[MichaelE]

In anticipation of my new Swiss locomotive arriving and having completed the trackwork in my new DB yard, I wired up the new programming track today for my Powercab.

I unscrewed the red and black leads from the connector that goes into the fascia panel and wired two more wires to an insulated section of track going into the engine house.

Several inches of wire from the connector I wired a DPDT toggle switch.

This turns off power to the layout but keeps the section of track into the engine house live so I can program on it.

Now I don't have to remove six locomotives from the track when the new one arrives next week.

 

[Riggzie]

sweet!!!!
some day ill get there.. right now I have an 0 gauge laying on my floor... an HO track in box just no time to set it all up.. wife wants me to work on the house to ready it to sell and move. I am all for it as I now know I want a larger basement for trains!!!!! hah

 

[65446]

I may be wrong, but, instead of inconveniently turning the whole RR off (where you might want to let train/trains run on their own) and turning on the program track, why not have the Prog trk isolated (2 gaps), the engine on it still factory default address 3, give it a new number and all the other features you want on it, then roll it past the gaps and you're done ?
I admit I might be ignoring something about this, that is not doable or that it's essentially the same as, say, 'programming on the main'. :smokin:

 

[MichaelE]

That's not possible with NCE Powercab. The program track is isolated with dual insulated joiners. The programming track is hot all of the time no matter if in regular operation or Program Track mode.

Program on Main does not allow you to see what the CV values are and using the programming track does not allow you to run other trains without corrupting the programming of the other locomotives.

There is no programming track-out on the Powercab.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Hmm this actually gives me an idea for my own layout plan. I have a short maintenance track that I wanted to use as a programming track, except there's that little issue where the locos don't actually move on the programming track. Seems like I could use a DPDT switch to flip between mainline and programming connections to that section, so I could set a loco on the track, flip the switch, and reset the DCC settings as needed.

 

[videobruce]

Since this is relarted to my question;

I know it can be done (sort of), but this has to do with an existing older layout that has three power blocks, but no programming track. This isn't mine, I'm tiring to help out a fellow MRR that isn't familiar with DCC. The layout is kinda large, it's HO scale in his basement. He has Digitrax system and his locos are 20 or so years old (Proto 2000, Broadway Limited & Life Like) , originally equipped with DCC decoders, if any of that matters. Most of his power AFAIK were never programmed or are programed wrong.

If all the locos are removed from one power block segment (assuming both rails are gapped), would that be ok to program a DCC equipped loco?

Lastly, I have little experience with DCC, the above is assuming that will change shortly.

 

[Lemonhawk]

I use a DPDT switch to switch between programing and normal DCC. On my small layout its on the main line. You can do the same with NCE, in fact I believe NCE actually makes a switch just for this.

 

[MichaelE]

They do make a digital switch that will allow a programming track.

I found it more cost effective to do it my way.