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| With DCC, you're controlling the locomotive directly, instead of power to the track. |
In previous posts I’ve mentioned that I have a few boxes of
model railroad stuff from when I first got started in the hobby as a kid. I
can’t remember exactly what those boxes contain and I won’t know for sure until
I return to my parents house in British Columbia and crack them open. It’s like
a model railroading time capsule! I know much of what’s in there is crap: cheap
Tyco rolling stock with horn-hook couplers, brass track, one of those “loaf of
bread” tunnel forms, etc. But I also happen to know there’s some good stuff in
there as well. A few pieces of Athearn blue box rolling stock and locomotives with Kadee
couplers, some nickel silver track, some good model railroading books and a
very good DC throttle, the Tech II Dual Power model you see below:
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| One of these has sat in my parents basement for years. Will it still work? |
Now I’m sure most readers have heard of Digital Command
Control (DCC), an innovation that has come to the hobby in the years I was
away. There’s loads of info on the web about DCC so I won’t go into too much
depth here but essentially it allows the operator to easily and independently
run locomotives without chopping up the track plan into separate electrical
blocks. Instead of controlling power to the track, you are controlling each
individual locomotive
I operated my old layout in pre-DCC days, using the throttle
you see pictured to the right and separate electrical blocks operated with cheap (but reliable)
Atlas selector switches.
This DC-with-blocks type of configuration works okay but it
requires a lot of wiring and with more than one operator, someone always seems
to run their train into the wrong block. With DCC you don’t have to worry about
this, you can have two locos running along the same stretch of track each controlled
by a separate throttle. And you can achieve this with very simple wiring.
Now at first I considered operating my layout with the old
Tech II and my DC engines. After all, this layout will almost never have more
than one operator working at a time and there is an expense in buying a new DCC
system plus adding decoders to the locomotives. (((An aside for those new to
DCC: digital command works by installing tiny little electronic chips, called decoders, in
each locomotive. These decoders allow each loco to “talk” to the command
station.)))
In the end though, I decided to move ahead with DCC.
Assuming it still works after 20 years in storage, I will use the Tech II to
test locos, power accessories, etc.
Here’s why I went ahead with DCC:
1.
I’m impatient and I’m not sure when I can get my old stuff out
of my parents’ place any time soon. They’re getting older and hauling all these
boxes to the post office is a lot to ask.
2.
DCC really is the way the hobby is going (or has already
gone). It’s not just one company using this technology, they are all following
an industry standard where decoders made by one company can be controlled by a
command station made by another, so I didn’t feel my money would be wasted.
3.
It wasn’t too costly. I bought a DCC starter set (more on that
below) for about $200 delivered to my door. I remember paying more than $120
for the old Tech II, but that was back in like 1986.
4.
I’m no wiring wizard but I’ve watched enough videos and read
enough articles to see that adding decoders isn’t too difficult.
5.
The ability to add sound. You pretty much have to go DCC if
you want sound on your layout.
So I’m sold on DCC, now which system do I buy?
You can spend hours reading online forums, articles, etc,
about the pros and cons of the various DCC systems on the market. I did all that reading and now
regret that I’ll never get those hours back. The way I see it, and I know many
of you will disagree, it comes down to two excellent systems: NCE or the
Digitrax system.
The conclusion I came to is that both are excellent systems
and the debate over which one to buy is rather like the Nikon vs. Cannon debate
that often rages among photographers whose time would be better spent taking
pictures.
Like the choice photographers face between Cannon and Nikon, both Digitrax and NCE are great systems, both are very
expandable and both will do what 99% of what you will ever want and expect for a comparable price. The main difference, as I see it, is
that the Digitrax starter system (the Zephyr) is a stationary cab, while the
PowerCab is a command station built into a walkaround throttle on a tethered
cord. I realize I’m glossing over all sorts of details here but like I said, I
don’t want this to be a DCC debate forum.
So what did I decide? In the end I went for the … NCE
PowerCab. With taxes, delivery, etc. it arrived at my door for about $200. I
bought it from local online retailer Canadian Express Line.
So why did I go with this system? I like the fact I could
walk around with the throttle right out of the box. The stationary Zephyr just reminded me too much of the
DC power packs of old. Of course you could always add a walkaround throttle to
a Digitrax system and be on your feet right away, but I liked that the NCE
system allowed me to do this right out of the box.
Also, I read through the manuals of both systems and the NCE
just seemed more user friendly to me. Does that mean Digitrax is a bad system?
No way. In fact most clubs seem to use Digitrax so if I get into modular or
club railroading I may find myself regretting this decision. But what’s the
worst that will happen? I sell the ProCab on eBay, buy a Digitrax system and
move on. Any decoder-equipped locos will work with both systems. For now however I think I made the right choice and with the decision made, I'm looking forward to the other aspects of building this layout.
My advice to other modelers agonizing over DDC decision is this is: buy
either of these systems with complete confidence. And if you’re in a club that
uses one of these systems, buy the system the club uses. Then, once the decision is made, don’t look back
and enjoy running trains and building your layout confident that you bought
into an excellent, expandable DCC system.
In the next section I will actually have track in place and
can start running trains…
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