Why add DCC decoder to Atlas Track Cleaning car?

[rogergperkins]

I have puzzled over this question because I have the Atlas Track Cleaning car. I do not understand if I need to
have a decoder installed to use it with a dcc decoder locomotive.

I have seen posts explaining that persons have added a dcc decoder in the car.
I do not understand the advantage of adding the decoder.

I tested my car on my "program track" to determine if the vacuum runs, and found that it does.
Now I am wondering if I pulled or pushed it on the layout with a DCC decoder locomotive if this would cause a
problem for the cleaning car or locomotive.
Thanks.

[Bob Horn]

Roger, I have been running one on "00" for about 6 years with no problems. Bob.

[pnolan48]

No problem for the loco, but the poor car just runs and runs and runs, as there is constant voltage on the track. Hence a decoder lets you turn it on and off, and probably modulates the voltage a bit as well. I used to just shut things down, put one on the track in a train, then turn the power back on. Clumsy, but workable.

BTW, the old ones were pretty good testers of whether your track was clean. They wouldn't run when the track was really dirty even though some heavy diesels would.

[bill pearce]

Beware. If the track voltage is too high, you might smoke the motor.

[TiVoPrince]

Personally 
I like the ability to control the cleaners motor speed independently.  Since I used a decoder with malfunctioned F0F/F0R and F1 lighting I did eventually purpose F2 as a flashing uber bright LED on the roof to be able to easily follow exactly where it is while being dragged along...

[Denver Road Doug]

Personally 
I like the ability to control the cleaners motor speed independently.  Since I used a decoder with malfunctioned F0F/F0R and F1 lighting I did eventually purpose F2 as a flashing uber bright LED on the roof to be able to easily follow exactly where it is while being dragged along...

This, plus a lot of people turn off the ability to use "00".

[havingfuntoo]

It comes down to how long you want your car to last for? These units are designed to run on up to 12 volts. Running it on a DCC layout is putting a lot more volts through it than it was designed for. Chipping the unit is an easy way of protecting it, it also gives you control over it but I personally have so far seen little need for this control.   

[rogergperkins]

Thank you for the input.  I run the Atlas track cleaning car in vacuum mode only periodically to clean all the mainline.
After the cleaning it goes back off line.
I still have the option of running my entire layout with locomotives that do not have dcc decoders installed and thus
can push or pull the cleaning car in that manner as I have since day one of receiving it.

[Bob Horn]

For what it is worth, my DCC track voltage is 11.7V. The cleaning car performes just like running a non decodered loco on DCC, address "00", change the speed with  the throttle. Most of the time it is operated at about 50% throttle. Bob.

[bc6]

I wanted the challenge of installing a decoder in a Tomix track cleaning car. 

[u18b]

To me, the answer is easy. 

1.  I want to be able to totally control the cleaner.

-- turn it off and on when I want
-- run the vacuum high and the loco slow

2.  If you run on decoder setting 00, why not install a decoder.  Personally, I have had the experience of a loco motor have a pole burn out.  Others may have good success with 00, but I refuse to trust it.  The decoder is absurdly easy to install.

TCS Z2 is tiny.    This installation was made with the larger M1.
http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Tomix/Track%20Car/N_Tomix_Track_Car.pdf

[eric220]

I decodorized mine for several of the reasons already mentioned.  I want on/off/speed control, even if it's not crucial.  I don't trust the 00 setting; putting AC voltage across a DC motor just has "bad juju" written all over it, IMHO.  Installing the decoder was very simple.  One that hasn't been mentioned yet, I plan to use the lighting outputs to put a beacon on the roof where the speed selector used to be.

Now I just have to get those rapido couplers swapped out...

[rogergperkins]

Thanks again. I am convinced by what I have read, that I SHOULD NOT run the cleaning car when operating the layout in DCC mode.
It appears that the installation of a decoder has been worked out, and thus I could take the photos to some one who installs decoders and hire them
to install it.
I do not see from inspecting my own Atlas Track Cleaning Car, how the shell is removed to access the area for decoder installation.

Let us see if I understand how one actually operates a DCC locomotive to pull the cleaning car, and the cleaning car.
From what I have read each has its unique DCC address, cleaning car motor speed is adjusted and cleaning car connected to DCC locomotive and it selected and over track to be cleaned.

[cgw]

The dcc  signal out to the tack is not AC voltage.  Put a scope on the outputs and look at it.   it is a pulsed dc signal.  It ranges from 0 volts to the the outputs upper voltage  The upper voltage is detrmined by which brand of dcc hradware and the power supply feeding it.  Not all dcc units put out 12volts to the track.  digitrax you can select the voltage by the scale setting, and if you know what you are doing you can poke in the innerds of the command station and adjust a pot to get finer control.  On a nce unit you you need to adjust a pot inside the command station's  booster section to control the output voltage max. The  atlas/ lenz compact system with the power supply that was sold with the unit  would output 17 volts to the track.  you need a diode array to drop the voltage down for n scale.  The tomix/ atlas track cleaner has a circuit on board that has a capacitor and some diodes on it.  When you install a decoder on board  remove those from the cicuit board.  Do a quick search on the net and you will find several good instructions on how to install a decoder in the tomix units.  I have converted  four of these units over to dcc and haven't look back or regretted it.  The decodes I used were the cheapest ones I had at the time.   

Take care
Stu

[rogergperkins]

Stu, I looked at one of the dcc conversions with posted photos which I located with a search via Google.
It is from Ron Bearden, if I understand is notes, the decoder he selected was too tall.
What is the decoder option that would need no trimming?
Thanks.