Setting Up the DCC System Part 2

Following up on the previous post, the second EB1 circuit breaker board arrived from NCE, and I installed it. Since all three components were attached to the command station, I fired it up. Everything  (including EPROM install) appears successful since the system "talked" to my throttle.

Panel with power district circuit breakers and Frog Juicer
connected to command station!

While at first I was thinking of having the program track on the staging module, I have since decided on locating it on the interchange track for several reasons:

• It will be located right over the command station, hence good location for control panel/switch.
• I'm leaning towards ending interchange track with mirror rather than extending it into staging.
• I can set up programming track before finishing staging module and complex backdrop.

In researching the wiring for my DCC program track, I discovered that just having a DPDT that switches an isolated (insulated) section of track between track power and programming is potentially dangerous. If a locomotive bridges the two while in programing mode,  it can damage the programming circuitry. Including an isolation or dead zone section between the programming track and the rest of the layout is the solution. I found several helpful sites for explaining the rationale and process:

• Wiring for DCC
• DCC Wiki
• mrhmag.com forum

According to the experts I needed a 4PDT switch to wire the program track with an isolation track. I ended up ordering one from mouser.com, a 633-S43 4PDT ON-OFF-ON. 

Setting Up the DCC System

Over the last few days we have had some beautiful spring weather, and in addition to doing some yard work, I have gotten up into the attic to work on the layout. Now that several of the sections of benchwork are fully installed, I tackled setting up the DCC system (NCE Power  Pro 5 amp) that I brought from Seattle.

First of all, while I ordered an update EPROM chip quite awhile ago, I had never installed it. It was not that hard, once I got up the gumption to do it. NCE had instructions on their website. First, I removed the four screws and slid off the cover. Being careful not to pry under the holder, the old chip popped right off with gentle prying with a small screwdriver from below. Following the instructions, I positioned the new chip using the half moon to guide the orientation. Two of the prongs tried to splay out rather than slide into their slots. As I was going slowly and carefully, I was able to remove the chip, straighten the prongs, and install the chip with all the prongs in place. Hopefully it was a successful install!


I sketched out several designs for a shelf under the layout to hold the command station, transformer, and power strip. I settled on one that basically has the shelf bolted to a support rail between two legs. I made the shelf from 1/2" plywood with a 2x2 glued under it. After painting everything a flat black, I bolted the 2x2  to the rail I had installed between the legs. In hindsight I should have used a 2x3 because the 2x2 left too narrow a space for my drill motor to fit at a true perpendicular for installing the carriage bolts. I ended up with rough framing tolerances rather than finish carpentry, but it worked.

The next step was to build a  board to mount some of the components of the system. For this initial U shaped layout, I am planning on having two power districts with each protected by a circuit breaker. This board, made from scrap plywood, was designed to hold the two NCE EB1 breakers (I need to order a second one) as well as a Tam Valley Depot Hex Frog Juicer to power the frogs of the turnouts in the interchange yard.

I used a barrier strip I had on hand, mounted with  #6 1/2 inch pan head screws. For the EB1 boards I fashioned standoffs from plastic tubing and mounted them with #6 3/4 inch pan head screws.  I set a stop on my NWSL Chopper at approximately 3/8" and cut all eight pieces of tubing to use as standoffs. The Frog Juicer had plastic bumpers already installed under the circuit board, but I had to find some #4 screws to mount it. While on the work bench I connected the one circuit board I have on hand and the Frog Juicer to the barrier strip..

After mounting the board to another pair of legs, I ran the DCC output wires from the command station to the terminal strip. The system is ready for me to start the bus for the first power district and order the second EB1.

The one thing that I haven't quite figured out yet is the location of a program track. I'm leaning towards adding it to the staging module. Then I could start the bus and power the staging tracks to use as test tracks and trouble shoot the system.

Goal Setting

While I have been occupied with other parts of my life over the last several months, I think that the slowdown in progress on the layout had a deeper cause. In a recent post on one of his blogs, Shelf Layouts, Lance Mindheim talks about "subtle traps that can sap enthusiasm." One that he mentions in particular is "not hitting personalized completion milestones" in our internal timeline. His solution is to front load with targets.

Mindheim Targets:

• Benchwork Complete: 3-6 months
• Some Train Running:  3-6 months
• A scene or two finished:  1 year
• All three:  18-24 months

With his targets in mind and an awareness that I have to fit the railroad in with other parts of my life without progress coming to a standstill, I have come up with a list of my own. It is intended as both a to do list and a goal setting motivator.

To Do:

• Benchwork finalized and in place
• Workbench and materials organized
• Regular posting to the blog
• DCC components set up
• East staging and a program track wired
• Start work on rolling stock and loco roster and maintenance
• Start some track work
• Start a building or bridge
• Design the fascia and valence 

Benchwork for the Bottom of the "U"

Progress has certainly slowed over the winter; however, the benchwork for the bottom of the "U" is in place temporarily. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this section had to be slightly reduced in size from the original plan. I drew up plans with the new size continuing with basic open grid framing. One nod towards cookie cutter benchwork in this section is the cutout for a creek bed, a scenic element, between Willow Junction and Willow Springs.

Bottom of the "U" Benchwork under construction on sawhorses
in the attic. The workshop in the barn has been too cold!

This cutout turned out to be a bit of a gumption trap as I hadn't really tried cookie cutter benchwork before. The open grid frame itself was constructed in the traditional manner, with the exception of a 1" X 2" frame member supporting the creek bed. After cutting the plywood, I cut the frame down for the creek bed insert and attached 1" X 2" supports along the bottom of the front and back of the frame. Both the location of the future pile trestle and the triangular plywood extension are visible in the photo to the left. This side of the bottom of the "U" will not have a corner section; rather, it will be the two rectangles bolted together.

The plan is for the back of this section of the benchwork to rest on an L girder ledger with one leg supporting the front and the ends bolting to the adjacent sections.  I will need to trim some of the blue foam and mount the next section of backdrop before permanently installing this section. The ledger and the location are visible in the photo to the right.