Newbie asks: to DCC or not to DCC?

[jbloch]

Being another newbie, I have to agree with pretty much everything discussed. Starting out in HO, it was obvious to me immediately that DCC is the best route to go when starting out: more prototypical control/action, and wiring really is easier, not having to worry about blocks, etc. Cost is still significant, but better than it used to be. Not sure whether Tex Zeph is right about DC being more expensive (multiple locos, turnout decoders, other stationary decoders), but it just seems like that it's a no-brainer decision to me. CNJ831's comments make a lot of sense: If I had a large DC system, I'd probably be more hesitant to make the DCC "plunge"--but when starting anew as I am, seems like the best way to go.

Jim

[conrail92]

I just recently went into DCC, I own a midsize nothing large Dont have the room to go big :(, well anyways if you have moderate-high technical skills dcc is realy that complicated i use a MRC prodigy express, i would greatly suggest this model its afordable with many features some cheaper models may not have, and its very user friendly i installed it and got a locomotive up and running with it. in a couple of hours. But if you plan on maken this layout large, i would go with prodigy advance it would give you more power and some more features.

[jondrd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pirateyar

I'm getting back into modeling after about a 15 year hiatus, and DCC is a mystery to me. I'm planning a medium size layout with single track main and two small yards. I plan on mostly operating by myself, with one train on the main while one switches, or occasionally a local and a passenger train on the main. Occasionally I might have others join me for operation. Given those plans, is DCC for me? Or should I go with good old fashioned block wiring. I'm a little nervous about getting into the expense of DCC, but the flexibility is appealing. Suggestions?

pirateyar,
Don't be nervous, as "Texas Zephyr" stated the wiring is a snap compared to DC block wiring. I'm converting my DC block layout at this moment and I'm amazed at the wiring simplicity. I spent a lot of time being nervous and hesitant over it turns out nothing. I've got a MRC Prodigy Advance and MRC at least has a ways to go to make purchasers like me feel warm and cozy with their purchase. Documentation seems a little thin. They need something comparable to the little Atlas book which shows various track plans and how to go about building them. I believe this would make the purchaser realize how simplified wiring for small or medium size layouts can be.
I always wondered about ads re DCC friendly turnouts, now I know. Have two Shinohara turnouts one of which apparently causes a short with one long wheelbase steamer. Looking at the construction of the Shinohara one wonders why they ever thought metal connection between two different rails was a good idea.(I don't have time to look up correct numenclature for the two rails) This particular turnout is installed and I don't want to rip it out so I'll work out a solution via internet info sources.
I'm running some of my loco roster on DCC now-5 BLI units and three units I bought via eBay with decoders already installed. My layout suffers from loco mania(no good loco should go unbought!) and I always had an on track storage problem. DCC makes this less of a problem.
I could never figure a linear layout,point A to point B, running DCC I now understand. With your planned two yards you are going to have a blast making up trains. I switch cars around at the expense on getting them onto the main!
DCC flat lives up to all the hoopla. If you do an advance search of this forum you will find a recurring theme, "I ain't going back, DCC is the way."
A lot of modelers cite cost of DCC. Yeah, but manufacturers are bringing the costs down and prudent shopping can help contain expenditures.
DCC? [tup] [tup] [tup] [8D] [:D]

Jon

[ARTHILL]

pirateyar and others. REMEMBER - you can run DC engines on DCC as address 00 - even the old brass stuff. The only limitation is only one at a time. When I fianly learned that, I swithched. Glad I did.

[Tilden]

You can convert anything to DCC. Yes, that includes old Athearn Blue Boxes. If you don't have all the switches, controls, amps and controls for DC, the cost between the two is probally a push. DCC is getting easier and easier, a great deal of progress has been made in just the last three years. I really think DCC is useful for small layouts too. Actually, I would steer away from really basic beginner units and go with a system that allows expansion or use of most or all of the options available in DCC. Generally you'll find when you can do more you want to do more.
Best of luck and ENJOY.

[conrail92]

Like i said before I use Prodigy Express on my layout and it offers power and capabilties at a low cost I used to use DC but i got tired of try to work with endless switches to turn power on and off tracks and trying to do baisic switching. Eith Prodigy Express it have easy upgrading capabilties. and great for small - mid size layouts

[hubbards98]

Hate to bring up and old topic, but being brand new to this I decided on DCC...I figure I may as well learn the state of the art equipment then learn the the other stuff...I really think for me that I will have more fun with it

(as soon as I figure out exactly what IT is

[tomikawaTT]

It is easy to convert a layout that has been wired for DC to DCC.  The reverse is most emphatically NOT true!

How many pieces of powered rolling stock from your earlier modeling have survived in operating condition?  They ran on DC then, and they should do so now.  For the price of one switch per block, you can wire for two train operation - and decent-quality switches can be had for a buck each (plus s&h) from one reputable on-line electronics firm I deal with.  MRC still has DC power packs, including some with momentum and separate brakes.

OTOH, if you are starting from zero, it would probably be better to go DCC to start with.  Just use it for running trains.  Granted it can operate turnouts - but so can fingers, and they don't need decoders or addresses you have to remember.  (I won't repeat my thoughts about using DCC to switch structure lamps and streetlights!!!)

Just my .  Other opinions will probably differ.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, MZL system)

[rfross]

There are a number of threads here and on other sites regarding problems wth DCC. I'm an IT guy by day and play with trains at night. And the last thing I want to deal with is supporting more technical stuff while at home.

So I recently chose to go DC for my new 2-rail O-scale shelf switching layout even though I sold of all my HO stuff and am starting from scratch. Why? It's simple and relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to purchasing a high horsepower DCC system that will work with my O-scale locomotives.

I also like the old school idea of having some toggles to flip. And the fact that my DC wiring can theoretically support DCC in the future will allow me to easily upgrade to a future generation of DCC.

[JulesB]

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone, especially the link to the pdf at Tony's Trains, I've printed that out.

Do your self a favor and order, buy, steal, borrow or aquirer any way you can, Don Fiemann's " The DCC Guide". It's a new book. I got it at a show for $16.95. It's published buy Model Railroader books. Explains and gives a good over view of the popular DCC systems out there.

Guy's seem to have a problem with track buses,feeders etc.

It's simple!

If you laid a ladder down on the ground, then stood it up side way's so it's still horizontal. The top would be the track, the rungs the feeders, the bottom the bus. You would need two of em, one for each track! Thats the best way to picture the track feeder and bus relationship. Whats nice is if you had 4 of them you could form a tee and continue on arond the layout with some more of em, as long as the tracks and buses connect to each other. You can T or Y the tracks and buses, best not to make a loop tho.

You may form blocks for transponding etc., but thats beyond basic DCC track wiring. I don't do transponding but I do have two power districts. So about half my layout (the yard and ind.) is seperated by insulated rail joiners, each district is fed from the same command station/booster but thru a different PSX solid state circuit breaker.

Some of my Fastracks turnouts are controlled by DS64's, some by WabbitFB's from Digital Specealties. I build em, nail em down, they work. Tortois swich machines rock!

Basic DCC wiring is not at all complicated until you go transponding or fancy signalling, just like DC.

 

Jules

 

[Texas Zepher]

DCC is a mystery to me.

That is probably because you are making it harder than it is.  There is nothing mysterious or hard about it.  Hook two wires from the DCC unit to the track.  Put on a loco with a DCC decoder.  Call up locomotive #3 on the DCC unit. Run the train.   But the true simplicity comes with the 2nd locomotive.  Instead of having to figure out complex wiring schemes with block selector switches etc., one simply programs the 2nd locomotive to a different number than 3.  Call up that number on the DCC unit.  Run the train.

I'm planning a medium size layout with single track main and two small yards. I plan on mostly operating by myself, with one train on the main while one switches, or occasionally a local and a passenger train on the main. Occasionally I might have others join me for operation. Given those plans, is DCC for me?

The only time I still recommend DC is for layouts that will ever only have exactly one locomotive and one operator.  What you described is way over that threshold.  

I'm a little nervous about getting into the expense of DCC, but the flexibility is appealing.

Perhaps you should consider the cost of old fashion block wiring.  Have you priced a good quality SPDT switch lately?  And that would be for just two trains what about a SP3T or SP4T?   DCC is not expensive anymore.  For what one gets it is way cheap.

Once one gets on a layout where the engineer can concentrate on running the train and not controlling the track (with all those stupid block selector switches) they almost always wonder why they didn't convert sooner.

I've been a firm believer in command control since 1980 when it was very expensive.  The electronics used to cost more than the locomotives.  Decoders have dropped in price from $50 each to $12 each, and that's not even acounting for 27 years of inflation.