Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Digital Comand Control

1075 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Digital Comand Control
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 13, 2005 7:31 AM


Hi everbody. This is my first visit and I am looking into powering my model trains using DCC, but find the array of euipment and prices duanting and confusing can enybody help me from the basic ground knowledge upwards

TTFN Colin
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: CANADA
  • 2,292 posts
Posted by ereimer on Sunday, February 13, 2005 8:39 AM
here's a great place to start
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm

basically with DCC you install a decoder in each loco then set your controller to the decoder address to send commands to that train
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
  • 13,757 posts
Posted by cacole on Sunday, February 13, 2005 8:55 AM
Read the DCC For Beginners article on Tony's Train Exchange's Web site at http://www.tonystrains.com
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Conemaugh Division
  • 389 posts
Posted by Pennsy58 on Sunday, February 13, 2005 3:20 PM
DCC made easy, from Kalmbach is a good starting book. Basic info on track wiring, DCC as a concept, engine wiring, etc. but I still refer back to it from time to time when I start thinking too deep.
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Cherry Valley, Ma
  • 3,674 posts
Posted by grayfox1119 on Sunday, February 13, 2005 6:18 PM
Hi Coil!!! First of all a big welcome to the forum[#welcome] !!!! Another good source, to add to the excellent three listed above, is the enet itself. If you do a search for "DCC", you will find a host of information that will keep you reading for months.
I personally found that Kalmbach books on DCC, and Tony's ( mentioned above in thread) to be excellent sources, as well as few selected web sites. The next thing you will need to do Colin is to select a manufacturer. There are several excellent controllers out on the market, and it will more than likely come down to "your" personal preference. Lentz, NCE, Digitrax, Atlas, MRC are some of the big names in DCC. Then you will need to decide, do you want to be tethered to the layout with the controller, or , do you want RF, where there are no cables attached to the hand controller, but those are more expensive also. Good luck Colin!!!
Dick If you do what you always did, you'll get what you always got!! Learn from the mistakes of others, trust me........you can't live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself, I tried !! Picture album at :http://www.railimages.com/gallery/dickjubinville Picture album at:http://community.webshots.com/user/dickj19 local weather www.weatherlink.com/user/grayfox1119
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Good ol' USA
  • 9,642 posts
Posted by AntonioFP45 on Monday, February 14, 2005 6:28 AM
Welcome DeeCee!

According to your profile, you are in Scotland! Cool!

Will you be modeling Europeon trains? If so, which brand and scale do you prefer? I'm assuming that Marklin is the most popular for HO scale in Europe.

Cheers!

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Monday, February 14, 2005 6:40 AM
Litchfield Station has a nice basic DCC intro at http://www.litchfieldstation.com/u/u.html

Antonio, having gorwn up in the UK and still try to visit once a year to see family, I can say that Hornby and the European Bachmann are the most popular in Britain for those modelling British prototypes in OO scale. There are several other manufacturers that make rolling stock, including Peco (the track maker). For N scale in the UK there is a company called Graham Farish. Anyway, for an insight into a different world of Model Railways, jump over to this site and see what is on the market in the British Isles.

http://www.ehattons.com/list/manufacturers.asp

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 14, 2005 10:57 AM
Thanks for the information everbody, it gives me a place to start from. Cool Running. Colin

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!