I still see threads and comments from modelers that are still DC only. It got me thinking.
What percent of modelers are still using DC vs DCC or other operating systems?
Strangely enough, it seems like nobody in the industry has done the research to answer that question. If they have, they aren’t saying. You will get other answers, but I seriously doubt if anybody has any solid data that supports anything more specific than somewhere between 25% and 75%.
Most of those threads will provide you with the information you require to help you determine which is best for you. You’ll just have to sort through the “other” posts to find it. [:)]
Whichever you choose, there are plenty of folks here that can and will help you.
I’m way past DC and DCC. I’m doing Dead Rail. I was just curious as I saw references to guys still using DC on some other threads on the Model Railroad Forums.
I don’t see much DC on the other sites I visit.
Suffice it to say MRC made a high tech DC power pack and locomotives comes DCC ready…
I don’t know the answer to your question and the manufacturers is not saying one way or the other.
As far as dead rail that might be a better choice? (shrugs)
Can someone explain what “dead rail” is,please?
A system that uses onboard batteries for motor power so that no power is required from the rails.
Joe
You could get a rough idea by going thru a recent edition of Model Railroader and counting up the number of ads for DCC equipped locomotives vs the number of ads for plain DC locomotives.
Shouldn’t that be DCC/Sound,DCC only and DCC ready? Seems that’s the way the majority of the locomotives comes. A very nice choice IMHO.
Why not start a pole?
I’m using DCC for nine years. No DC whatsoever anymore.
dcc
Can you do both? Or is it one or the other?
I use Dcc. For now.
T e d
I had a version of dead rail back in the early 1950s - 1:192 scale powered by the 0-5-0…
As for percentages, it might be somewhat age specific. Kids get train sets which are almost certain to be DC. Somewhere around the second month of paid employment they might venture into DCC if they haven’t shelved the hobby.
Trains with the kids or empty-nest returnees are probably majority DCC players.
Some analog DC holdouts have large rosters of ‘not ready for DCC’ locomotives and have learned to do tricks with cheap resistors and diodes that need dedicated black boxes to accomplish in DCC. Some may go to DCC if they ever have to start a new layout from the ground up. Some are perfectly content and see no advantage to making a change. Many such people are retired, or of an age where retirement is an option.
So, where do I fall? Read my signature.
Chuck (Retiree modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, MZL)
Converted to DCC ~2008. Switched from Digitrax to NCE in 2015.
South Penn
I can run either DCC or DC. I went to a lot of trouble rewiring my layout for “DCC per info in published material” and found out that was a waste of time. I spent a lot more time restoring it back to DC with blocks, it wasn’t necessary to rewire it for DCC operation. DCC works great on my DC block wiring.
I bought my DCC controller and first decoder in 2006. I have expanded to a dozen decoders but I have 72 locomotives. Too much $$$ and I prefer DC. I went DCC for sound and have expanded to DCC in my MOW fleet for function controls. I prefer DC over DCC for powering my locomotives. I’ve never been able to get the same power from a DCC locomotive that I do using straight DC. I guess I watched Home Improvement too long and got the Tim Taylor POWER thing.
I do think that a steam locomotive chuffing up my 3½% grades are GREAT! I’m kicking around going with a Tech 6 power supply to operate my sound and power the motors with DC. I’m still waiting for input on my Tech 6 post.
That has no bearing on what control system people are using. Why you ask?
Many who are still using DC have most or all of the locos they need/want - they are no longer heavy loco buyers.
New people in the hobby are likely to go DCC for a number of reasons - new people have not yet accumulated a loco roster, and are therefor the target of current offerings.
Many non sound DCC locos are easily back converted to DC, and the prices are low enough that a DC modeler would not be opposed to buying it and removing the decoder. For some 15-20 years now Bachmann has sold non sound DCC equiped locos and included jumpers to remove the decoder and return them to straight DC.
So we have no way to know how many DCC locos have been purchased by DC users.
Not to mention the fact that nearly every DCC equiped loco is dual mode - works on DC - even if performance is not perfect.
So again, DC users who are still in the loco market are simply buying DCC locos and running them on the dual mode decoders or removing the decoders.
Sound - there is a reasonable following of those using the MRC Tech6 or even straight DC, but who are buying sound equiped dual mode decoder DCC locos.
And, even a few crazy people like me, who if they get the right deal, buy a sound equiped loco like a BLI Pacific and remove the sound decoder - or in my case - replace the tender completely with a non DCC tender.
I have a roster of about 130 locos. Easily 1/3 of them came with decoders, five came with sound. They all are straight DC now. Basic Bachmann decoders sell rather well on Ebay.
Based on the many DC/DCC conversations on this forum since I have been here, and other people I
I’m straddling the great divide!
My HO stuff is DCC but my HOn30 stuff is DC. If there was space to install a decoder in my HOn30 critters then I would definately do it.
Theoretically, a decoder could be mounted in a following car, but the locomotives already have a gondola permanently affixed which contains the motor. (You can see one of the critters in my avatar.) That’s because I used Bachmann N scale 4-4-0s as the drive units. I think the biggest problem with adding a third car with a decoder would be the amount of wiring that would have to run between each of the cars plus the locomotive. The wiring would have to be very flexible in order to keep the cars from derailing on the curves.
Maybe some day I will give it a try, but the HOn30 part of the layout is so simple that DCC is hardly worth the effort. The only benefit would be the ability to add sound.
Dave
This is how I want to do dc.
T e d
DCC, for me.
I use DC for now but planning on DCC.
I’m getting an BLI E8 Amtrak Phase I A/B set, and four Atlas Conrail locomotives in DCC.
I hadn’t bought a DCC system yet. When I do I’m going to convert some Kato F40phs to DCC.
I buy DCC locomotives now but Run DC. I have a bunch of earlier locomotives that are just DC but I love the sound and smoke of items made today.