Which DCC system do you use for your Exhibition layout?

[ColinK]

NCE Power Pro, usually with two handsets in use, occasionally four. Vety happy with it.

[TWG]

Since I changed to digital some years ago I have taken an interest at exhibitions in how many layouts used DCC and which systems were used.  At first Lenz and Digitrax predominated, probably because the pioneer DCC sellers, McKay Models in Paisley and Sunningwell in Oxfordshire, concentrated on those.  The spread of DCC (at the last exhibition that I attended 50% of the layouts were digital) has lead to a wider range of systems.  My observations suggest that the most popular make these days is NCE, followed by Gaugemaster, with Lenz and Digitrax vying for third place and Roco Multimäuse fourth.

 

This indicates that American products predominate.  I find this a bit surprising, since (as somebody observed in an RMweb discussion not long ago) American DCC is rather "first generation" with controllers that have changed hardly at all for decades.  I suppose that it is at least partly a question of what is available, but there are interesting European systems that are virtually unknown, such as Tams MasterControl, Rautenhaus RMX, Doehler & Haass FCC and Stärz.

 

Having bought very cheaply from Rautenhaus a refurbished central unit taken in part exchange, I am going to experiment with Selectrix for the tram layout that I am planning.

[Nile_Griffith]

Waiting on the emergence in the UK of BlueRail Trains new Bluetooth set up for my under construction "Hamford New Street" layout. Currently everything is Lenz Silver or Gold de-coders via a LH-100 set up. But Like most, although very happy with Lenz's reliability. The lack of updates and system scope have me looking elsewhere.

[Gustavo]

My layout is under construction and has all Lenz hardware (LH100/90) mixed with roco multimouse and touchcab app with iphones (using the USB und Ethernet Interface) and RS feedback, also traincontroller is coming very soon.  I have been using lenz for 10 years and I’m very happy with it, I don’t see any important features in other brands that might force me to change.

[Nick G]

Hardcore NCE Powercab user now.

 

 

 

[dubmill sidings]

I have a 40' long 0 gauge layout - Dubmill Sidings. I use the Gaugemaster Prodigy wireless system with a 5A power booster. Normally have 3 handsets in operation at any one time but have been known to use 4. The wireless operation is brilliant and provides just the flexibility we need when operating. Had one or two problems with handsets but Gaugemaster have sorted these quickly. Biggest problem was at the NEC a couple of years ago which we ultimately put down to interference from other NEC equipment. Decoders vary from TCS1, Gaugemaster DC0025, Lenz Gold and NCE DR408. Consisting is easy as is programming on the main. Very happy with it.

[OllieTurrellDRS]

I use Hornby Railmaster for my layout (a shunting layout)

[NIK]

We are using NCE Power Pro 5 Amp on our Basingstoke Club's Beggarwood Lane OO layout (28' x 12').

 

The throttles are NCE Procabs and NCE Power Cabs (minimum of three throttles, plus a Power Cab for decoder programming and occasional wheel cleaning).

 

Route setting is done via the NCE throttles.

 

Computer assistance (currently track mimic panels) via Raspberry PIs & JMRI.

 

We may add a Booster and more Power District Cutouts in future (may depend on what Heljan make in the future).

 

Regards

 

PS NMRA who standardised DCC are working on a layout control bus that can have adapters for various makes of throttles.

[Nick G]

 

 

 

 

Route setting is done via the NCE throttles.

 

 

 

 

Do you use macros for that?

[NIK]

Do you use macros for that?

 

Yes, we set up the macros and transfered the macros to a spare Power Pro using the JMRI NCE macro editor (using an old version of JMRI as later ones may have a bug in the editor). The NCE Power Pro has macros 0 to 255. Luckily there are only 10 (but long) fiddle yard sidings so simple routes like siding 1 to siding 5 is macro 15. There's a loop on the anticlockwise mainline circuit so that option is covered by adding  a 1 on the front (ie macro 115). Unfortunately there are 3 branches, carriage sidings and a route into the goods yard so logical numbering is at a premium. Macros 0 to 9 are reserved for the most popular routes in the goods yard.

[John K]

I use good old bulletproof Lenz on two O gauge exhibition layouts (and on my home layout)

I also link the Lenz system to JMRI running on a laptop so those who want to can use phones and tablets as controllers.

I use Lenz because it has never failed in 16 years

John K

[NIK]

We are using NCE Power Pro 5 Amp on our Basingstoke Club's Beggarwood Lane OO layout (28' x 12').

 

The throttles are NCE Procabs and NCE Power Cabs (minimum of three throttles, plus a Power Cab for decoder programming and occasional wheel cleaning).

 

Route setting is done via the NCE throttles.

 

Computer assistance (currently track mimic panels) via Raspberry PIs & JMRI.

 

We may add a Booster and more Power District Cutouts in future (may depend on what Heljan make in the future).

 

Regards

 

PS NMRA who standardised DCC are working on a layout control bus that can have adapters for various makes of throttles.

 

As regards the future I'm working on a system to detect the position of trains in fiddle yards to a resolution of an inch (in OO), the hardware I'm using at present costs about £15 per foot length (2'6 wide fiddle yard). I'm 5 months in and the system is currently detecting positions within a square foot test area at a reasonable speed.

 

In the far future I'm thinking about an augmented reality display on a smartphone with a throttle control below it (hopefully using JMRI smartphone throttle for the throttle control). In the meantime I think NCE Procab throttles can display messages sent from a computer via the command station so the fiddle yard system can display the DCC address of the loco at the head of the exit route selected.

 

The augmented reality bit would be to display the trains the phone was pointed at with the DCC addresses overlaid on top of trains. You would then touch select  the train on the touch screen and it would set the throttle to the DCC address and suggest the start number of the route macro.

[ardbealach]

Found NCE does all I want it to do.

[Nick G]

 

 

Found NCE does all I want it to do.

 

Yes, I am impressed after being a Lenz user in the past.

[DougN]

This is interesting. We here in Melbourne have regularly discussed this exact topic. Having been a Digitrax user for about 15 years I have been asked which system I would use if starting. I generally suggest a NCE as it has a good straightforward route from entry to complex level. Ok the new digitrax systems, which I have not used, looked impressive but due to the following have not changed the set up or operations from what I have read. But now I would suggest trying all the systems before purchasing, but like usual it is the one that you become accustomed too their idiosyncies. So this is how the older established manufacturers have their following.

[N A Hughes]

Lenz LH100 throttle with a LZV100 command station, had it for over 10 years, it's worked perfectly for over 21 show in that time. It has been updated recently by A & H Models (great customer service by the way), and has just completed the one day show of the Gauge O Guild at Doncaster with no problems with upto 10 twin motor Heljan O gauge diesels with sound on the layout at the same time ticking over! 

[TheKeg]

We have used a few systems over the years. Started with ZTC 511, moved to NCE powecab after that and still have it, but only really use it for testing at home, and one of our layouts. Our main control system now is an ESU ECoS, with the great Touchcab app on various Apple devices for easy 'walk about' operation. We use the ECoS on four of our six exhibition layouts, and I can't see us changing to anything else to be honest.

 

Keg

[Ed-farms]

Got to agree with TheKeg, I use ECoS on all 3 of my exhibition layouts, with touchcab on phones. We leave the controller on the points panel screen and leave the phones free to drive the trains. Each layout has its own version of the database saved on my laptop, the week before a show I just load the correct database on.

[Psiborg]

I started out in DCC with the Lenz Compact in 2003 and switched to the Lenz Set 100 when sound decoders started to require more functions.

 

My previous layout, London Road, was exhibited with three LH100 handsets enabling the operators to ensure there is always stock moving.  I still use the same system on my two current layouts Annesley Woodhouse and Jubilee Road Wagon Works.

 

I tried a few systems and I preferred this system over the others available at the time.

 

 

Simon

[Gene]

When our club decided to go with DCC and build a new about 10-12 years ago we decided on NCE. The thing that really convinced was I had a small home Inglenook layout useing NCE and one of the other club members had just converted his home layout, without mentioning it to us, to Digitrax. Once all the members had tried the two diffrent systems they all unanimously voted on going with NCE for the new club exhibition layout...including the member who had gone the Digitrax route...he immediatly sold his Digitrax and bought NCE.

[Dagworth]

Having gone from ZTC 511s (Multiple and with slave controllers) to Lenz set 100 and then tried ECoS, Dynamis, Multimaus, JMRI computer control, every time I come back to my Lenz system. It's bombproof reliability that I need more than anything, it also seems to have a higher track voltage than some of the other systems which makes a difference on a layout designed to see trains moving fast. I sold my ECoS, sold the Dynamis probox (although I still have two basic Dynamis sets) and don't miss them.

 

I did put a new keypad rubber into my original LH100 yesterday, but that handset is now over ten years old and was secondhand when I bought it.

 

Andi

Edited August 1, 2017 by Dagworth

[davepallant]

All three of the current Preston club layouts use The Lenz system. We generally use enormous numbers of different locos over a show weekend and the Lenz system copes really well with keeping track of large numbers of addresses in its stack, which functions are enabled, lights etc. Every now and again we reach the 255 stack limit and have to have a clearout but not on a regular basis. For moving lots of trains around quickly they do everything we need considering their age. Alderford commonly uses 6 Lenz controllers simultaneously.

Edited August 30, 2017 by davepallant