I am building a large n scale layout the room is 14 foot by 13 foot it will be wall to wall some access holes, it is going to have 4 lines each line will have two maybe three dcc engines on each line what would be a good dcc controller and will i need a booter also?
There are many good DCC systems and you will get a lot of opinions.
If you plan to have operating sessions or go to others layouts to operate, find out what everyone else has, this way you can take your controller and use it on their layout. That was the first question the dealer I bought from asked me.
As for booster power, it will depend on the system you get. I have an 8'x14' layout planned and showed the plan to the dealer. He said the NCE Pro Cab would provide plenty of power. Since you are talking about running up to 12 locomotives, I suspect you will need some boosters. Power districts, whether with one power source or several will help you determine where shorts are occurring. On a layout with as many lines as you plan a district for each line would probably be a wise idea.
Find out what is used in your area, read up on several systems, discuss it with your dealer, then decide.
Good luck,
Richard
The Digitrax Super Empire Builder is a five amp system that will be able to supply enough power for your needs. Be sure you have auxiliary circuit breaker protection for each of the lines (power districts) and don't rely on the circuit breaker in the booster. Digitrax and NCE are the top two systems. It would be good if you could find someone to let you operate with their system, but whichever one you choose you will be happy. I prefer Digitrax and have never used NCE so I am a little biased.