If you are just starting out, and plan to operate more than one engine, I think I’d almost always recommend DCC. The situation is much different for someone who has an existing, working, DC layout, and a lot of engines. He would certainly benefit from DCC, but his cost in time and money to convert the engines, and well as obsoleting (is that a word) his DC setup is a huge consideration. In that case what’s right for one person might not be for another.
You keep recommending DC to everyone and tell them of all the things YOU can do with DC. I’m pretty simple. I took DCC and hooked up the two wires and it was working in 10 minutes and it does all the things you can do that you learned with your years of experieince.
With a bunch of studdying I could figure out blocks and cabs and walk around systems and when to flip which switch and all that, but with DCC it just works.
I think the key here is having more than one locomotive on the layout vs. running more than one locomotive on the layout. With DC you have to account for every locomotive on the layout, even if it isn’t supposed to be moving. So setting up blocks is very important if you are going to have a few locomotives sitting on the layout. A very simple example is a two stall engine house. With DC, each stall will need to be its own block, if you want to move locomotives into and out of the engine house independently. With DCC you just select the address and move the locomotive. It is similar for spurs and sidings.
Chip,All I am doing is trying to show what CAN be done with DC vs the misinformation that is put forth by the DCC crowd…Multi train operation didn’t just happen with DCC.Now unlike DCC one doesn’t have to program each locomotive then address the locomotiver to move it out of the way.DCC has its place but,its still not the cure all for multi train operation since power blocks are now recommended for large layouts.
Remember I been to DCC land and have returned.
The REAL question remains: Will there be a cure all system for multi train operation?
In the light of the question Bob stated he is modeling a one horse terminal short line and doubts if he will operate more then one engine…Therefore blocks is not needed and all that is require is a bus and feeder wires.The same basic DCC wiring as suggested by Digi Traxx…Therefore Bob could go DCC at a later date if he decides to run more then one engine.
I meant no offense, but your theme of “DC can do anything DCC can do” has remained constant. Probably I should have brought it up in a more appropriate thread. The bolded question you brought up bears discussion. Perhaps I’ll start an new post later today.
Exactly. While we should acknowledge, as Larry reminds us above, that DC operators solved the issues of getting one engine to move at a time, it was an exercise in patience, determination, care, experience with that layout, planning, and hope. It commenced with complicated wiring diagrams, and then actually installing all that wiring and switches to get prototypical movement. We should all be glad they did, because someone got fed up enough to finally design DCC. The rest of us who now enjoy it are so much better off. Simpler wiring in the planning, simpler installation, simpler operation when the time comes.
There is no cost advantage to DCC, I am sure. If you have 10 sound-equipped engines and a system to operate them, I would guess the difference between that and all the costs to run 10 locomotives on the same layout in DC would be significant; DCC would cost $400 more, give or take $100. But we should not discount the experience of simply taking up one’s throttle, acquiring the loco desired, and using a simple wrist movement or two getting it to move in the same block as another locomotive that sits prototypically doing nothing but emitting steam hiss and the odd injector sound/air pump sound.
My hat is off to the gentlemen who developed the older way…I can’t help but look at the grainy black and white photos in “Track Planning…” and see John’s buddies doing their thing without some respect and admiration for all they accomplished; planning and doing. I would, however, warmly shake the hand of the inventor of DC
Go with a simple DCC system. Easier to wire, and you can put a DCC sound system in your engine that will make it a blast to operate. I had a small HO railroad that ran 1 train at a time with a Soundtraxx throttle. I switched to DCC and never looked back. The sound systems are better, the performance of the engines is better, the wiring is simpler and if you decide to add another engine due to interchange or a friend comes over, or just because you want to, you just put it on the track and run it independently of any other engine. JUST LIKE THE REAL THING!
I think DCC is as important in a smaller layout as a big one. However I operated on a large, famous, beautiful B&O layout this weekend (cover of MR). The previous time I was there it was DC and it was fun, but some things were nonprototypic due to the complicated DC system. They recently switched to DCC and the improvement in operations was stunning. - Nevin
My experience: with a small layout on DC you will only run one engine at a time and be happey. With DCC you will discover how easy and fun it is to run more than one at a time and you will learn to “want” things you did not have before.
Running two engines, by myself, with the UT400r (two throttles in one handheld radio throttle) is more fun than I ever dreamed of. Watching four grandchildren each run their own train, with their own hand held walk around throttle, at the same time, and avoid acidents, is a real joy.
I am a DCC fan because it makes running trains on my small layout a lot more fun. As far as cost goes, not having a layout at all would have saved the most money. Of all the things I have bought, the DCC with radio is the most fun.
Guys,One more time DCC or DC is not the cure all answer for multi train operation.Both require fiddling to include programing,then addressing EACH locomotive or throwing toggle switches.Both have their pros and cons to include block wiring(aka power blocks on DCC layouts) on larger layouts…There must be a superior but,simpler way to operate multiple trains…And no I don’t have the answer if I did I would design it,have it produce,package it and sell it…I fully believe both DC and DCC is outdated technology in todays high tech world.
One operator means one power block. DCC involves the same amount of wiring but adds programming and decoder installation. I like running my engines right out of the box. Go with DC.
I operate DC on my 2 rail Oscale layout but know many people who have DCC. There are pros and cons to both but for a one operator layout the decision is a no-brainer.
I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and ideas. I’ve got a final decision to make but I’m leaning towards DC to start because I can always add DCC later. It’s looking like starting with DC will help to reduce the initial cost of supplying power to the layout and I can always turn around and sell off the DC gear later if I do make a switch to DCC. I can also utilize the buss wiring under the layout with DCC, too.