Just for information, I am starting out (again) with a U-shape about twelve feet on each end of the U and sixteen feet accross the base. It in essence is a double dogbone with a medium size yard, a logging shortline and as many local industries as I care to squeeze in. My interest is in the running aspect. I have access to the entire room which is sixteen by fourty. But based on past experience the larger the layout the more maintainance is required. I can start here and expand later. I currently own twenty to thirty locos and uncounted rolling stock. Much of which has been stored for many years.
Just having moved to the area (about 30 miles north of San Antonio, Texas.) I am not yet acquainted with any clubs or modelers as of yet. The LHS left me with mixed feelings but if I can get this started as was stated in a previous post for $500.00. Though I do believe I would be more inclined to hire atleast the first conversion or atleast some of the trickier ones done. I am at the place where I now have to decide very soon which unit will suit my needs and which of the decoders are the best value. If my LHS cannot supply my needs there is mail order, the internet and eBay. I will concede when I stopped and purchased thirty six switches and a hundred feet of flex track he was genuinly thankful for the sale. He gave me a bit of a discount and I had enough to get me started again.
Quite a few years ago, I had a layout. All divided into blocks and wired for two cabs. As far as I remember, I rarely ran two at a time. It just seemed difficult at the time.
A few months back, I finally got a chance to start fresh after 20+ years. I read about DCC and checked out some of the sound available. Bought a starter set before I ever had a piece of track layed. It's just so much more fun to be able to punch in a loco number and run it. You don't care where it is on the track, you just run it. Oh, I want to let that one go and run another, punch in another number and there's 2 under full control just by hitting a button or two.
And the addition of sound and lighting effects makes it lots more fun too. Not to mention custom tailoring the speed characteristics of any loco you care to. Just so many plusses in my mind, helps make the choice a little easier.
Even if your local hobby shops can't help, you can get an internet hobby shop for DCC. I recommend Litchfield Station, www.litchfieldstation.com. Bruce is very willing to answer email, and he and his wife, Linda, offer outstanding service.
Gary
David,
Absolutely. Be my guest. Good additional questions indeed to consider and ponder. That's why I specified it as "just a few of the important questions".
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
justaboutgeese wrote:do I bite the bullet now and buy into it or continue on as in the past.
inexperience might win out at this point.
How much would I need to spend to get this off the ground and equip say fifteen or twenty locos to start with ??
I'll second Tom's recommendation. DCC is just so much better that I can't even think of going back to DC. I've got a relatively small layout, 5x12 feet, and it just wouldn't be practical to block it for DC use. DCC, on the other hand, give me full independent control of each engine, plus the ability to "MU" multiple engines and run them as one.
Installing DCC in a truly "DCC-Ready" loco is as simple as removing a jumper card and plugging in the decoder. The hardest part is getting the shell off. (DCC-Ready, unfortunately, means different things to different manufacturers.) Equipping an older locomotive might mean electrically isolating the motor, and then soldering (typically) 7 wires: 2 to track power, 2 to the motor, 1 each to the front and rear headlights, and 1 headlight common. If you're handy with a soldering iron, give yourself about an hour for the first few, and less after that as you gain experience.
Before you buy a decoder, though, listen to a sound locomotive, either at a shop, show, club or online. The addition of sound adds so much to the overall effect that many of us seldom run our non-sound engines anymore. You don't have to run sound, of course, and you can mix and match as much as you want, but you might not want to equip your whole fleet with non-sound decoders only to turn around and want to replace them with sound later.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
jag,
If it were me, I'd bite the bullet. DCC is just so much more fun and realistic to operate than running DC that's it's a no-brainer - for me. You are wise to consider the whole picture; what things you both gain and inherit with a new technology.
Cost for decoders: $12-25 (non-sound) - Depends on number of lighting functions you want.
Cost for DCC system: Depends
These are just a few of the important questions to answer before discussing price and capability of a DCC system. You're asking questions though. That's the important thing.