Couplers and DCC

[Anonymous]

Hello all,
I'm new the DCC stuff. I just installed 4 Decoders. 1 with syncro Diesel sound in a twin motor DD40, AWESOME! I was wiring the lights and was wondering if I could use one function channel to control an electromagnet coupler? Is there such a thing? It would be really cool to be able to couple and uncouple at the touch of a function button. If anyone knows of such a contraption please let me know. In the meantime I'm going to experiment with some electromagnets and see what I can do. Thanks!

Tab

[cacole]

Tony's Train Exchange (http://www.tonystrains.com) offers a DCC controlled coupler called the DDC (Direct Digital Coupler?) -- but it is very expensive and only a novelty item, in my opinion.

[rrinker]

There is also a how-to on making your own on *** Bronson's web site at http://www.rr-cirkits.com

But yeah, unless you equip at least every other car with such a device, the use is rather limited.

--Randy

[dano99a]

While DCC couplers are nice but I still think that we as model railroaders are getting a little too relaxed.

A conductor doesn't have a button to pu***o un-couple a car 40 cars back. Never has. You can still catch the yard crews and the conductors out there connecting brake hoses, and lining up those couplers before tellin the engineer to backup a little, and when they are uncoupling they still get out walk back to the car, take the pins out of the couplers and kick them to knock them loose from each other. Sound like a lot of work?, sure, but that's all the fun of working on the railroad. [:)]

But, of course, if your more a "drive the train" kind of person then switching may not be your favorite thing and then enters the DCC coupler that Tony's has. I heard it works "OK" but as stated above it is kind of a novelty.

Have fun, that's the most important thing to remember.

[Anonymous]

I bought a Digital Direct Couplers kit. It is no quick, plug in kit. I'm not sure when I can get around to it ..... a couple of weeks maybe. And I'll write back with a very un-professional, unscientific review of it.

I bought the kit for fun. My entire layout is switching, and I have a couple of ideas of how I'm going to use it. Again, I bought it just to try something different.

Jim