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Hi guys,

I have recently decided to make the switch over to 2 rail, actually about a year ago.  I am in the process of converting all my 3 rail cars, which is really no problem.  All of the engines that I own are MTH Proto 2, or Proto 3.  I know that the Proto 3 engines are AC or DC, and can be controlled either with DCS or a DCC controller.  My question is can I use DCS with my proto 2 engines on a 2 rail track using DC power or AC power, or only DC?  Should I wait until I can upgrade all my engines to Proto 3, which will be expensive I'm sure.  I consider myself a pretty decent modeler, and have no problem fixing the pilots or scratchbuilding anything I need, but when it comes to electronics I'm pretty dumb.  Any info or advice will be much appreciated.

 

-Paul

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Most 2-railers I know are either DC or DCC.   DCS developed as a 3 rail product for toy trains and did not make much penetration in the traditional 2 rail market.  I know a lot of recent converts are familiar with it.

 

My opinion is you run only one control system.   Just for safety sake of not damaging electronics.   But if you want to run two, put a master switch (or a group of them) that will change the power system from one to the other.   That way you can't have both on the track at the same time.

There is no problem running all types of DCS (5 Volt PS-2;  3 Volt PS-2, PS-3) with AC on 2 rail track using the DCS control system

 

PS 2 is polarity sensitive, so you will have to put a reversing switch in the locomotive, and if you have reversing loops or turntables put revresing switches in those as well.

 

PS 3 can run with either polarity.

 

PS-3, but NOT PS-2 can also be controlled with DCC.

 

Use standard "Star Wiring" techniques, but I found better signal response if I feed the blocks from the ends, rather than the center.

Thanks for your input Jim, and John.  I do not own any control system yet, as I have not yet decided which way to go, nor do I have a layout yet.  Hopefully, that will happen within a year or so.  I'm just wondering which general direction I should head.  Btw my plan is to have a point to point modern era layout, so there would not be any reversing loops or turntable.

 

-Paul

 

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