I’m building a spare bedroom around three walls shelf switching layout in 2-rail O-scale and am debating going DC or DCC. Because I’m modelling the Ballard Terminal shortline (a real railroad in the Seattle area) that has only one locomotive in the roster I doubt that I will ever run two loco’s at the same time. It’s a very simple and uncomplicated switching track plan.
I’m an IT guy in my profession and while I’m interested in technology I don’t necessarily want to bring more technology home. With a small layout like mine are there any additional real benefits of going DCC over DC?
For a one horse short line and a simple track plan IMHO there is no real advantage.Thats why I sold my DCC and returned to DC…IMHO DCC is overkill for one locomotive layouts.
I’ve got a small HO layout (5x12 ft,) but I do run multiple engines. I love DCC, but the biggest reason to do it is to run multiple engines without the need for block wiring the layout. The second biggest reason for DCC in my book is to open up the world of sound engines, but that capability is increasingly available in DC now, too.
As much as I like DCC, and usually think it is the way to go, if you are only ever planning to have one locomotive on the layout, I can’t really come up with a reason to do it. If you were planning on any more than that, or are going to wire blocks and cabs anyway, I’d say differently. In that case it would be easier, and not much more expensive, to go with DC from the start.
Using DCC since getting back into the hobby, I’m a little out of touch with what you can and can’t do with DC. So, the following may not really be applicable:
With an around the wall scheme, will you want to follow your train with a walk-around throttle? What’s the cost in DC?
Would there be any advantage for throwing turnouts electronically from a walk-around throttle.
Can you fine tune a loco’s perforormance in DC like you can in DCC?
Would you ever want to have a loco from an interchange line somewhere on your layout?
DC is relatively cheap and simple if you are intending to have the one locomotive. If you wait for a BLI DC with sound version, you may have the best of both worlds.
The fact is that every one of us begins to long for something more…whatever that may be. Eventually, you will want another loco, and that would be the time when you switch to DCC and feel comfortable about not having wired all those blocks.
Go easy for now, go affordable, go simple, and when the longing comes, and it will, you’ll do what hundreds of others do; start looking at sytems, prices, features, and get it up and running.
Or, you could save the difference now, pay for an EZ-Command* or a similar starter and be well on your way to many years of growth potential.
*I have heard that the EZ-Command has improved capability over its original version, so that may be the ticket for you.
DCC sounds nice because it will elimitnate alot of the more complicated wires, and if you do ever change you mind or build another layout with a multi loco roster, DCC is most likely the way I would go. If I was starting over, there would be NO QUESTION whether or not to convert to DCC. I like DC, its ok, but sound and independant locomotive controls are really interesting features of DCC to me. Just my [2c].
Unless the money is the issue, DCC with radio is the funnest thing you can put in the train room. It allows you the be the engineer and switch man where your train is, not a remote operator watching from a distance. It is really nice at a switching place to hover over the train like the engineer.
For running only one O scale locomotive I would stick with DC control – there’s no advantage at all to using DCC except for possibly using a sound decoder, but there are sound systems for O scale engines that don’t require DCC – Phoenix, for example, if you really want sound.
Bob, I know diddly squat about 2 rail O scale so bear that in mind with my response as I am thinking about it from an HO world perspective. In O scale, don’t you also have other command control choices from the likes of MTH and Lionel, or is that only 3 rail?
Anyway. What can DCC do for you?
All the bells and whistles, though much of this can now be done with DC using one of the several different sound controllers from QSI and others that go between the power-pack and the rails. I may be wrong here, but I believe that each of the sound decoder brands uses a different DC sound control box, so this may be a limiting factor. Furthermore, I am not sure how practical walk around sound would be with this set-up. So Bob, I would do a little bit of research on the sound system you want and how practical it would be for your set-up.
Fine control of slow speed. You mention that you are planning a switching layout. For me, one of the neatest things about DCC has been the ability to fine tune the performance of the loco, especially at slow speeds. Locos that ran OK on my DC packs now run really well.
If I were you, I would build my layout with an eye towards DCC. In that I mean wire it so that DCC would be an easy addition later. I see no reason why you have to make the decision now. You might go DC for a while and then switch over to DCC later.
Only one locomotive - ever. I don’t see any advantages to going DCC. Unless maybe you want to do sound and find the DC sound controllers to be less than ideal. Or perhaps you like to have head lamps, marker lamps, and classification board lamps, or other electric accessories that you want to turn on and off at will.
I think you should go ahead with the DC for now. Even if you have to wire in a couple of blocks to act as “parking places” for a second engine it is not the end of the world. I wired my old Lionel layout with blocks when I was only 14 so it is hardly rocket science. Buy a decent pack and you will have good low speed control. Before the fleet grows too big you should then get into DCC, if you decide to stay in the hobby. The old pack can be used to power lights and such. I’m sure you know about P&D Hobby Shop, as they have a huge selection of O gage.
Try reading the original post. He never said he was not going to buy another loco. He said he was only going to run 1 loco at a time. There is a difference.
For one locomotive ONLY on the layout at any given time, the advantages of DCC are very very few:
Higher track voltage all the time.
Less expensive walk around control.
Disadvantages;
cost (assuming no walk around)
decoder installation
more things to go wrong
That said, I am a DCC believer, but I have many more than just one locomotive.
My recommendation is that you wire your layout without block and run heavy guage bus wires with relatively closely spaced feeder wires. Thus, in the future, if you choose to have multiple locomotives and go with DCC (or other Command Control system), you will only have to hook it up.
Depends on several things including the number of throttles…On the other hand MRC CM20 comes with a walk around throttle with a 15 foot cord.Thats good for a small switching layout up to 15 foot long no throttle plugs needed on the layout.