Dan,
I would have to agree,that Elect. Technology,has come a long way,but so has a lot of other things. I am a diehard user and will remain so in my life time. Nothing says you can't mix old and new. I have many new circuits,(elect) on my layout that was unheard of before..All my power,steam and diesel,are DC,except,six,that are DCC,just to find out for myself,what it was all about,some say that they don't perform as well,which is true,but I in my experience,it works ok for me..If you really give it some thought,,The Athearn ,BB'S, WERE the first to come,with sound on-board, any engine,I ever been near as a boy,they,''Growled'' also.. Speaking of boy. I've been in this hobby,in two months,62yrs,started when I was 8..No Regrets.. There are ups and downs,just in daily life,,,Make your hobby enjoyable for you,have fun and don't,give a ''cat's butt'' what anyone else thinks,because it's the norm..
Cheers,
Frank
John Busby unintelligible stupid speak instead of sticking with plain English I have the feeling it too over complicated for me and that the computer geeks have got into it so mere mortals aren't going to be able to use it or understand it.
unintelligible stupid speak instead of sticking with plain English
I have the feeling it too over complicated for me and that the computer geeks have got into it so mere mortals aren't going to be able to use it or understand it.
Hi guys, don't worry, DCC actually makes model railroading better.
This is where the NCE power cab will shine for you..when you're ready. Plain English, disconnect the track + and - wires from your rheostat DC controller and connect those same two wires to the Power cab controller panel.
Now you have a DCC layout. Add locomotives. Does your layout work on DC? Good! It'll work on DCC too(simplified). It's not nuclear power. It's not chemical warfare. Nothing to fear. It's still low voltage electricity being sent through the rails to your locomotive.
Hi Southgate
I am still running DC my layout it's only two years old.
My idea of high tech is to put a diode in the track so a loco doesn't hit the buffers and can easily be reversed out of the dead section without a switch.
The whole layout is pretty low tech track feeds in a few places and twin coil solenoids for point control
if I had any signals they would still be analogue control like the rest of it, but would have LEDs for colour lights
A lot of people I know still run DC its what they know and understand.
I see you are more of a builder and fix it man
For me its a case of I don't understand all this programing and chip control and can't for the life of me see how a $5.00 chip adds up to the same loco costing $150 more.
DC I understand and can make work.
I am more of a scenery person.
So as long as there is scenery to build and the train looks like a train is the right scale and works well I am happy..
It seems to me that many of the older modellers still use DC and the younger ones and just starting use DCC
I have heard all the blurb on DCC what you can do with it and am not convinced its the way to go.
Because so far no one can tell me how to test it properly how to find faults properly.
Or explain how it works without changing into unintelligible stupid speak instead of sticking with plain English
Besides which every thing I feel the need to do can be done with simple DC electronics or solenoids.
The next layout is going to up the stakes I am going to need a few latching relays for signals so that the train stops at a signal (two position semaphore) the signals have a built in solenoid to operate the signal.
Haven't worked out what to do with the old fashioned vane signal kit to make it work yet but have seen a relatively modern use for it.
regards John
I am getting back to my model RR after about 6 years out of action. I never have bitten the bullet on getting into DCC. I still run even '70's Athearn engines, (with improved wheels and wiring), and even rather enjoy the growling sound they make. I can live with the wide bodies. I do have some P2K and Spectrum locos too. quite a few of my freight cars are Athearn kits.
I do enjoy making poor running models work better, and I am pretty picky about how things run on my layout. If an engine or turnout is problematic, it doesn't get used. I hand lay my switches with powered frogs (code 70). All are activated by hand pulled rods, using slide switches under the layout for tension and frog polarity. All couplers are Kadee.
Still, It seems that DCC is so dominant now. Are there still any modelers running DC, and using low tech approaches to the hobby where more high end products are so common?
Dan