Ok...here's the next installment. My venture into the world of DCC...but first I have to backtrack in time...

After I finished the 6ft x2ft layout that I built a number of years years ago, (I mentioned it and posted pics of it in the second entry of this blog) I took a few years to read, do research,accumulate stock and armchair( build in my mind) my next layout. One of the things I knew I wanted to do on the next layout, along with makeing it very lightweight and trying the bike-spoke point control, was DCC.

So about 3 years ago, before even starting construction on the present layout or even deciding on a particular DCC system, I decided to see if I could even hardwire a chip into a loco. My logic was as follows...I figured that even though more and more locos were comeing onto the market with either factory equipped plugs or chips that to get the full benefit I'd still need to hardwire some locos. Now up to that point my soldering skills were limited to soldering power-feed wires to track...nothing finer. So of course I jumped in at the deep-end and chose as my first hard-wire chipping project......wait for it...the Hornby 00 Terrier...I figured that if I, with virtually no soldering or chip installation skills could pull that off then there wouldn't be an HO or OO loco that i couldn't chip if I so desired. Long story short, useing instructions and pics I found on the Yahoo Southern e-group I pulled it off on my first attempt....only problem was I didn't have a DCC system to try it on...fortunatly my local hobby shop did...thats how I found out I had succeeded...and thats where I got to try the NCE system.

NCE...most people and clubs around here use Digitrax or Lenz as their operating systems...I tested both along with NCE and quite frankly I found NCE to be far more intuitive and user-friendly that either of the other systems....the handset is bigger and clunkier than the Lenz or Digitrax handsets...but I have big hands and I like the thumbwheel throttle... so its ok. So for me it became a no-brainer....NCE was my choice...and when I built my present layout and found out about the NCE Powercab system well, bobs your uncle.Back to the Terrier...well I was very pleased with myself that I was able to 1) hide that chip in that little loco 2) was able, with my fat fingers and lousy eyesight to strip, handle and solder those tiny wires, not to mention not ruin the chip in the bargain 3) and that it actually worked first time............so I went a chipped another Terrier...same results

Don't ask me why because I don't know but the Terrier is my favorite loco, one day I hope to get a footplate ride on one at the Bluebell....as far as the Hornby Terriers, well I've got 7 now, no, only 2 are chipped so far....I bought my first about 9 years ago and was amazed at how well it ran...especially at dead-slow speed...and every one I've bought since runs just as well...and on DCC nothing short of fantastic...amazeing!

Well since then I've hard-wired a couple of other locos...a Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0 Dockside saddle-tank and an Athearn RS-3 diesel...they were pretty straight forward and installed chips in various other locos that were DCC ready with plugs...dead-easy to say the least. About a year ago, just as i got this balsa layout wired up I bought a P2K SW9 with DCC sound on board...that loco hooked me on sound.

About a month ago I started experimenting with installing sound chips....first I got an new MRC plug-and-play sound chip for an RS-3...very easy install and the sound is pretty good, then I got an MRC plug-and-play chip for light steam and put it in the tender of my P2K Heritage 0-6-0 loco...that again was easy except for drilling about 300 tiny holes in the coal but well worth it...that sounds great!! Then I decided to get a bit more adventurous and bought a Tsunami sound-chip for the Alco engine in my other RS-3 along with a seperate speaker...well that was by far the most difficult install I've done...but I did get it done and I must say the Tsunami sound for the RS-3 is far better than the MRC sound for the RS-3.

Don't get me wrong, the MRC is very good and the drop-in installation is great, very quick and easy...probably if I did another Rs-3 I'd use the MRC just because its quicker and easier to install but the sound is better with the Tsunami...just more work to install.

So DCC it is for me...even on a small layout like my present 6ft x1ft board I think its worth it. And now my local club is building a new layout...and everybody agreed to DCC it!

oh..my local club...guess i should give a quick explanation...we have 6 clubs here in Montreal..4 model North American HO, 1 models North American N and 1 models British 00...called British Model Railroad Club of Montreal, guess which one I'm a member of ...yes, the British club,its been around for about 15 years, 90% of the members are expats from theUK and it has had a large DC exhibition layout for about 10 years. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, it had gotten pretty long in the tooth, so last year we decided to retire it and build anew. The new baseboards are all built, track has been placed and hopefully the wireing will be completed in another 2 weeks or so and then we'll be running, no scenery or ballast, for awhile to check for problems. The club voted to go with the NCE...YES!

OkOK..next entry I'll get back to my present layout.