dcc

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

does dcc work with all trains or how does it work i am planning to get one how does it program for a certain train

2

railroad,

To put it very simply, DCC uses five (5) components to run a locomotive:

  1. Throttle - The device you use to communicate with your DCC system. You can choose to go forward, backward, turn lights on and off, ring the bell, toot the horn, etc. (Course, the latter two are contingent on whether you have a locomotive with sound or not.)
  2. Command station - The “brains” of the DCC system. The Command station receives your commands from the throttle and converts them into “signal packets”.
  3. Booster - Since the signals packets are weak, a booster is need to “boost” the signal so it can communicate with the decoder(s).
  4. Power buss (wires) - Using wires attached to the track, this is how the signals packets and power are transferred from the command station to the decoder.
  5. Decoder - In order to use DCC, each locomotive is outfitted with a circuit board called a decoder. Each decoder is given a specific “address” so that you can send your command to that locomotive and ONLY that locomotive will respond to that command - even if there is another locomotive located right next to it, on the SAME track.

The beauty of DCC, railroad, is that you can independently control a locomotive or number of locomotives that are on the same track and have them all doing completely different things.

railroad, I would encourage you to read all you can about DCC. Here’s a couple of good references for you:

  • DCC Made Easy by Lionel Strang (Kalmbach Publishing) - Lionel does an excellent job of describing and explaning DCC in very easy and understandable terms. You can find this either online (e.g. Amazon.com) or at your LHS (local hobby store).
3

Information is sent to every “Computer” or “Logic” device connected on a network. Each of these items listen for thier address and last command for updated commands you may sent.

4

so does the engine need dcc in it or with it

5

No. But to utilize the “full” capabilities of DCC, each locomotive operated with a DCC system should have a decoder installed into it. On a few DCC systems like Digitrax and Bachmann, you can operate one (1) “non-DCC” (or DC) locomotive on address 00. When you do, it will emit a very irritating and annoying “squeal”.

Consequently, most decoders manufactured today are known as “dual-mode” decoders and can run on either a DC or DCC layout. Again, you will be somewhat limited in what you can do when operating from a DC throttle.

Does that make any sense?

Tom

6

Yes every loco needs dcc, in the form of a decoder fitted inside the locomotive, the aforementioned dcc for beginner’s site at http://www.tonystrains.com/index.html should answer most if not all of your questions.