dcc

[cudaken]

  GT, can you post the a PIC of the 500? and what year?

 Now, back on topic. I am going to guess you have nothing to start with as far as power. Here is a little list of power iteams you will need for DC and or DCC.

 $40.00 DC power supply apx cost of MRC 2500, will handel 2 engines with no problems.

 $9.00 switches to control the spurs that none used engines will sit on.

 $50.00 total apx. For $50.00 you can run one train with up to 3 engines pulling it.

 DCC

 $70.00 Bachmann E-Z

 $25.00 APX for each decoder you add to a engine. So that can get way up there depending on your fleet. Lets say 3 engines.

 $145.00

 For that extra $95.00 you can run 3 trains at the same time with out running into each other. You could run two main lines on a 4 X 8 one going one way and the other the other way. Plus a little swithching action in the center.

 Your GT 500, you can do well in the 1320, and run well on a road course, that is DCC, more flexablity. DC is like a 63 Super Stock Dodge, your eyes will bleed going straight, make a quick turn and its dead mans curve. More you can do, more fun you will have.

 One last thing, then I will shut up. This hobby is much like HP Cars, you will wind up wanting more. More that likely you did not get the GT 500 when you where 16, so you started your quest for faster and better. I got my 68 Road Runner from Mon and Dad when I was 17 and I thought it was fast till I got waxed by a W-30 by Dr Olds. Hum, it now has a 63 426 Super Stock Dodge motor, my Charger in the icon, did I really need a GMC 6-71 on top of the 440? Samething with trains, it can become a sickness. 

 Time to paint a tunnel portal. Have fun and post a PIC, I like to look.

                      Cuda Ken 

  

[Vail and Southwestern RR]

 im just got into the model trains hobby and im going to be making a 4x8 ho layout with 2 or 3 trains and i want to get a dcc controler so i can run the trains without having them all run at the same time but i dont know much about dcc so i dont want to spend alot on something i dont need so can anyone help me out with some recommendations?

Quite frankly  I did  know were you were going with this.  My responce was tongue-in-cheek.

But my point still stands. You do not really need DCC to run 2 or 3 trains on a 4 X 8. You can do just fine with DC and a few SPST switches to turn off track sections you don't need or were your engines are sitting.  DCC and 2 or 3 trains still means a Command Station, 2 or 3 decoders to buy/install or purchase DCC locos.

Unless the electronics of it all are really calling to you, you don't need it.

Robby P.  You still have to take car of " bad connections " as they will cause you more grief in DCC than DC.

DCC is great (from someone who has just about all the Digitrax nic naks: DCS100, Zephyr, DT400, PM42, BDL168, SE8C, DS54, LB USB, JMRI). But you sort of wonder if it is overkill for 4 x 8 and couple of trains.

I'll will admit that it isn't clear what shlbygt wants, but if we wants to operate more than one train at a time, especially on a small layout, DCC is really a good choice.  And not a lot more expensive, and much easier to wire.  If he only wants to run one train, and wants every other loco to be stationary, then DC could be fine. 

In general, I really disagree with the part I bolded.  I think DCC is at it's best on a small layout with a couple trains!

[UpNorth]

 im just got into the model trains hobby and im going to be making a 4x8 ho layout with 2 or 3 trains and i want to get a dcc controler so i can run the trains without having them all run at the same time but i dont know much about dcc so i dont want to spend alot on something i dont need so can anyone help me out with some recommendations?

Quite frankly  I did  know were you were going with this.  My responce was tongue-in-cheek.

But my point still stands. You do not really need DCC to run 2 or 3 trains on a 4 X 8. You can do just fine with DC and a few SPST switches to turn off track sections you don't need or were your engines are sitting.  DCC and 2 or 3 trains still means a Command Station, 2 or 3 decoders to buy/install or purchase DCC locos.

Unless the electronics of it all are really calling to you, you don't need it.

Robby P.  You still have to take car of " bad connections " as they will cause you more grief in DCC than DC.

DCC is great (from someone who has just about all the Digitrax nic naks: DCS100, Zephyr, DT400, PM42, BDL168, SE8C, DS54, LB USB, JMRI). But you sort of wonder if it is overkill for 4 x 8 and couple of trains.

[shlbygt500]

 First welome, second is that a GT 500 or a KR GT 500? Being a car guy I need to know. You will know my taste by looking at my ICON and my screen name. I rode in a friends KR-500, we got into it with a LS-7 Vet. Boy that Vet sure seemed slow after 70 MPH.

 Anyway here is a copy and paste of an answer I gave a few days ago.

 "Justaboutgeese, at this point I am sure Tom (T-Stage) is sorry he sold me his old E-Z Command. I am still a big fan of the simple system, it is running 3 main lines as I miss spell! $175.00 is way high for a E-Z. On E-bay you should find them for around $57.00 or so. At one point before I went DCC I was worried about the driffrent systems F fuctions. They run driffrent lighting and sound options, some of my Engines have up to 28 F fuctions. More than a few people asked me if I want to push buttons or run trains? Well, run trains. Most allso stated they hardly used anything over F-9, E-Z can do that.

 One draw back is sort of a plus. You cannot change CV's! No, you cannot change the sound level, starting speed or other iteams. On the other hand, you cannot hit the wrong botton either and mess up the CV's!  

 I did up grade with a MRC Power Station 8 Amp power booster, for only $120.00 I now have the power to run as many trains I can fit on the apx 175 feet of main lines. 

 I will up grade to a Zepher for only one reason, I will soon want radio control. With the 8 Amp booster I don't have to worry about the Zepher 2.5 amp power supply. That was the main thing that keept me from buying the Zepher, was 2.5 amps going to power everthing?

 For a start a $60.00 Bachmann E-Z is hard to beat."

 Answers to the questions I may have cause.

 Power Booster, think of it like a blower. Gives you more power. Smaller layout and 3 engines should do fine with the Bachmann E-Z command.

 I all ready explain in the copy and paste about F-fuctions. If you have questions we will answer.

 CV's vaules, in car turms, I use a MSD box inside the car so I can control the timing. Something like that.

                  Keeping it simple again Cuda Ken 

thank you for the info and it is a GT 500 

[shlbygt500]

Upnorth, 

I think he means that he can have them all sitting on the layout but choose which train he wants to operate, without the others running, too.  (Assuming the OP has just one big block.)

Here's a thread that you many want to take time to peruse at your leisure:

FORUM CLINIC: Picking the best DCC system

It's actually in the same forum as this thread.

Tom

you are correct i want all of the trains on the track and i choose the one i want to run while the others are stoped 

[cudaken]

 Robby, you can run 3 engines, up to 9 engines at the same time with the E-Z. But, over engines 3 at the same time a power booster would help. I have ran up to 4 at the sametime and you could tell the Bachmann E-Z was at it limts. All of 4 of them where BLI steam engines with sound. So yes, you can run sound engines with the E-Z.

 As far as hooking it up, just as simple as your current DC controler. Took me a whole 45 seconds to hook mine up.

 Far as the one you are watching, with $72.00 with shipping it is a OK deal. I think the MSRP is around $120.00, retail at my LHS is $99.99. I have seen them go for around $65.00 with shipping. Question is do you want to waite to save $5.00 to $12.00?

            Cuda Ken 

 

[selector]

I am inexperienced with any system out there except for the Digitrax Super Empire Builder with the DT400 throttle.  No, I would strongly suggest you do not buy the Super Empire Builder for a number of reasons, but for now the biggest problem is that it provides enough power to run a household (not really, but way more than you need for three trains).

I do want to mention the remarkable DT400 throttle.  You get the one hand-held paddle, but it actually comes with two encoder knobs, or what are really two throttles in whichever hand you use to hold it.  Your other hand can twiddle either knob and run two trains simultaneously.  I am unaware of another throttle out there that has that nifty feature.  So, you could perhaps get a Digitrax Zephyr, their starter system, and you can expand it so that it becomes even more powerful and capable.

Others are likely to add their support or concerns about the Digitrax architecture, so you will have to read and think and make an informed decision.  But the convenience built into the DT400 should not be discounted by the majority of shoppers looking to get into DCC. 

[Robby P.]

I think its a good question.  I would like to know myself.  I am tired of DC.  I think I would love the DCC part of running trains and not have to worry about bad connections.  I also am redoing the layout to a 4x8.  I enjoy them more.  On the E-Z Command, can I run 2-3 trains at once?  I am not worried about the turnouts, I will do the turnouts by hand.  So all I do is put the wire to the track, plug in the DCC engine and go?  I hope its that simple.  Also, I don't know if it does sound.  Would I have to upgrade then?  I guess that could be on down the road.  Since I am redoing it, I thought this might be the best time.  Heres the system I was looking at on Ebay.  Let me know if this will work.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bachmann-EZ-E-Z-Command-DCC-Controller-System-44902_W0QQitemZ120250735755QQihZ002QQcategoryZ19132QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

 

[cudaken]

 First welome, second is that a GT 500 or a KR GT 500? Being a car guy I need to know. You will know my taste by looking at my ICON and my screen name. I rode in a friends KR-500, we got into it with a LS-7 Vet. Boy that Vet sure seemed slow after 70 MPH.

 Anyway here is a copy and paste of an answer I gave a few days ago.

 "Justaboutgeese, at this point I am sure Tom (T-Stage) is sorry he sold me his old E-Z Command. I am still a big fan of the simple system, it is running 3 main lines as I miss spell! $175.00 is way high for a E-Z. On E-bay you should find them for around $57.00 or so. At one point before I went DCC I was worried about the driffrent systems F fuctions. They run driffrent lighting and sound options, some of my Engines have up to 28 F fuctions. More than a few people asked me if I want to push buttons or run trains? Well, run trains. Most allso stated they hardly used anything over F-9, E-Z can do that.

 One draw back is sort of a plus. You cannot change CV's! No, you cannot change the sound level, starting speed or other iteams. On the other hand, you cannot hit the wrong botton either and mess up the CV's!  

 I did up grade with a MRC Power Station 8 Amp power booster, for only $120.00 I now have the power to run as many trains I can fit on the apx 175 feet of main lines. 

 I will up grade to a Zepher for only one reason, I will soon want radio control. With the 8 Amp booster I don't have to worry about the Zepher 2.5 amp power supply. That was the main thing that keept me from buying the Zepher, was 2.5 amps going to power everthing?

 For a start a $60.00 Bachmann E-Z is hard to beat."

 Answers to the questions I may have cause.

 Power Booster, think of it like a blower. Gives you more power. Smaller layout and 3 engines should do fine with the Bachmann E-Z command.

 I all ready explain in the copy and paste about F-fuctions. If you have questions we will answer.

 CV's vaules, in car turms, I use a MSD box inside the car so I can control the timing. Something like that.

                  Keeping it simple again Cuda Ken 

[tstage]

Upnorth, 

I think he means that he can have them all sitting on the layout but choose which train he wants to operate, without the others running, too.  (Assuming the OP has just one big block.)

Here's a thread that you many want to take time to peruse at your leisure:

FORUM CLINIC: Picking the best DCC system

It's actually in the same forum as this thread.

Tom

[UpNorth]

 

... so i can run the trains without having them all run at the same time ...

Err.. that is the beauty of DCC, running multyple trains at the same time on the same track. If I read you right then, all you need is DC to run one train at a time. Then forget DCC and the expense that comes with it.

but I probably mis-read or mis-interpreted your post.

 

[shlbygt500]

 im just got into the model trains hobby and im going to be making a 4x8 ho layout with 2 or 3 trains and i want to get a dcc controler so i can run the trains without having them all run at the same time but i dont know much about dcc so i dont want to spend alot on something i dont need so can anyone help me out with some recommendations?