Brad,Several years back I stated a one horse switching layout didn't need DCC..After using DCC on my last 1'x12' ISL I will freely admit I was wrong.
With DCC you can fine turn your engines and if you use sound you can get full benefits.
IMHO DCC is the better control choice.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Simply stated, DC routes and controls the power, whereas DCC lets you control the engine, with some added features you won´t get with DC.
Finally, it´s a matter of personal preference. If you picture yourself in the role of a dispatcher, then DC will be fine. If you feel more at home in the engineer´s seat, DCC would be the better choice.
I am a DC only guy, but just for reasons of economy. My layout is just a simple oval with a dead end siding - a 1 loco per time job, so DCC would be an overkill.
One thing to think about is that if you do go with DCC you may want to relook at the design of your layout. With DCC you really dont need the three seperate loops to run the trains. You can run more than one train on any track. So one can be running while you run another from passing siding to passing siding in the oposite direction.
Less track = less$ and more room for scenery.
Steve
BraddW25 Am I safe in assuming that DCC would allow for a more efficient means of being able to walk around with a hand held throttle and have the ability to quickly switch to control of a different train if the need arises? I would think that such control would be nearly impossible with a DC block system. Thanks again for all the info. Bradd
Am I safe in assuming that DCC would allow for a more efficient means of being able to walk around with a hand held throttle and have the ability to quickly switch to control of a different train if the need arises? I would think that such control would be nearly impossible with a DC block system. Thanks again for all the info.
Bradd
Thanks for all the replies so far. Very good information and very much appreciated. I have heard from other folks that it is much easier to install DCC on a new layout as it is being built than to try to retrofit a layout that was constructed for DC operation.
As far as how I plan to operate, I will for the most part be operating the layout solo as I do not belong to any club. It's possible that I might have a couple friends on occasion, but for the most part I will be flying solo. My layout is going to be a continuous double track loop with a hidden staging yard. There is also a branch line. So in reality I suppose there are 3 seperate loops if you count both the main tracks and the branch where trains could be run seperately from one another if I just wanted to sit and watch them run. I do very much however, like the idea of being able to walk along with a single train that I am operating and to be able to quickly gain control of other trains in case I need to stop one of them in order to avoid colliding with the train I'm running in the event it needs to change tracks or move onto the branch line. Am I safe in assuming that DCC would allow for a more efficient means of being able to walk around with a hand held throttle and have the ability to quickly switch to control of a different train if the need arises? I would think that such control would be nearly impossible with a DC block system. Thanks again for all the info.
A lot depends on how you plan to operate. If you're going to operate from a central location and run trains on seperate loops of track while you sit back and watch, then DC is probably just fine. OTOH if you plan to walk around with the train and/or have other trains share the same tracks then DCC might be the better bet.
Personally, I love the wireless DCC throttle that I have for running my trains, even when it's just me running just one train. The ability to walk around with the train on a 12x31 foot layout is great. OTOH my 6x12 Lionel layout is run from one place with separate loops for each train so DCC or other command system is not really needed.
Paul
There's nooothing too difficult about DCC, really. Too many people get caught up in technical-sounding terms and put up a mental block when in fact it's easy to learn to operate your locos with DCC. My ex father-in-law managed to run his trains even when I wasn't around, and he is a retired railroader, not an engineer. N scale, depending ont he locos, can be hard to install DCC in, but there are drop in replacement boards for lots of more recent (20-25 year old) locos. Even if not - a friend of mine, a lawyer, not an engineer, has scratch built N scale steam locos and installed decoders in them just fine - much tinier soldering work under the Optivisor than I would even feel comfortable with. And he's DCC'd his layout with mostly just having some questions answered.
Just the fact that you can freely run any loco anywhere with no additional controls or wiring makes it all worthwhile. I was hooked as a kid just reading about the old GE ASTRAC system, which was the first commercial command control system and QUITE primitive by DCC standards. Many vendors came and went, but finally witht he DCC standards adopted by the NMRA it took off. You aren't restricted to just one vendor's products. Use Digitrax DCC, but Digitrax doesn't have a drop-in decoder for that loco? No problem, just use the TCS one.
No, it's not just "2 wires to the rails" unless you have a trivial oval layout. The same sort of considerations such as gaps for power routing turnouts and reverse loops come in to play for DCC just like DC. The difference is, all the feeders connect to the same bus. There are no other power controlling devices (except for reverse loops), either manual or automatic, to connect a given throttle to a section of track. Digitrax's slogan is a good one for DCC in general - run your trains, not your track. Instead of controlling the track and therefore the train that picks up power from the track, you are directly controlling the train itself, power is always present in the rails. That's really as much as you need to understand - the details of how those signals control the loco and all that are things you can explore if curious but are absolutely not necessary to understand to be able to implement DCC. What you need to know is the same basic electricity principles you need to wire the layout for DC power. DCC lets you do all sorts of neat things to adjust the operation of each loco in a very fine grained manner. Nice to have but not required to know just to do basic setup and run trains. All you really need to know is how to set an address for each loco. You can learn all the fine tweaking settings later - or never.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Bradd:
I use Dc/block control/three walkaround throttles at home. At the club we use DCC with tethered throttles.
If you are going to have multi-person operating sessions the cost of block controls is expensive, and the rotary switches do wear out.
A medium amout of knowledge about DCC will alow you to get started. Engines can be added as desired, and extra throttles to permit visitors/operators come later. If you are a club member, buy the system the club uses, some members will have throttles to bring if they come to your place.
If I started over I would go DCC from the start, the club I'm in used Digitrax, so that would be my system of choice.
Hope these ramblings help.
Dave
Any medium to large layout can greatly benefit from DCC, unless you want to control trains using power blocks and controls etc. Some old school people operate larger layout DC and prefer it, so the question if DCC is worth it or not is partly a personal one and one you will have to decide.
I've always been open to techie things and I've owned a Digitrax Chief system for a long time but unfortunately most of that time, due to a long separation and divorce, no layout space. I have used it on and off during the past 5 years with a modular group and the knowledge experts keep having to show me how to consist engines and work the controls over and over and over. Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake or maybe the way Digitrax works just isn't "clicking" for me.
Moral of the above story, try to use a few different systems and see what "gels" for you, what is easiest for you to configure and use. Otherwise DC block controls might seem easier to some. I like the idea of controlling my trains and not power blocks but I'm thinking I need to try another system or two like NCE and see if that makes more sense for me.
In the end, the DC or DCC and if DCC, which system, it boils down to what is right for you. No one can answer that question for you.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Go for it. In my view controlling the loco instead of the track is the way to go. Many folks on the site have DC and are very happy with it, but starting out with a clean slate as you appear to be doing is the ideal time to install a DCC system. Wiring is less complicated and the ability to control the locos without using blocks is in my view a plus. DCC is more sensitive to dirty track conditions and generally will require keeping the track cleaner than with a DC system. Suggest you read up on the various systems, although Digitrax and NCE are the most popular, other systems do exist. I, like you, started a new layout in '06 and jumped into DCC at the start. Have not regretted it for a minute. Other posters will jump in with their ideas, pro or con, and will give you more information. Guys on this site can be a big help as you progress.
Hello all,
I am in the very early stages of constructing what will be my 4th and by far most ambitious N scale layout. Benchwork construction has just begun in the 20' X 20" basement addition that was recently added to our home. My other layouts have been relatively small. This one is going to be an around the room layout with a large L shaped peninsula. My question for the group is what are your thoughts on Digital Command Control? I have personally never used DCC, but am very interested in exploring it's usage. Any pitfalls I should avoid? Any other advice from those who have more experience in DCC? I should add, that the wiring does not worry me either way as I have a lot of experience with electricity. So is DCC worth the additional expense compared to a DC system? Thanks very much for any input.