Hi All,
I joined this forum a few weeks ago and asked ‘Anything new in the last ten years?’ Most people answered DCC is the latest and greatest. A few said DCC and nothing else. I decided to add DCC to my new layout. I’ve also seen some sound devices, which look pretty cool. Any experience with them?
I started thinking that with the exception of DCC not much has changed in quite a while. Technology has changed a lot in the last ten years, but it seems model railroading has lagged a bit. I’m an electrical engineer looking for a fun project. Any ideas on what kind ‘tech stuff’ of I could build to make my layout more realistic and really cool?
Roger
Integrating a working set of signals would seem pretty cool. Digitrax (one of the major DCC manufacturers) has a system for adding signals that is coordinated with DCC so that you can have essentially automatic block control. If you go a step farther, you can link your DCC system to a computer and automate the trains on your layout. Conceivably, you could run a local freight around the layout while dodging expresses controlled by the computer.
On the higher end DCC systems some of them will control turnouts and routing from the handheld. Sound is a big one too, all from the hand held of course. Signal control, computer automation, programing CV’s on your decoders, all with DCC. Pretty neat stuff.
Layout design has advanced. For the tecno-minded folks there are all sorts of things that could be automated with todays smaller componants that were only dreams 10 years ago.
How about showing us how to build a working hump yard and don’t use air to slow the cars. That’s been done. How about using magnets or something?
How about figuring out a way to couple and uncouple from the handheld? Maybe it could be done with DCC? I heard some peole are working on it. Boy, wouldn’t that be cool?
There’s all kinds of things that you could do, you just have to keep your mind open.
BEEN done!!
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/uncoupler.html
One of these days I’ll put that box of stuff together that I bought to do it (8 or 9 years ago [:I])…
COOL!!!
Now how about one for us N scale guys?
rap213,
I think you might be interested in this;
Scroll down the page and you’ll see a DCC forum. Thats all they talk about in there.