DCC Trolleys, trams and subways

[Ajcooln]

Hello, my name is AJ and I'm new to the forum... I'm in the process of building a large N-Scale layout and was wondering what subway trains, trolleys, or trams can I use or have converted over to DCC. Does Kato or Tomix (tomytec) make them?

Edited May 31 by disturbman

[bill937ca]

There really is very little DCC in Japan as there are other alternatives offered by Kato and Tomix.  The lower cost trams and trains like Tomytec are DC only per the manufacturer.

[Beaver]

Unless you can do hardwired decoder installations yourself or pay someone else to do it (which may involve milling out room for decoders, or putting them inside the car interior where they are easily seen through the windows, or using very tiny decoders.), your only options are the Kato 'DCC Friendly' range which allows you to unclip the main circuit board and swap in one with a built-in decoder. None of the trams have this facility and many of the multiple unit trains don't either.

 

Consider whether you actually need DCC for tramways and subways. If they are running on their own separate, simple tracks to the main lines of the layout then those tracks could be analogue. A tramway that just loops around a few blocks for example doesn't need a complex control system. Just set the trams to circulate as a moving backdrop and focus on running the main line trains with DCC.

 

 

[brill27mcb]

AJ, it would help to tell us more about your layout plan. Is it really a railroad layout with subways, trolleys and trams added as an "action accessory" (which many people assume, as Beaver has done), or is the main focus on the subways, trolleys and trams? Why do you think you want or need DCC? A lot can be done with just a few simple electrical blocks, and the use of the power routing function built into Kato and Tomix track switches/turnouts/points can eliminate much wiring for yards and sidings. So tell us what your plan is, and our answers can be more useful to you.

 

Rich K.

[Ajcooln]

2 hours ago, brill27mcb said:

AJ, it would help to tell us more about your layout plan. Is it really a railroad layout with subways, trolleys and trams added as an "action accessory" (which many people assume, as Beaver has done), or is the main focus on the subways, trolleys and trams? Why do you think you want or need DCC? A lot can be done with just a few simple electrical blocks, and the use of the power routing function built into Kato and Tomix track switches/turnouts/points can eliminate much wiring for yards and sidings. So tell us what your plan is, and our answers can be more useful to you.

 

Rich K.

I want my layout to controlled by a computer and if I decide to run a train the others are being controlled by the computer...I have 3 lines and one of them is a trolley system with 6 trolleys(trams) running on them.... I enclosed a PDF of my layout...

Chilltown 11 Tracks NL.pdf

[brill27mcb]

OK, that helps a lot. You will then probably have to go with full DCC with a custom-programmed computer control overlay. Others who are knowledgeable about doing this will have to help you with that.

 

With Bachmann no longer selling its Peter Witt streetcars, the only trams that can now be bought DCC-equipped from the manufacturer are the Hornby/Arnold Duewag GT6 European models. You can rule out the wonderful Kato Hiroshima Greenmover Lex / "My Tram" LRT model, since it would be extremely difficult to isolate the motor from the split-frame chassis on its paIr of ultra-compact drives.

 

The Tomytec trams using conventional TM-xx power units can be hard-wire modified for DCC operation. Here's an example - start at this photo and then go backwards to see the subsequent steps:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jim_easterbrook/50945496498/in/photostream/

 

I think that converting the Tomytec tram TM-TRxx chassis and the LRT TM-LRTxx chassis designs would be harder, in terms of isolating the motor leads and finding room for the decoder and possibly also a "keep-alive" unit.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Rich K.

[chadbag]

Nothing is impossible with the right tools, and time enough to do the work necessary.  (Which may make the endeavor not worth it).

 

I plan on eventually doing it with my motley assortment which includes some Tomytec, some older KATO portatram, and some newer KATO stuff.   But it will be awhile before I get around to figuring any of it out.    I enjoy a challenge.  But it may be  hard enough for some of these to not be worth it for most people.

 

 

[Madsing]

True. I have installed DCC decoders in my three Kato Portram. Unfortunately, they are not available anymore. 
 

https://shin-yukari.weebly.com/blog/september-15th-2018

 

Marc

 

[brill27mcb]

The Kato power unit in the Hiroden Greenmove Lex / "My Tram" model is far different from the one in their Portram model:

 

 

Rich K.

[brill27mcb]

I came across this webpage showing how to disassemble the recent, greatly improved Kato 11-109 and 11-110 2-axle power chassis, plus how to add DCC and a "Keep Alive" to them. Seems like it should work for the sister 11-108 chassis, too, and maybe the similar new "My Tram Classic" chassis.

 

https://tramfabriek.co.uk/kato-take-a-part.html

 

Rich K.

Edited May 25 by brill27mcb

[Ajcooln]

Thank you guys for the info... I guess I'm going to have to get my soldering skills up... just seems complicated... can't understand why they just make a line of subways and trams in DCC

[cteno4]

@Ajcooln well dcc has not penitrated Japan much. Kato has been doing some of its trains with decoder slots, but that has taken a while to mature and dcc is still a niche world in Japan. To add slots or decoder boards it usually takes them redesigning how the power cars are designed and assembled and that costs money, so they need to sell more trains to cover that investment or hike prices (which can mean selling fewer trains). Subway models are rarer beasts and a pretty niche market so sort to the last place dcc would go. Trams are popular, but they are smaller and harder to engineer decoders into. One of the big tram makers is Modemo and they are a smaller company so again not in the position to invest in going dcc. Japan is a huge train market so a much bigger ship to turn than markets like us and Europe.

 

Also because Kato Unitrak and Tomix finetrak have power routing points meaning you can set up a quick layout on a table and have built in power control of sidings and yards without doing any fancy wiring. Many Japanese layout are also small so running 2 trains at once on the same mainline is not as enjoyable as on a big layout and the point power routing takes care of most of the operations actions wirh sidings and yards easily.

 

For soldering, get some wire and metal strips, a decent little soldering iron (preferably one you can control the temperature some, but it does not have to be a super fancy, expensive one), some solder, and flux and just start practicing. It’s really a skill that you have to practice at before you get handy at it. It is also a bit of a feeling thing that jsut take some time to get the feeling and dance of soldering. There are tons of videos on YouTube to get pointers and see visually how things work, how to apply flux, how to heat properly, etc. It doesn’t take long to get decent at it but it does take practice before you can do it well (just like anything, some are naturals at it and take off right away). And in this case of playing with a $20-50 decoder and your power mechanism you want to be decent at soldering before diving in. I’ve taught folks 7-80 years old how to solder, anyone can do it, just take some practice.

 

jeff

[Ajcooln]

@cteno4 Thanks for the advice ... Will do!