Since I voted in this poll, I think I’ll chime in.
For starters, yes, I have a large home layout. Is it a joint venture with other modelers? That depends on your perspective. Very few people have the time, or the talents to complete a large home railroad in isolation. From a monetary aspect, I bought and paid for everything on the RR. From a work standpoint, I trade horsepower-hours with a few close friends. One of my friends is really good at kitbashing structures. I hate it. I’m real good at spray painting and scenery. I paint his motive power, and have sceniced part of his railway.
I’ve looked at the ad for Bachman’s offerings. Intruiging, but definitely NOT for a large layout, or in my opinion, a medium sized layout. Here is why:
You can’t walk around with your train. At least from the ad, it doesn’t appear that this throttle will roam out of the range of its power tether.
Having more than 10 locos in not elitist. Saying that a system has no value because it does not accommodate more than 10 locos IS ELITIST.
There are many things used by the advanced modeler that I will never use. I don’t discount the value of those things just because I will never use them. I believe the hobby has room for equipment appealing to all levels of experience and budget.
I haven’t voted because none of the options apply to me…
I have 2 operators and only 2 working locos.
The layout is “down for service” right now while we rewire (don’t ask) and install tortoises all around. But we have a Digitrax DCC system we like a lot, and the walkaround capability is a MUST for us due to the design of the layout. We expect to aquire more locos in the future, but not more operators, and when my son (the other operator) heads off to college in a couple of years I’ll be operating on my own.
I haven’t seen the system in question, but it sounds like a great idea for someone in the right circumstances. As with everything, however, I’d hope the buyer understood the capabilities and limitations of the system before they bought. When I think back to when $50 or $75 was all I could afford, that was the same time when $50 or $75 was all I had, and I didn’t want to waste it.
JerryZeman brings up a good point, one of the reasons I look to this site for help. I was unaware of the Bachmann’s low power output. Nothing that I have read so far states the power level, including the Bachmann site. If it is indeed incapable of running 10 locos (or a little less) on it’s own, that is a severe limitation. Where did some of you get the more detailed info on this?
There’s a preliminary review of the Bachmann DCC system posted here, either further down in this forum or over in the layout building forum. The low power output was mentioned there.
Looks like single cab control with 10 different engine addresses and provisions for adding (a second unit ) added 'Sound Unit in the future.
If so, ONE person can operate one train, not 10 engines at a time.
The packaging concept looks to be easy entry to selected Bachmann engines with DCC pre-installed so the ‘Newbie’ doesn’t have install anything - the possible downside of which might be the Bachmann engine’s themselves.
From what I read, you can switch from controlling one locomotive address to controlling another and the previous one just continues on at it previous setting, so someone could easily set a consist running on an outer loop while doing switching inside the loop, for example.
MUing seems to be no more than setting two locos to the same address and dealing with CVs appears out of the question. I guess a person has to decide whether or not those features are worth an extra $80 or so.
I just read elsewhere that an N scale loco should average a little under 0.2 Amps so, it seems reasonable for an N scaler like myself. Nonetheless, I may pass it by for something like the Atlas/Lenz system.
Unless a person is only looking at a layout as a novelty, I think it’s a mistake to purchase a system that cannot be power expanded or have the capabilities that you may want in the future–regardless of cost.
The importance of the right DCC control system for you should take the highest priority, well over the fancy Dan loco’s that so many have to have first. The initial cost may be a little bit higher, but at least you will know that you can grow without having to change systems.
IMHO: There are not many things worse than buying something and then wishing you had gone ahead and got the other model for a few dollars more. It’s like buying a 3.5 hp lawn mower and then wishing you had spent the extra $50 for a 5 hp with electric start. Now what are you going to do with the 3.5 hp?
Seems like a great move on Bachmans part. I for one have been thinking about DCC for over a year and not made the pludge for several reasons. Cost and understanding are the main reasons. With this system I can play with it and try DCC. If I out grow it , I’ll move it to a smaller layout I want to build. Everything is going to DCC on the market so this gives an affordable way of seeing if I want to stay with the hobby.
I voted, like the majority so far, as being a sole operator with less than 10 locos which I interpret as being in operation at one time, though in fact, is about the number I picture sitting on my moderate sized home layout at one time. I only picture two or three operating at the same time, and then only occasionaly.
This isn’t necessarily a vote in favor of Bachmann over MRC or Digitrax or NCE but I think I’ll try this system since I have simple needs and and it appears to offer everything I currently need. It looks like an easy intro into DCC for a moderate sized but simple home layout. (It still hasn’t been made clear why the size of the layout as opposed to it’s complexity is a factor.)
If I were running a club layout with more than 10 operators, I wouldn’t buy it.
If I needed more features than it offers, I wouldn’t buy it.
If I needed more power than it offers, I wouldn’t buy it.
If I needed to roam around further than it’s tether restricts me I wouldn’t buy it
If I thought I wouldn’t be able to resell it after trying it and outgrowing it, I wouldn’t buy it.
If I drove a Lexus instead of a Dodge, I probably wouldn’t buy it but not for any logical reason.
What I won’t do is not consider it based on reasons that don’t apply to my situation offered by those who haven’t tried it. If and when I’m not happy about my decision, I’ll report back.
This 1 amp thing seems to be a major down check for the Bachmann system. I can live with the others, I think. I do have a question. I’ve noticed that several of the other systems have numerous boosters or different power supplies ie: 5, 8 and 10 amp. What exactly is that for? Tony’s website discusses placing a booster between the command center and the layout. Can this be done with the Bachmann?
On my HO Siskiyou Line I have from 6-12 operators at a time, and we have from 4-6 trains active at a time, some with helper crews, and loco lashups of 2-4 locos. We use 2 person crews, plus a helper crew if helpers are involved.
Multiply that all out and you can have 25-50 locos active on the layout at a time, with at least 12 loco consists active. Also there are 1-2 switchers active in each of the two main yards, which means another 4 loco consists, for at least 16.
Each loco lashup probably draws up to an amp, so there could be 16 amps total feeding the layout at a given time.
However, to keep the likelihood of welding something to the rails low, I believe in lots of low amp train blocks. I prefer boosters in the 3 amp range, and just bust the layout up more so the likelihood of any one train block having a lot of locos in it drawing amps is low.
For a small layout, the Bachman DCC unit might work, but not on the Siskiyou Line. For me features matter most, which is why I went with EasyDCC wireless.
I don’t think that’s what anyone’s trying to say. No, what is being said is more like the idea of building a small layout first, but one that has room to add on once you have the time/skill/money to do so. See for example Tony Koester’s sidebar in MRP 2004 in the article on the 4x8 S scale layout.
Boosters are basically add-on DCC power supplies for your track. They let you divide your layout into multiple power districts so you can run more locos at the same time. For example, say you have a very busy yard with trains coming and going and a switcher or two moving cars around and a roundhouse with locos idling away – that could easily draw most if not all of your available power, leaving nothing to run trains on the mainline, let alone at another yard at the other end of the line. But if you put a booster on the yard, connected to the command station via whatever command link the particular vendor uses, and keep the command station/booster on the mainline, you now have more power to operate trains in both places.
Whether you can add boosters to the Bachmann DCC or not is an unknown at this point, though I suspect not from what little I’ve read about it in their ad in the November MR.
rrinker
Yes, that is correct.
If at all possible, don’t back yourself in a corner with no where to go. Model Railroading is a life long hobby that is endless in possibilities. That very difinitely applys to track layout size and operations. If you envision that one day you will be able to have more, better, or bigger, then you should grin and bear the pain until you can have a basic control system that will have the capabilities to grow with your layout. The difference in price isn’t that great, but the difference in performance and operational capabilities are.
dkelly
How right you are about the fancy loco not being there tomorrow[:(]. It didn’t take me long to learn that in this hobby you eat while the food is hot because there won’t be anything left later.[:D]
