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DC is direct current (the opposite is AC, alternating current). It is the electricity found in batteries, for example. A DC control system uses switches to connect a DC power source to various track segments (called blocks) and then you vary the voltage of the DC to make the eninge speed up or slow down. DCC is digital command control. It uses an AC current with a superimposed digital signal on it. Each engine or accessory has a "decoder" in it which recieves the digital signal, decodes it, decides if the signal is for it and then then does what the signal tells it to do. A typical decoder in an engine acts like a little remote control "power pack" in the engine that controls just that engine. With DC every engine on the track in the same block will move in the same direction when the voltage is raised. In DCC only the engine or engines selected will move and different engine can be selected independently and moved in different directions and speeds. Dave H.
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