I started with Digitrax but I was not happy with what seemed to be un-necessarily complicated ways of doing things. It was not very intuitive to me. The screens were small and it was hard to tell what was happening sometimes. I switched to an ESU Cab Control II and was much more impressed. However it would do some strange things on occasion and the sudden loss of WiFi signal was a problem. After upgrading the software for the throttle and the DCC system (after about the 8th try!) It works much better. I use it with a TCS throttle and a Proto-throttle and I am happy with it. If I move on at some point it will be to the TCS system.
1 Like
Hi all,
15 yrs ago I bought an NCE 5amp Power Pro system with wireless and the added the WifiTrax module. Itās a great system for N and HO scales. I bought it because of a conversation I had with Tony Koester at the 2009 NMRA Convention in Grand Rapids, Mi.
I started with a PowerCab and upgraded.
I have sold all of my N and HO equipment and am moving to a new home soon where my scale of choice will be 2Rail O scale. I need a 10amp system for that and NCE is the only game in town, even though the 5-10amp upgrade is ~$500.
I considered TCS, but they donāt offer a 10amp system (I could use an NCE booster) and Iām not buying a 5amp system where the power supply is a throw away. Plus, Iāve done LCC and itās still not ready for prime time-too much of a fist fight IMO. Itās easy enough to do occupancy and turnout control, but no bueno when you need to add signaling.
Thatās my opine, have fun!
Dan
unless you have circuit breakers, it would be safer to use 2 5A boosters rather than suffer a 10A short.
signalling is independent of the loco control system, primarily driven by block detectors using a separate controller (e.g. arduino, esp32)
2 Likes
Righto, Greg. I put circuit breakers at the beginning of every industrial area on my railroads, with a fascia-mounted indicator and reset button via the NCE EB1s. My 12 Volt bus is broken up the same way by routing it through an automotive fuse panel with 3amp fuses installed.
Dual 5amp boosters wonāt work if you have 3 locos enter a block, and they all draw 1-3amps. Thank so much for taking the time to write back!
Dan
1 Like
why would 3 locos be operating in the same block?
i donāt think itās uncommon for all tracks on a section of the bench make a power district. The problem is if multiple locos are on different tracks in that district.
i have separate busses for the track and separate circuit breakers for each buss
Im relativity new to DCC. Started Jan, 2025. I got a TCS LT 50, choice based on advice on a forum like this one.
I was teetering between it and NCE Powercab . TCS can support JMRI, I didnt care for the lunky looks if the NCE powercab, and Yankee Dabbler had it on sale.
Thatās all I have. Not having used anything else, I canāt make qualified comparisons. But I really like what I chose. Dan
1 Like
I just found this thread. Great info. I started less than a year ago with a Digitrax DCS52 recommended by my LHS. I no longer frequent that shop.
1 Like
I chose Digitrax, because when I started back into the hobby again during COVID and my subsequent retirement, I surveyed all of them and concluded Digitrax was the best choice.
If they hadnāt converted to the more ergonomic layout, buttons, and color LCD screens, I probably wouldnāt have chosen them. Itās easy to see that many chose NCE to start out, simply because up until that change with Digitrax (ergonomics), NCE looked so much less intimidating. Digitrax used to be made up of a bunch of identical and confusing pushbuttons with their older equipment. It reminded me of the Atlas slide switch technology - yuck. Even when I built my first Atlas layout back in the 70s, I used classic block control toggle switches and turnout pushbuttons on a layout schematic control panel. However, Digitrax did make that ergonomic change.
In addition, my under-construction layout will be computer-controlled, by the likes of JMRI or perhaps TrainController/iTrain. That meant I needed a lot more than just a command station and a DCC throttle. Digitrax and NCE are the ONLY ones readily available in the US with a full line of integrated equipment for boosters, power districts, circuit breakers, turnout control, block sensing, etc. The reason thatās important is to limit points of failure that can potentially occur with non-integrated equipment. My choice was between the two and Digitrax had a least upgraded their equipment line.
Itās going to be hard enough to implement what Iāve chosen, much less spending half my hobby time on developing ad-hoc sensors, current breakers, and Arduino projects. Having spent years with a side-business in electronics, I did not want my model train hobby ambitions to be completely dependent on more of that work. I donāt mind tweaking decoders and I even built the first DCC-EX command station to see what it was about. Iām not interested in diving further into that side of the hobby, though.
I want to run trains. 
2 Likes
I chose NCE mainly because that is what the club I belong to uses. It is also what a few of my friends use. So, compatibility with their systems was important to me. I like the way the throttle feels in my hand. Also, NCE support has been fantastic. When my power cab stopped working I was able to send it in for repair. There was not charge for the repair and it was done in a timely manner.
Al
2 Likes
BachmannEZCommand.
On30 portion of layout.
Mostly Bachmann engines (2x BLI C-16s)
Easy to swap out with DC control for non-CC engines
VERY simple controls for a very simple engineer
Controls all necessary functions (and probably a few unnecessary ones 
)
Cheap
No problems in many years of use
Compact
I drive old Chevies
All the power needed
My tractors are 80 year old John Deeres
No screens
No readouts
No antennae
No batteries
Instruction manual not longer than a Tom Clancy novel
1 Like
DCC-EX with a TCS UWT-50 and a Protothrottle. Works perfectly. I am very happy with it.
2 Likes
LoDi, or LokStoreDigital, should be added to the list.
I have used ESU, Digitrax, Roco, and LoDi hardware. For software and apps, I have used JMRI, TrainController, iTrain, the Roco Z21 app, and Engine Driver app.
At the end of the day, I settled on the Roco Z21 (black) command station, the Roco app, iTrain, and the LoDi-Con throttle. I like RailCom, so that was one feature the system absolutely had to have.
I think Roco offers the most complete system with the Z21, including quality Roco-Line track with the soft rubber bedding, not to be confused with GeoLine, along with a large selection of turnouts, crossovers, double slips, curves, straights, and even flex track with matching bedding kits. The flex track is available with either wood or concrete ties.
I will say that Rocoās two switch motor options are not very good. I ended up using the Decoderwerks 80101 switch motors, which are direct plug-and-play replacements for the Roco motors.
Another advantage is that the motors mount directly to the underside of the turnout when using RocoLine track with bedding, or directly to the ties when using RocoLine track without bedding. That means there is no need to deal with the hassle of mounting turnout motors underneath the layout.