I've got a 5'9" x 10'8" HO layout in the early stages...framing built, marking track layout and prepping for cookie cutter cuts and adding elevations so soon will be laying cork roadbed and trackage. That will take awhile as well as adding Tortoises to 15 turnouts. The layout will be basically 2 reversing loops with a connection, a parallel track that allows continuous running w/o reversing, a passing track and 2 yards.
The details are not critical to the question...do you recommend trying out the trackage on DC or jumping straight to DCC? I will definitely go DCC and have no electrical or locos yet. If testing first with DC I would need to get an inexpensive powerpack and loco (maybe a loco to be converted). Any input is appreciated as it's a pro's and con's issue. Thanks.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
I see no reason to test it with DC first. What would that accomplish?
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
The layout will work on DC or DCC. How well for DCC? Time will tell.
Now the rub, track joiners can be poor conductors of power at times. Do you have enough feeders?
What size wire did you use or the buss, feeders?
How many locos will you run? Sound locos?
Do you plan to take DCC power from the rails for accessories?
I am sure others will have comments and questions.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I'm mainly interested in whether simple DC wiring to more quickly (w/o all feeders, relying more on rail joiners/etc) is a better way to debug track issues after it's initially laid. I noted that the MR guys did this on the Virginian layout to get mechanical issues identified before diving into the full DCC details. If a much better approach (than finding mechnical problems not until getting into DCC full wiring and learning curve), then I would do the DC debugging first and only then proceed to add more feeders for DCC, and get the DCC system going (including learning how to set it up and set a loco up, etc).
I've got lots of info I've accumulated regarding appropriate buss and feeder wire size, etc. I plan to lean towards powering each piece of track, exceptions being where joiners are soldered, w/o soldering too many joiners so as not to allow track expansion room. A big remaining question for my 15 Walthers Shinohare code 83 turnouts is whether to jumper or feeder conect the stock rail extensions from the closure rail joint (I do plan to power the frogs via the Tortoise). I will not power accessories from the rails, nor operate non-loco items (e.g., Tortoises) from the DCC.
No "right" answer here, so I'm interested in advice from experienced folks before deciding on my strategy.
My first 'testing' was an oval of Bachmann EZ Track while I was planning my previous layout. I used this to convert and test locos while building the layout. As soon as I had some track down on the actual layout, I clip-leaded the Zephyr on and started running trains back and forth ont he completed portion of the track. As more track was added, I was immediately test running trains on it, until it was all completed.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
peahrens ....The layout will be basically 2 reversing loops with a connection, a parallel track that allows continuous running w/o reversing, a passing track and 2 yards. The details are not critical to the question...do you recommend trying out the trackage on DC or jumping straight to DCC?
....The layout will be basically 2 reversing loops with a connection, a parallel track that allows continuous running w/o reversing, a passing track and 2 yards.
The details are not critical to the question...do you recommend trying out the trackage on DC or jumping straight to DCC?
The 2 reversing loops are a key in my recommendation. On a small HO layout, continuous running through reversing loops using DC can be rather frustrating, and is pretty difficult to automate the polarity reversals. Using auto-reversers in DCC makes this style of operation much simpler. Also the wiring is slightly different for reversing loops in DC and DCC.
Put together, unless you have a real reason to use DC, go ahead with DCC from the start.
I use DC at home because I don't have reversing loops, and because I prefer to tune and test my kit built or remotored locomotives on DC.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
I have a DCC layout, but I keep some spare track and a DC power pack on hand to test DC locos before I add DCC decoders.
That way, if there are any problems with the start/stop, forward/reverse, and/or the lights, I know that before installing the decoder.
In your case, I agree with the others to start building your layout in DCC, but keep some track and a small DC power pack on hand to test DC locos before installing decoders.
Alton Junction
There are pros and cons for either choice. If you are building a layout that is intended to be DCC, they you may as well test it with DCC. But then again it seems to me from your post that what you are really concerned about is not so much the electrical performance of the track as the mechanical performance of the track? In which case it really does not matter. Take your longest anticipated freight and passenger cars and your least tolerant loco and test with them, be it DC or DCC.
If you don't have DCC yet, then test with a cheap DC power pack. Save your pennies for the not inexpensive track and switches, but get the fun and satisfaction of running wheels on rails as the track plan develops. Also, if you hold off with the DCC for a while, who knows what new stuff might come along?
The main thing, and it appears you have a handle on it, is to wire a bullet-proof solution. I use a radio shack buzzer in series with a battery and a pair of alligator clips on the rails to make sure I don't accidentally wire a feeder to the wrong bus. The www.wiringfordcc.com had this and many other tips that I found helpful.
For what it is worth I wired and tested with DC before going DCC about a year into the project.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
Since you have no DC equipment at all, you'd might as well start with a DCC system and locomotive. If nothing else, connecting it up and starting to run your first test trains will help you get familiar with DCC in general and your chosen system in particular.
When I started my layout, I still had old childhood trains. I started laying track and connected up the old powerpack, and ran test engines in professional, workmanlike manner. Then, I got my DCC system and tried that. The professional workmanlike manner was replaced by a smile like an 8-year-old kid, and it's been that way ever since.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I'm with Phoebe Vet, i see no cons to going right to DCC. Setting up the reversing loops is extra work for DC and simply using autoreversers is easy for DCC. Nothing to be gained except extra work and some expense to go to DC first
I will also add to my previous ststement, when I started buildign my current layout about 2 years ago, it NEVER has had DC connected to it - all testing fromt he get-go was with DCC, since I already had multiple locos with decoders installed. In fact I only recently picked up a Railpower 370 DC power pack because I THOUGHT I would need to do a bunch of DC tunign and troubleshootign with the brass loco I just bought - but to my surprise it was already remotored AND had a decoder installed! Well, now I have one should I even need it.