Is the OP never to be heard from again?
Alton Junction
One advantage of DCC on a small layout is that you could set up and "under the table" engine sound system using fairly large speakers. You could even use convential sound decoders. Say you have a 'modern' layout using only recent GM and GE engines. You could get good GM (say SD-70) and GE (say AC-4400) sound decoders. Connect them to your DCC controller power output (just like your track) and program them to each have a unique ID number. When you run a GM engine, put it into a consist with your GM sound decoder. With a small layout, the fact that the sound doesn't "follow" the engine wouldn't be as noticeable, and the under-the-table speakers will make a much more realistic sound than the tiny speakers that would fit N scale equipment.
One train, or more than one train? That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the outrageous slings and arrows of block wiring, or by simplifying, end them....
If you have a small layout with one train running, then DC is probably fine. But, as soon as you move to multiple trains, the equation changes. To run multiple trains on DC, you need to provided blocks so that you aren't running two trains on the same controller, or throttle. On a large layout, this isn't too bad, but to block a small layout you need to make the block sizes unrealistically small, and you will spend all your time throwing toggle switches as the trains move through the blocks. Add to that the added complexity of all the block wiring and associated controls, and you've got a lot of work for very little gain.
DCC, on the other hand, allows you to control any locomotive, anywhere on the layout, independently, without a lot of extra wiring.
It probably stlll less of an issue in N scale, but DCC also gives you much better control over sound locomotives than you can get with DC. If you have any interest in sound engines, then DCC is the way to go, regardless of layout size or number of trains.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
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Rich
Ya' beat me to the punch, Simon...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
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--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Isn't "Not DCC" the same thing as "DC"?
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