Electrofrog?

[duttonbay]

With DC there is no need to wire the sidings at all as the points provide the isolation.
I am talking about the wires needed to be soldered to the rails. You need less with DC than you do with DCC.

There is no need to wire dead-end sidings in DCC either. I have seen a number of layouts which rely on on the points to provide a feed to such sidings. However most people (or at least most people I know) attach a wire to every piece of rail. This avoids poor performance due to fishplates not conducting properly, and could be considered good practice in either DC or DCC.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

However most people (or at least most people I know) attach a wire to every piece of rail. This avoids poor performance due to fishplates not conducting properly, and could be considered good practice in either DC or DCC.

I agree, fixed layouts can be a pain to get under to fix, and portable ones are more likely to fail due to vibration etc. Its one less thing to think about if a train won't move.

[B.Meldon]

There is no need to wire dead-end sidings in DCC either. I have seen a number of layouts which rely on on the points to provide a feed to such sidings. However most people (or at least most people I know) attach a wire to every piece of rail. This avoids poor performance due to fishplates not conducting properly, and could be considered good practice in either DC or DCC.

The only fishplates I have ever known to fail were the ones on the point blades of the pre-2010 Peco 009 points.
Because of this on one layout we soldered bridging wires on every point. But this is somewhat overkill and it has not been necessary on any other layout!

However, I also have soldered links across expansion joints and every point frog is fed via a frog polarity switch.

That said all my layouts have a solid 1/4 (6mm) plywood track bed with the track pinned down and all the rails pre-bent for the curves, so even on the portable layouts there is very if any little movement apart from expansion with changes in temperature.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

I also like to have locos moving about in a siding if I can while somethin is moving on the main line. It takes some people by surprise :-)

[Graeme Dunbar]

One school of thought, popular in the early days of DCC was to use the rails at the power bus around the layout and use it to power not only the locomotives but 'accessories' such as turnout actuators, signals and track circuit (train) detectors, all powered and controlled via the DCC signal on the rails. Hence the need for electrical continuity around the layout without 'dead' sections.

It is perhaps a less popular approach than it was, especially with large layouts where splitting the layout into 'power districts' is sometimes even often advocated.

Another use of DCC power in stock that is not moving is coach lighting (which may have its own decoders and not just be on permanently), brake van tail lights and indeed locomotive lights. Ditto locomotive sound (a plague on all at exhibitions who generate a racket  ;) )

Either way, DCC or DC, dead or live frogs I think the consensus is that live frogs are better for 009, especially where short wheelbase locos and limited number of wheels for pickup are concerned.

[duttonbay]

One school of thought, popular in the early days of DCC was to use the rails at the power bus around the layout and use it to power not only the locomotives but 'accessories' such as turnout actuators, signals and track circuit (train) detectors, all powered and controlled via the DCC signal on the rails. Hence the need for electrical continuity around the layout without 'dead' sections.

The problem with powering turnout actuators via the DCC bus is that if you get a short from running into a trailing turnout set the wrong way, everything stops. You can't fix the problem by changing the turnout, because the DCC system is shutdown waiting for the short to clear. The cure becomes the five-fingered shunt.

[Stephen Rainsbury]

It is perhaps a less popular approach than it was, especially with large layouts where splitting the layout into 'power districts' is sometimes even often advocated.

I agree, but for Micro Layouts, especially "planks"  it can significantly simplify wiring in a small space  ;)

Another use of DCC power in stock that is not moving is coach lighting (which may have its own decoders and not just be on permanently), brake van tail lights and indeed locomotive lights. Ditto locomotive sound (a plague on all at exhibitions who generate a racket  ;) )

I would love to add sound, but to me it sounds like a small train close up, not a big one far away, but I think I might have a go with caricature diesels just to say that I tried it (See Father Ted for a better explanation ;D )

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

Another use of DCC power in stock that is not moving is coach lighting (which may have its own decoders and not just be on permanently), brake van tail lights.....

What good low-friction reliable power collection wheel/bogie/pickup arrangements for are recommended for 009?  I have some good metal wheelsets that I have bridged with resisters for occupancy detection, but I have not yet brought power up into rolling stock.

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

I haven't found anyone that does a reliable, simple and fool-proof set of contacts for 9mm gauge wheel sets yet - let me know if you find one

Thanks Iain!!  I hope we or someone does find something good.

[B.Meldon]

I haven't found anyone that does a reliable, simple and fool-proof set of contacts for 9mm gauge wheel sets yet - let me know if you find one

Thanks Iain!!  I hope we or someone does find something good.

Powered wheels are easy, but contacts for unpowered wheels are very difficult indeed in 009. It is all about how light the coaches and vans are. Too much pressure on the contacts and the wheels just do not turn, not enough and they start to lose contact. Even with exactly the right pressure they become dirty very quickly and stop working. Methods like using split axles with pickup through the end pivot bearings are about the best way, but even these tens to get dirty quickly. But these require special wheels, axles, and end pivot bearings. Another way is to use axle sets that are insulated on one side with the contact on the axle, but obviously two axles are needed for pick up from both rails. The new Greenwich wheels are like this with one side live the other insulated.

[Graeme Dunbar]

If you are tempted to make pickups for yourself, slightly springy wire or thin strip such as phosphor bronze is often used. Making contact with the back of the wheel rather than the tread might be better for not getting dirty so quickly and also applying less torque. The rolling stock will need sufficient weight so the wheels 'grip' the rail sufficiently and rotate rather than skate.

There is a nice illustration of making pickups in Nigel Lawton's instructions for his kits:

http://www.nigellawton009.com/20HP_WD_Simplex.html

http://www.nigellawton009.com/20HP_WD_Simplex_build_instructions_V23l.pdf

http://www.nigellawton009.com/files/MPD18_V3.1_Instructions_-_5-6mm_wheelsets.pdf