125PS has a short, 1" harness with a DCC 8-pin plug on the end of it. The plug is oriented so the pin for the orange wire ...

1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. Notice the orientation of the light board, so that you can install the new decoder in the same orientation. 2. Carefully remove the factory light board by sliding it toward the back of the locomotive and out from under the frame clips. Then gently lift the board out of the frame. Be careful not to bend the motor contacts. Apply a small piece of Kapton tape to saddle area of the frame above motor. 3. Install the DN163K2 decoder by angeling it slightly as you insert the front corners into the forward ...

These instructions detail the installation of a wired Digitrax decoder (a DN140 in this example, but many wired decoders may be used) into an Atlas GP35 manufactured by Kato prior to September, 2007.  These units are marked "Japan" on the bottom of the locomotive.  Units marked "China" use a board replacement decodr such as the DN163A2.Installation DiagramNotes:A. Be sure motor leads (Gray & Orange) do not touch frames & have protective insulation in place.B. Be sure frame is straight & mechanism is correctly reassembled & can turn freely without binding.Wired Decoder Installation InstructionsFollow these steps for decoder installation with either ...

Decoder Installation instructions?? is this included in the PDF for this decoder or is it a stand alone decoder installation app note?  Z.1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. 2. Carefully remove the plastic plug that retains the brass motor clips and bend the brass motor clips up and away from the circuit board. 3. Slide the circuit board forward to release it from the clip on the locomotive frame and lift the board off the frame. 4. Gently lift up (about 3 or 4 mm) the brass pickup rail from one side of the locomotive, being careful ...

Board Replacement 1.5 Amp DCC Board Replacement Decoder for HO Kato, Stewart & others. Retired in 2002

DH163K0 fits many Kato HO Diesel Locomotives Retired in 2007

Series 3 HO Plug ‘N Play Decoders with Integrated Plug Compatible with Sound Bug (wiring required) Decoder Lock equipped

DH165K0 Fits Kato, Stewart, Atlas & Other HO Locomotives Compatible with Sound Bug Decoder Lock equipped

DH165K1A fits many Kato HO Diesel Locomotives. Compatible with Digitrax Sound Bug Decoder Lock equipped

1 Amp N Scale Mobile Decoder for Kato N RDC Retired in 2007

Board replacement decoder for Kato N-Scale NW2.

1 Amp Board Replacement DCC Mobile Decoder for KATO N-scale SD-80/90 MAC Locomotive Retired in 2003

For Kato N RDC.

1 Amp DCC Board Replacement Mobile Decoder for KATO N-scale C44-9W Locomotive Retired in 2003

1 Amp Board Replacement DCC Mobile Decoder for KATO N-scale PA-1 / E-8 Retired in 2002

1 Amp Board Replacement DCC Mobile Decoder for KATO N-scale RS-2 & RSC-2 Retired in 2003

1 Amp Board Replacement DCC Mobile Decoder for KATO N-scale SD-40 Locomotive Retired in 2003

Designed to fit the Kato N scale P-42, PA-1 & E-8

Designed to fit the Kato N scale F3 A & B

Designed to fit the Kato N scale F40PH

Board Replacement Decoder for Kato N-Scale E5 Note: DN163K0A will NOT fit these locos.

1 Amp N Scale Mobile Decoder Designed to fit the Kato N scale SD40-2, SD70MAC. Kato N C44-9W with shell modification. Golden-White LEDs for added realism Retired in 2003

Designed to fit the Kato N scale SD40-2, SD70MAC. Now with no shell modifications needed to the Kato N C44-9W and AC4400! Golden-White LEDs for added realism Retired in 2011

Designed to fit the Kato N scale SD40-2 locos made from year 2006 onward

Designed to fit the Kato N scale EMD Class 66, GG1 and DD51 locomotives

Designed to fit the Kato N scale SD80/90MAC Series, RSC2, RS2

Board Replacement Decoder for Kato N-Scale Glacier Express

Board replacement Decoder for Kato N Scale MP36PH Metra

Plug ‘N Play for Kato AC4400 HO Locomotives Preloaded with AC4400 Sound Scheme. This unit was also sold as a stand alone SDH104K1A without the function features of the FN04. Retired in 2010 These units are no longer repairable as of 01/08/2013

Board Replacement SoundFX decoder for Kato SD38-2 HO Locomotives Preloaded with SD38-2 Sound Scheme. This unit was also sold as a stand alone SDH104K1B without the function features of the FN04. Retired in 2010

Board Replacement SoundFX decoder for Kato F40PH HO Locomotives Preloaded with F40PH Sound Scheme. This unit was also sold as a stand alone SDH104K1C without the function features of the FN04. Retired in 2010

Board replacement decoder for Kato AC4400 HO Locomotives With SoundFX/Motor/Function Control

Replaces SDH104K1B & SDH104K1B C decoders (no FN04K1 needed)

Replaces SDH104K1C & SDH104K1C C decoders (no FN04K1 needed)

Board replacement SoundFX/Motor/FX3 function decoder for N Scale Kato P42, E8, PA1, F40 and similar locos

Board replacement SoundFX/Motor/FX3Function decoder for N Scale Kato SD40-2 and similar locos

Drop In Mobile Sound Decoders for Kato N scale Locomotives

Drop In Mobile Sound Decoders for Kato N scale Locomotives

Drop In Mobile Sound Decoders for Kato N scale Locomotives

DS51K1 Stationary Decoder For Single Kato Unitrack Turnouts, easy cost effective way to add DCC control to your Kato Unitrack Turnouts.

SDXN147K1E Sound Decoder

SDXN147K2 Sound Decoder

SDXN147K4 Sound Decoder

SDXN167K0A Sound Decoder

The DS51K1 is designed specifically for Kato N-Scale turnouts.  Kato manufactures both a #4 and #6 turnout; one DS51K1 will control one Kato turnout solenoid.  In cases where there are two turnouts in a crossover track arrangement, you must use two DS51K1s, each assigned to the same address.Installation of the four decoder wires requires soldering skills.  And, just to make things interesting, Kato uses the colors of black and red for their turnout control wires, while Digitrax uses black and red for the power and data bus.  You will make four connections, two connected to the turnout motor and two ...

Stationary Decoder for use with a single Kato Unitrack bi-polar turnout machine or similar device   Simple hook up and set up.     Kato Unitrack compatible bi-polar drive.     DCC compatible.    

This section discusses the installation of the physical wiring of the Texas & Southwestern. Underneath the completed Texas & Southwestern are various wires and cables which allow you to operate your railroad. Initially, seeing all these wires can be intimidating, but as you will note, they have been grouped and bundled so that identifying the individual wires is easy. There are two groups of wires under the railroad; one group, the power bus, delivers power to the tracks and to the stationary decoders that operate the track switches. The other group of wires is the black cable for LocoNet and ...

Good DCC practice means good planning for the electrical needs of the railroad. Here, we talk about the power needs of the Texas & Southwestern. Anticipating Power Consumption The core of the Texas & Southwestern's DCC control system will be the DCS50 Zephyr, which is very appropriate for a small railroad. Zephyr has 10 "slots", memory locations in the command station each holding an active decoder address. Rated at 2.5 Amps, the Zephyr should also be enough to handle the power needs of the railroad, but if more power is needed, then T&SW can easily be expanded with an additional booster ...

Can the DS51K1 be used with large scale DCC (22 volts)? What is the maximum DCC supply voltage for this decoder? The DS51K1 is designed specifically to be used with Kato N-Scale Unitrack turnouts only.  It will not work for large scale turnouts. For use with bi-polar turnouts in large scale, the DS64 is a better choice.

Determines The Type of Turnouts You Can OperateOpSw 01 defines the output type (static or pulse) for the decoder. Thrown (factory default) for pulse output mode to operate three wire (twin coil type) PecoTM or Atlas Snap SwitchesTM or two wire bi-polar type turnout machines such as Kato Unitrack, AristoCraft, or LGB.Closed for static output mode to operate slow motion (stall motor) type turnouts such as Tortoise or Switchmaster.

Speaker Mounting and baffle/enclosures. The sound performance of any attached speaker(s) is greatly affected by the mounting system and required baffle or rear enclosure. The baffle is used to isolate to speaker diaphragm front sound waves from the out of phase rear sound waves. This minimizes sound cancellation, particularly at lower frequencies. For most efficient sound generation, the volume of the baffle should be as large as practically possible, and the baffle walls should be acoustically rigid so not to allow acoustic interference. Practical baffle materials are plastic, cardboard and even sheet metal. Common items such as cardboard tubes or ...

1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. Notice the orientation of the shell to the frame so that you can reinstall correctly. 2. Remove the 6 pin analog shorting plug and in its place insert the DZ125IN/DZ126IN decoder with the correct pin-1 orientation. (There also is a small numeral "1" on the bottom of the DZ125IN near pin-1.) The DZ125IN has 6 pins that insert directly into the 6 pin socket (NEM 651 type) on the locomotive’s PCB. The DZ125’s small size allows the decoder to be easily installed in a variety of European locomotives. For the Kato ...

SDN144K0A installation question about the capacitorIs the 100microF capacitor needed? Or is it only for use in the Kato E8B unit when both LEDs are removed? If it is part of the installation, what size hole doesit need for mounting? The 100uF capacitor is required for all installations.  The capacitor provides keep alive voltage to the decoder.  This is important when the locomotive runs over a section of dirty track or is traveling through a non powered (insul-frog) turnout.  On non-sound equipped locomotives, typically you will not see the locomotive hesitate or lose power when it encounters dirty track.  With ...

The master volume control CV is CV58, its values range from 0 to 15.  The factory default value for this is 09.Digitrax SFX decoders have a factory default value of 09 set for CV58.  This works well for 32 ohm speakers.The decoder will reset to this value whenever you do a decoder reset of CV8=8. Digitrax SFX decoders built for use with 8 ohm speakers should have this value changed to 4 or 5 for best operation value of 4 or 5, since the decoder may not supply enough current at high volume/drive levels.Your results may also depend upon track voltage present. Kato USA says ...

Once you have set up the DS64 to operate the type of turnouts you will use, the next step is to hook up the turnouts to the outputs of the DS64. Each type of turnout machine has specific requirements for wiring.Note: The DS64 is configured for either for solenoid turnouts (the default setting)  OR slow motion turnouts. Only one type of turnout motor can be used on any particular DS64.Note: Multiple turnout machines can be operated on a single DS64 output.For example, you can run 2 Peco or Atlas Snap Switches on a single DS64 output. Up to 4 Kato ...

DS64 Quad Stationary Decoder      The DS64 is a Stationary Decoder for use with 4 slow motion, solenoid, or bi-polar turnout machines Simple to hook up and configure   Controls 4 individual turnout machines: EITHER4 Slow motion turnout machines, such as TortoiseTM by Circuitron or SwitchmasterTMOR4 Solenoid-type turnout machines such as three wire (twin coil type) Peco or Atlas Snap Switches or two wire bi-polar type turnout machines such as Kato Unitrack, AristoCraft, or LGB turnouts with capacitive discharge capability  Support for up to 8 routes   Screw terminals make installation easy   Use with any LocoNet Compatible System   ...

Needs a comprehensive answer.  There may be one somewhere else already.  Z.This is from the decoder manual and does not answer the question:A 12 or 14 Volt lamp run directly without resistors will be less sensitive to voltage fluctuations. For regular 12 to 16 Volt lamps that draw more than 50 mA when lit, we recommend that you put a 22 to 33 ohm 1/4 watt resistor in series with the lamp leads. This will ensure that the lamp "start-up currents" (up to 10 times normal current draw) do not overload the outputs.If you want, you can estimate things by ...

In response to a request, here is a semi-official track plan of the Texas & Southwestern: The railroad uses Kato Unitrack: 249mm radius curves 282mm radius curves Seven #4 Right turnouts, configured to be "non current routing" Five #4 Left turnouts, configured to be "non current routing" Two 90° crossings A variety of straight tracks, including the 20-091 Short Track Assortment Three 20-050 Adjustment Tracks Several 24-818 Terminal joiners to supply power to the railroad and to connect the AR1 to the reversing segment Insulated Unijoiners were used to define the reversing segment. Alert readers will note that the tracks ...

The sound performance of any speaker is greatly affected by where and how the speaker is mounted and whether an adequate speaker enclosure or baffle is installed.The baffle is used to isolate to speaker diaphragm's front side sound waves from the out of phase rear sound waves. This minimizes sound cancellation, particularly at lower frequencies. For most efficient sound generation, the volume of the baffle should be as large as practically possible. The baffle walls should be acoustically rigid to prevent acoustic interference.Practical materials to use for the baffle are plastic, cardboard and sheetmetal. Common items such as cardboard tubes ...

DH165K1A Board Replacement Decoder Fits Kato SD40-2, AC4400 1. Carefully remove the locomotive’s shell from the frame. Note the orientation for proper reinstallation (Figure 1). 2. Remove the four track power pickup wires clipped to the lightboard at mid point (Figure 1). 3. Unscrew the two screws securing the lightboard and lift it from the frame. (Figure 2) 4. Remove the lightboard by pulling it gently straight up, off the motor clips. (Figure 3) 5. Decoder installation is the reverse of what we’ve done so far. Snap the decoder into place over the motor clips. Be sure motor clips are ...

Q:  I am trying to setup 4 Kato locomotives 3 SD-70MACs and 1 C-44-9, all with DN 163K1B decoders.  I am using the loadable speed tables V in the programing manual that came with my Super Chief for a starting point. I have spent a few hours with limited success. Do have any suggestions that may help simplify this process? A:  Because the decoders and command control system are digital, the commands sent from the command station based on the CV settings in each locomotive are always the same. It is the locomotive mechanisms that are different. Even with three "identical" locomotives from ...

The Texas & Southwestern has a reversing loop, and DCC insures reliable and simple operation of trains in the reverse loop. This reverse loop is handled with a Digitrax AR1 Auto Reversing Controller. The automated features of the AR-1 make for seamless train movements, but an issue quickly arose. Because a reverse loop in a traditional DC-powered model railroad environment required manual operation, the track insulating gaps for the loop were usually located for the convenience of the operators. So the track gaps of the original track plan were situated to keep this inconvenience to a minimum. Note also all ...

I am a 'newbie' to model railroading.  I have a 10' x 10' room put aside for my layout which will be basically a U or horseshoe shape going around three of the walls.  I am using Atlas code 55 in N scale. Since I'm starting from scratch, I want to do it RIGHT and that is why I've decided to buy DCC straight away. I want to run a maximum of 4 trains at once. I would like the capability of having two users (drivers) operating at the same time, but I want to manually set turnouts. I will ...

Background The world is filled with places like Nemo Junction, a crossing between two railroads which is protected by a signal interlocking plant that also serves as an interchange point between these railroads. Cars destined for places to and from another railroad are exchanged at places like these. The interchange has been described as being the ideal model railroad industry because any type of car can be found there, heading toward places that are not on the model railroad itself. Nemo Junction is based upon a real place, a location in Illinois identified on the timetable of the Santa Fe ...

The Life-Like RS2 locomotive frame is approx 1mm wider than than the Kato design for the RS2. Accordingly, special care must be taken to assure the loco frame does not come in contact with the DN163K2 decoder contacts. Please refer to the pictures below for details on the modification: Cut a piece of Kapton tape approx. 1/4" square and position it on an Xacto® type knife, small screwdriver blade or other similar tool.  Place the tape underneath the loco frame as shown above. A top view of the correctly placed tape. A side view of the correctly placed tape. Remember ...

Based upon a layout designed by the late, great John Armstrong which appears in the classic book, 101 Trackplans for Model Railroads [Kalmbach Publishing, 400-12012, still in print], this railroad combines different elements to offer varied model railroad operations. At the center right of the railroad is the Union Passenger Station. From this station, trains can operate out & back, which is to say that a passenger train leaves the station, goes out onto the circular main line and eventually comes back into the station after passing through the reverse loop. Another passenger train can operate point to point, meaning ...

Current production Digitrax decoders use the following numbering system: The first character means that it is a digital decoder. This is always a “D”. The second character indicates the decoder’s physical size. This is based on the smallest "scale" the decoder is designed to fit. This will be a Z, N, H, or G. The third character is the current rating of the decoder. This will be a 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. We designate 1.25 & 1.5 amp decoders as 1s and 3.5 amp decoders as 3s for simplicity. The fourth character indicates how many functions, including directional ...

There was a time when every mobile decoder installation was a custom installation. In those early days, we were just feeling our way along, trying to find ways to make the existing supply of decoders fit into locomotives which had been designed in a different era. Fortunately, things have changed along the way, and in many cases, the Digitrax Decoder Selection Guide will list your locomotive. But many locomotives are not listed because they are too new or are too generic for a special listing. So, from time to time, you will have to "wing it" just a bit to ...

By Zana & A.J. IrelandThis clinic is titled Digital Command Control: The Wave of the Future. Recently, I was asked the question: "DCC has arrived and is the technology of today, everybody's using it so, why don't you change the title of your clinic?" My answer is that digital command control is still evolving rapidly. Today's digital command control is moving beyond the basic NMRA DCC Standards and RPs to encompass many new technologies that will compliment and enhance the basic things we can do with the track format defined by the NMRA. It's an exciting time for model railroaders ...

By Zana & A.J. IrelandThis clinic is titled Digital Command Control: The Wave of the Future. Recently, I was asked the question: "DCC has arrived and is the technology of today, everybody's using it so, why don't you change the title of your clinic?" My answer is that digital command control is still evolving rapidly. Today's digital command control is moving beyond the basic NMRA DCC Standards and RPs to encompass many new technologies that will compliment and enhance the basic things we can do with the track format defined by the NMRA. It's an exciting time for model railroaders ...

DS64 is set up by setting Option Switches (OpSw)This is how to set option switches on the DS64:1. Begin with your DS64 powered up. Turnouts can be either connected or not.2. On the DS64 press and hold the OPS button down for about 3 seconds until the red OPS LED and green ID LED begin to blink alternately. This indicates that the DS64 is ready to change the option switches.3. Using your DCC throttle, select the Switch Address that corresponds to the OpSw number and send the Closed or Thrown command corresponding to the setting you have chosen. Refer to ...

Digital Command Control (DCC) has specific electrical requirements that must be provided for your layout control system to operate properly.Input PowerAll DCC systems require an external power supply.  Digitrax manufactures several power supplies for our command stations and boosters: The 3 Amp PS415 (the Zephyr Xtra power supply) The 5 Amp PS515 for all Digitrax 5 amp command stations and boosters The powerful 20 Amp PS2012 can be used for multiple 5 and 8 amp command stations and boosters  Additionally, the PS14 is available to power various other devices for your railroad.  Digitrax strongly encourages you to use our power supplies to insure satisfactory ...