DCC Concepts make the model railway construction so much simpler, I started changing DIY systems to DCC systems a couple of years ago and found them amazing.
Thank you for another great informative video showcasing this interesting product line. Functional signals do add additional visual appeal to a layout, as well as enhance the operational realism. These products appear to greatly simply installation of dwarf signals.
This is a great video,, but unfortunately since Larry couldn't see the heads, he was describing the displays for straight while the turnout was curved and showed different displays and vice versa. So you kind of have to take what he says first and apply it to after he throws the switch and vice versa.
Thanks again for this very informative video, Larry. The square shape of these dwarf signals make it a Dead ringer for model transit use. (This, in many cases, if the green led can be swiped out for a yellow led). However; I'm wondering whether or not, these could be manufactured as stackable, multi-head signals, for displaying conditions, across control multiple turnouts. Their small size are excellent for HO scale. Yes; I understand the, as is simplicity, of this type of installation. (You may remember back in the early 70s... Walthers manufactured single, and multiple dwarf square signal heads, that were stackable. Walthers discontinued This square style, many many years ago. They were advertised as HO scale, but were actually closer to O scale in size. I haven't seen model HO scale, square dwarf signals, that are stackable, anywhere recently). Anyway, Great Work, Larry!
Hi Larry, great video and stuff information. I have a doubt about the necessity to use the board with the Tortoise switch machine to turn the dwarf signal light from green to red and vice versa (when the turn out is changed) is it not more simple to use the contacts of the Tortoise and connect the leds to it (there are different forms to connect them) and I'm sure you have explained that in other videos.
Well you could do that but you would need to use both the included switches which means you could not use them to power route the frog. In addition you’d have to wire up a separate power source of the right voltage or use dropping resistors, etc. Not exactly the quick and easy plug and play approach that DCC Concepts designed. So if you have the time and knowledge to do all that then yes you can do it, but if time is more limited than money or you have 10 thumbs when it comes to electronics then the DCC Concepts approach is more efficient.
@@TheDCCGuy Larry, you are 100% right. For a plug-n-play system, this will work very well and that is the video intention. Happy to see you're videos all the time and keep going.
I just added some mast type three color signals to my layout and am using Model Train Technology detectors and controllers. LEDs of different colors usually require individual potentiometers to achieve equal brightness and MTT provides this capability with their systems while this system just provides a single adjustment which may not achieve that. Plus, it seems to me that real railroads would have any signals facing in both directions instead of just one direction. Just a thought.
As I said a couple of times actual practices vary with the actual railroads, this was just a demo of how the product works. It is up to each modeler to decide how to implement it on their layout. I also showed the 3-socket extension board that allows two signals to be installed in opposite directions, did you not watch the whole thing?
@@TheDCCGuy Yes, I did but there was no indication that was what you were going to do, and would the signals be the same for the opposite direction if you chose to do that? I understand this was just a demo of the product. My original thought was this type of signal was mainly used to show which way a switch was thrown. Was I wrong in that?
Depends on the prototype and their specific practices for the location. On the Southern they followed a right hand running rule religiously. Consequently there would be no need for signals facing opposite directions on double tracked sections. Single tracks were handled differently since there would be bidirectional traffic flow. Yards could have bidirectional traffic flow or not depending on how they were operated. Signaling can get very complicated even on one railroad so you need to either do your research if you want to be exact or develop a compromise system that covers the basics. A full blown prototype signal system may be more than many operators care to keep up with. Some layout owners send orders by telegraph to agents for train crews but life is too short for learning Morse code IMHO.
@@TheDCCGuy Morse code used to be one of those things a boy would learn in early adolescence, well, just because it was there and it was a neat thing to know. But that was then...
Prototypes notwithstanding, it's mighty helpful while working a yard to have a visual indication of a turnout's alignment that you can see from afar, for all 3 of its legs. "Did I remember to close that switch or not?"
I haven't checked the prices but I predict DCC Concepts will sell as many of these as they care to make. Now if only they did it for PRR-style position signals...
The DCC Concepts signals are amazingly cheap. A 12 pack with a control board is just under £100. Matt at Absolute Aspects is making some PRR dwarf signals for me: they look very good but as a one off commission they are of course considerably more expensive.
Well… it depends. On most northeastern railroads, that would be a slow clear since it’s a dwarf signal. But if it were set up to solely indicate the position of a switch, it would be a “proceed indication.”
Well if there is a way to set up a reversing DC supply in the 12-18VDC range then you could power them just like with a Tortoise switch machine as I will show in my video scheduled for 1AM tomorrow. I guess I will need to break down and take a closer look at how the servos controls work. What system are you using? I’ll also ask DCC Concepts whether they have plans to add a servo controller interface board and one for solenoids which are still popular in the UK.
Thank you for these videos. Any good sources for DCC Concepts in the US? Looks like Pacific Western lists every product as "coming soon" and anything else seems to come from the UK so shipping is more than the product.
@@TheDCCGuy thank you - that place is an IP Digital gold mine! Looks like they have everything but the ground switch lights and boards though, I will email them.
I was looking for a micro switch that I could attach directly to the throw bar on Peco n scale turnouts. Do you know of any DPDT micro switch suppliers? Thanks
I wondered if that was possibly the reason. I like them a lot and they can also be used with Tortoises with a little extra wiring, however DCCconcepts expects shipments of iP Digitals switch machines soon.
I would like to add signaling lights on my layout. However I have atlas turnouts. Would you have a suggestion on how to do that? Or would I need to switch out all my turnouts? I’ve looked at your channel and refer to your videos often. Thanks for all your support videos. They really help us that are new to the hobby. I took your suggestion on trying QSnaps to electronically control my atlas turnouts, however I can’t seem to get them to work. They throw, but won’t return .
Any electrical supplier has them, just look for momentary contact pushbuttons. I probably got these from All Electronics but could have gotten them from, NCE, Jameco, Digikey, Mouser, etc.
I ran this by tech support at DCC Concepts and they confirmed it will not work directly with the AC power used for the Atlas Snap Switches. He did suggest that one could cobble up a circuit triggered by the Atlas switch machine that would use a relay to switch power to the signal board and control the LEDs. Is that something you would be interested in doing or is it more complicated than you would want to introduce?