What are the basic components that are needed to start running locomotives with DCC? How much would it cost?
You need a decoder for the locomotive (this translates electrical signals in the track to useable formats), a cab (where you push the buttons) and a power source. I recently bought a Digitrax Zephyr. It cost me $200. The decoder I got was another $35 or $40. Others feel free to fix my probable errors,lol.
Berk,
Some basic read on DCC is the best thing for you at this point. Here’s a good primer for you to check out:
It’s found on Tony’s Train Exchange web site and should answer all your questions. You can either read it online, or download it onto your computer.
Tom
Hi,
I picked up an NCE Powercab for ~$160 at my LHS along with a couple of on-sale n-scale switchers for ~$80 each. So, that’s about $240 minus track, wiring, etc. I popped them down on a couple of pieces of Bachmann EZ-Track and had them running in minutes.
I like my NCE system but other brands look good too and you can get into most of them for a comparable price.
M