Broadway Limited AC6000 Review

To “Thinking of DCC’s” John Sipple:

After reading your article in the January issue “DCC Ready or Not Here It Comes” some questions came to my mind about the Atlas GE U23B diesel locomotive which I recently purchased. On the red box there is no information whatsoever. Is it DCC ready? On the inside there is no information either.

I also have the Atlas Master locomotive Series GP-40 diesel locomotive and on the box and inside you have all the information you need and more. Just the DCC icon makes the big difference. Question number 1: GE U23B diesel loco PC board has a dummy plug. Can I replace the PC board with an Atlas 4-function decoder #342 or do I have to use the 8-pin decoder (Which would you recommend)? Question number 2: Can I replace #850124 lamps on the GE U23B with golden-white LED #845124 as on the GP-40 loco, or is it more complicated?

Thank you for the help and thank you for the best magazine on the market.

Jerry Antl
Bristol, CT

Hi Jerry. Based on your parts breakdown and the mention of the dummy plug, the U-boat is definitely DCC-Ready. You actually have two choices here, since the board on the loco does have the NMRA 8-pin socket. The board is also in the form of the so-called “drop-in” decoder. IF you go the 8-pin route and don’t change the bulbs, the conversion takes about as long as removing the shell and reinstalling it. The board has the correct resistors to deliver the proper voltage for the little incandescent bulbs. Without seeing the board and reading the resistance of the resistors, I would guess that the current would be too low to drive LEDs, but I could be wrong.

IF you replace the entire board with a drop-in board, you will have to correctly polarize the leads to the LEDs and you will have to supply adequate resistors at each end (1,000 ohm would probably do) or the LEDs will burn out very quickly. Instead of the wire retainers, I would consider soldering the wires in place, making a solid electrical connection. Use a low-watt iron. Best wishes and good luck! — John

DCC Ready or Not?

To “Thinking of DCC’s” John Sipple:

I received my January issue of Model Railroad News in today’s mail. Of particular interest was your commentary in “Thinking of DCC.” I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I’ve enjoyed DCC ownership for about five or so years and wouldn’t think of operating my layout without it. In fact, my time with command control started about 1986 or so when I bought my first copy of Dynatrol’s What Did You equipment. People would come over to my house and I’d mesmerize them. Virtually everyone said, “That’s for me.” One of its problems was it was expensive. One receiver (decoder now) cost around $60 or so (1986 bucks). It was locked in on one channel which meant the loco it was installed in would only be addressable by that one “channel plug.” I’d MU three locos together by buying three receivers with the same channel number.

Well, that’s all history now, but I sure enjoyed it then. I bought the Digitrax “Empire Builder” system first because it was going on eBay for a good price and I won. I’ve since converted to radio control with their newest throttle, the UT4R and replaced the DB150 Command Station with the DCS Command Station. This is because of the number of cabs the 100 will host. My fleet of loco’s has grown to about 65 or greater. The 150 couldn’t host nearly that many.

Installation of decoders isn’t usually all that difficult for non-DCC-ready locos. You just have to pay attention to the color coding of the wires. I’ve installed decoders in almost every situation including earlier Athearn locos and, the hardest one of all, the Kato NW2. That NW2 required a lot of special work such as milling the chassis weight and getting a special conductive tape used in dollhouses for wiring lights. It was a job.

Good luck in your DCC adventures. I really do like your publication. Keep up the fine work.

Edwin C. Locklin
Via e-mail

Thanks, Edwin. You’re what we would call an “early adopter.” I’m sure you’ve watched DCC go from a raw notion into an operating standard. Where it goes from here depends upon us as much as the manufacturers. — Ed.

DCC Ready or Not? Ready!

To “Thinking of DCC’s” John Sipple:

Although my home is one of the 3 out of 4 U.S. homes without a computer, in this “Electronic Age” I do have a cell phone, cruise control in my computer-controlled 2002 F-250, a microwave oven, an electronic typewriter (that sometimes makes big mistakes), an electronic security system in my home, a gadget that turns my coffee maker on at 5 a.m., and remote control for my TV, DVD, and VCR. When it comes to DCC, I am your true pucker puss; it scares me.

Recently I bought a book, DCC for Morons Beginners. Although it is rather “heavy” reading, it does answer most of my questions in regard to DCC. One it does not answer is whether or not I can use my existing power packs for a power supply.

I have two MRC Control Master 20 Power Centers (5 amp output), each wired to two separated and insulated from each other, mainlines. If I “zap” the power output up to the maximum voltage, disconnect the remote cab, will this run a DCC system? In DC mode, each unit will run up to seven locomotives and I have run that many at one time.

Although I have tried to stay away from DCC for a long time, after reading your article in “Thinking of DCC” (January 2006) I have decided to venture just a little bit for now into the idea. I have read, re-read, and re-read again the article, and “Ready or Not” here I come!

In trying to model the SP’s Shasta Division with its myriad of tunnels, if I must either rewire my layout or add additional connections, I would have to virtually destroy most of the scenery I have tried so hard to make. This would turn me off.

C.F. “Chuck” Colville
Moses Lake, WA

Hi Chuck, first and most importantly, if you currently have wiring that works with DC, DCC will work on the same wiring. For all that is going on with your layout, at some point, it all boils down to a pair of wires screwed to a power pack (or to each power pack), and they can be attached to a DCC system. You can set up a switch so that one direction feeds a DC cab to your tracks and the other way feeds DCC to the tracks. That allows you to run one or the other as you see fit. Just don’t leave DC locos sitting around on DCC-powered tracks.

Second, most DCC systems are best served with AC power. Generally, you are looking for 14 to 16 volts AC, and you want around 5 amps for operation. Loy’s Toys (501-456-2888) and several other companies sell such a power supply. Some DCC systems will also accept DC power, usually 17 to 18 volts DC, again around 5 amps for operation. Check the documentation or call the company and ask. While you are at it, check out those power supplies you already have, see what maximum voltage they will put out in DC at full throttle and also how much voltage and amperage they supply to their AC terminals. If the instruction booklets don’t tell, then contact MRC directly (732-255-2100) and ask. They are nice people and they can tell you that.

Each DCC manufacturer would be glad to talk with you about your power requirements. Digitrax (770-441-7992), for example, has their PS515 Power Supply that puts out 15VAC and sells for only $49.95, but if your MRC power packs can be pressed into service, why not? Contact the friendly folks at Tony’s Train Xchange (800-978-3472) and ask them. They sell and service all sorts of DCC equipment.

How many locomotives you can operate at one time depends upon the amperage draw of each loco added together with the others. I have some HO locomotives that, when pulling a train, don’t draw more than a half amp. Some draw less but I’ve had others that drew over an amp. It depends upon grade and the train weight they pull. I’ve had 8 or 9 operating at once on a 5 amp DCC system, but they were all fairly light draws.

Finally, rest assured that “pucker puss” didn’t refer to you or any other reader who has put off going to DCC. The “pucker puss” is the model locomotive designer who doesn’t bother to include at least DCC readiness so that when you decide to switch over, it is as easy as possible. — John

Fixing Track Wiring Problems

I was asked by someone how to fix a problem with his layout. Well, I asked what is wrong with the layout. He said when he runs his locomotive around the layout it will stop in spots then he’d go over and give it a push and it would go again. He cleaned the rails and tried it again and the same thing happened. So I told him to let me come over and take a look at it. Well the problem was a rail joint. I asked him if he’d run two 14 gauge wires around the layout and he said yes, the wires are on the backside of the layout. I climbed under the layout and saw two wires under the whole layout with only one lead going to the rails.

I went back to the top of the layout and marked places for holes. After I did that I had him go around and drill an 1/8-inch hole down to the main wire. After he drilled a hole on each side of the rail I had him drill two more every three feet. After all the holes were drilled, I showed him how to hook up the wires to the rail and main line wires using a soldering gun. (If you do not know how to use a soldering gun the best way to learn is on a scrap piece of rail with the ties on it). I told him by using 18-gauge wire from the rail to the main wire it would stop all the power drops on the layout. I ran a locomotive around and we had no more problems.

The best way to wire layout is like the DCC way. I have DCC on my layout and I know a lot of people do not have DCC yet. But when you want to go DCC it is ready to go. The only thing is, if you have two or more tracks going around the layout, you will have to connect the two main line wire together for DCC. I hope that I have helped fix some wiring problems for others having the same problem. Thank you, MRN, for being there for us.

Keith Packer
Dannemora, NY

Good advice, Keith. Our MRN HO test layout has five loops (plus miscellaneous other trackage) and is powered by a single drop to each loop. Instead of having a common bus pair under the layout, this older layout was assembled by soldering most of the track joints and then using jumpers across the designated expansion joints. Each loop is wired back to a cab switch, Cab A being DCC and Cab B being straight DC. This way, I can have more than one locomotive in any phase of testing. The key issue is to not trust rail joiners to supply power to the adjacent rail. They will for a while, and then they won’t! — Ed.

Having Some “Spike”

Suggestion: When you write about a new car being introduced could you also mention the years the cars were meant to represent? Enjoyed the article on DCC (January 2005). Thank you for having enough “spike” to speak up.

Conrad Towner
Hartselle, AL

Thanks for the note, Conrad. Most of the information for new product announcements comes from the manufacturer. In reviews, our writers will typically dig out all the historical stuff we can find. We also like to call it like we see it! See the next letter. — Ed.

More About Prototype Production Eras

I have been a model railroader for 50 years — one of four who started the Pacific Southern in nearby Rocky Hill (about 90 x 35) and will be on the NMRA tour this summer. I also have a good-sized home railroad which operates every Wednesday, waybills, etc. It is a 1954 railroad, and my gripe is that most advertisers do not indicate the date for their equipment (i.e. the last year the piece of equipment was manufactured). MRN does a better job than almost anyone else. Keep up the good work and, if possible, pass my comments on to the manufacturers. Ditto for my 150 automobiles and trucks.

John F. Harper
Princeton, NJ

Thanks for the gripe, John. I think most manufacturers do not wish to restrict the market for their products by suggesting some temporal limitation. Instead, they leave it up to the modeler to care enough to check it out. When a company announces something like a PS-1 boxcar, the in-the-know modeler will probably be aware that these cars went into production after World War II, around 1947, and continued until superseded by newer designs somewhere in the sixties. Those modelers who don’t know or don’t care can run the PS-1 in a Thirties train or behind an AC4400. — Ed.

About the BLI Zephyrs

Broadway Limited’s California Zephyr, like the prototype, is a beautiful piece of work. The California Zephyr ran for 21 years and 2 days from March 20, 1949 until March 22 1970. The train operated on the Burlington-Rio Grand & Western Pacific Railroads from Chicago to Oakland, CA.

Broadway Limited has done an excellent job of recreating the train in HO scale. I purchased a complete consist. All the cars are very well detailed inside and out. All wheel sets were in gauge. Kadee couplers were the correct height and operated well on my 26-inch and 28-inch radius curves. The only operational problem encountered was the drain from the toilet in the bottom of the dome lounge, which hung too far down and caught on some switches. Yes, the underbody detail even includes the drainpipes from the restrooms!

These cars are fully lighted and lights do not flicker as the cars move, a real plus — running in the dark is fun and the lighting looks right. The Broadway cars are a great model of a great train. Maybe a Northern Pacific North Coast Limited, SP Sunset Limited, or their namesake P.R.R’s Broadway Limited will come from Broadway Limited. We can hope.

Cliff. W. West
Rainier, OR

We review those cars this month, Cliff, and we agree with you. They do a wonderful job of replicating the stainless steel and details large and small. We appreciate your mini-review. And we’re hoping for other trains, as well. — Ed.