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Who runs DC only?
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<p>[quote user="theodorefisk"] I see trains being run as if they were racing, ON THE SAME TRACK, SAME DIRECTION. In normal operation, two trains should not occupy the same block. What I saw was the train following the other one very close to the front trains caboose. Do all do that? probably not. But doing it at all is running trains stupidly and DCC allows that to happen. Any club should have rules. [/quote]</p> <p>Yeah that can happen in DC as well, and it did happen on probably the exact layout you are speaking of before they switched to DCC. Train shows are for the entertainment of the public, not prototypical operation. Children want to see trains running, not trains doing switching or sitting on a passing siding. I would like nothing more than to give up the 2 mainlines on my modules and operate with TT and TO, but you lose the public interest. </p> <p>When my club switched from direct current modules to a DCC system, the club members ripped out a mile or more of copper wire that was no longer required. </p> <p>I can see for someone who has a home layout that is DC there being no reason to switch. As for a new layout, if its a really small shelf switching layout I could go either way. Anything larger than 2 or 3 blocks and you spend the same money on a starter DCC system and $20 decoders for each locomotive as you did for all the switches, rheostats, copper wire and powersupply for DC. </p> <p>One of our club members did a partial DCC conversion. He added an extra block off of an unused selector dial position that connects to the whole layout. He can still run his older DC only locomotives or he can unlock the potential of DCC/sound if he wishes for operational purposes. Additionally the DC locomotives are much less sensitive to dirty tracks so he uses those to run track cleaning cars before op sessions. Best of both worlds if you ask me.</p>
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