I have a question that I don’t believe has been posted before. But first a little background on my layout.
My large home layout is being built with the idea of 4 to 5 operators running trains at a time. I have currently completed all the track work for the main line, double ended yard, sidings and two staging yards. The eastern staging area is approximately 10 ft around the corner in my work shop near the main yard, the western staging area is over 50 linear feet away. I have already purchased a Digitrax radio controlled system, (not installed) with the model 400 controller and 5 decoders.
Question: When operating on your layout do most of your operators bring their own engines with decoders installed, or do they run what the owner provides?
Part two of my question: Do your operators have compatible systems were they could also use their own controllers?
Not a direct answer, but in a club environment, people usually bring some or all of thier own locomotives and throttles.
In a home environment, you should probably have some extras for guests who do not have thier own. In your case, one or two UT4R throttles would be nice.
I would also suggest you purchase one decoder equipped locomotive so that you have one to run right away with your DCC system installation. I’d recommend a sound equipped one; like Walthers/P2K, Atlas, BLI, PCM, Athearn, Bachmann Spectrum or Trix.
I operate regularly on a friends’ large layout, and we only use his engines. He’s tuned and checked them out, adjusted the DCC parameters for best use, made up the consists, and knows they work and what their performance is. He’s not overly enthused even to have someone bring an engine for a test run, as he takes his layout operation way too seriously. A visiting engine might slow down things, then the schedule would be off, a major problem for him!
He’s probably extreme, but his overall idea of operating known engines does ensure the sessions work pretty well.
i don’t have a club layout, it is 30’x24’ i run lenz dcc. i have 3 controlers but some of the guys that come over to run bring their own controlers and their own engines and they are more then welcome to
Anybody who operates on the Chrysanthemum Empire will do so with an appropriate piece of Japanese-prototype HOj motive power. Those US prototype locomotives are 368mm over-gauge, and far too large for the loading gauge!
[tup]My layout uses dc with 2 main lines operated by separate power packs. The industrial sidings are all operated by a separate power pack. At this time I can have 3 operators. Future plans will add two different sections that will also operate separately. At this time only my grandsons have helped operate, but I’m looking forward to a time when mrr friends come and run some trains. I have plenty of locos and rolling stock, but they will also be welcome to bring anything they want to run.[:D]
I haven’t even started or even planned my basement layout yet. However, the long term goal is to build a layout that will be run by 4-5 operators. I also know that the engines will be small steam, specialized and able to run tight radius. I might make people run my engines or have theirs thoroughly checked out.
If you are running Digitrax, any of your operators can bring his/her own throttle, plug in and go. It might help with the cost of acquireing 6-8 throttles, especially DT400Rs.
As for the motive power, any DCC equipped engine should be able to run. If you want your operators to bring their own, great. They should run good, have couplers at the right height, etc. Some layout owners want only their engines run, some will let the operators bring engines. Both layouts I operate on allow me to bring whatever. One is DC, one is DCC. The newer decoders will allow an engine to work on either, as long as it is programmed to.