DC or DCC?

[Robin Brasher]

I was still using 0 gauge Hornby clockwork until recently when I sold my Hornby 501 goods set. It did run too fast for a goods train and it was tiring having to wind the engine up every time it completed three circuits.

 

Clockwork sets still appear at Hornby Collectors Association meetings and provide a lot of entertainment. There is a coarse scale 0 gauge topic in RM Web which has a large following. Ace and Darstaed, who are still producing coarse scale 0 gauge, have not got round to producing DCC yet.

[ROSSPOP]

                                               .............................................   DCC Rules ! .............................

 

 

[Theakerr]

I have now come across three instances where points (one insulfrog, one live, one unknown) have had significant corrosion/carbon type build up on the switch blade contact area, especially in points that were not operated frequently.  On one layout the "crud" was so bad on a facing point that it was causing de-railments.  On talking to one gentleman I understand this is not uncommon.  However I have never heard of such an issue with DC systems.  As an ex Metallurgist with some knowledge of corrosion I can see that under some circumstances an 18V 6 amp current might cause some corrosion.  This is not an attempt to decry any system but an academic question that I would appreciate comments on.  BTW one of the points was using a hex frog juicer. 

[ROSSPOP]

............... and in my experience there are two devices railway modellers don`t like cleaning........ trackwork    and airbrushes !!

[F-UnitMad]

  BTW one of the points was using a hex frog juicer. 

Uh-oh..!!! Waiting for the Anti-Frog-Juicer Brigade to catch this. 

 

Incoming!!!  Tin hats on, everybody.

[Mike Storey]

I am losing the will to understand what this thread is about now?

 

Andy's original post sought a quick summary of who uses which, which produced a quite interesting result, especially on here, where one would expect a significant number of long time, and highly skilled but traditional (and that is meant in the most admirable of meanings) modellers, to show a different result.

 

Much of the rest of the thread has been spent defending one view or the other, or suggesting the average modeller is not represented on here (which may or may not be true - what on earth is an average modeller, when she is at home?).

 

I guess a key question is, if we even remotely accept that more people are using DCC than DC now, why? I will be presumptious enough to try to answer that in three lines:

 

a) many retailers and much advertorial supports DCC, because it is available, it works and it might make them a bit more dosh (and why not?)

b) many people want the bells and whistles (literally as it happens)

c) many people actually do think it is simpler to install, if you happily ignore all the expert advice which can often make it seem otherwise

 

That there are now emerging new (?) technologies which could replace track based power with something else, or that baseboard-based sound systems based on B&O surroundsound turned up to 11 might be a better bet, are, for the moment, slightly irrelevant? When any of these become a bit more mainstream, then maybe Luddites, like me, who have only recently adjusted to DCC, might give them a go.

 

But until someone sticks a pre-fitted, Ni-Unobtainium battery powered, self-charging wotsit, with a French-fry or similar that can do what my little cost-a-fortune two wires, plug-in, AI robotic sound thingy does, whilst I use my low tech, track cleaning doobry to make sure it can do what it says on the tin plastic box, I must live with what I know I can get done in the next few years.

 

Youngsters beware - you will wait, or work, a lifetime for perfection, and then someone will tell you it ain't.

[gridwatcher]

Seems an academic point really. Like horse and cart or a Tesla..... in answer to your question we are ALL DCC in SDEG group. Mainly Lenz but also US systems on some home layouts

Edited October 26, 2017 by gridwatcher

[Chris M]

It would be interesting to see the result split by scale. 60:40 sounds about right overall but based on the people I know the vast majority of O gaugers are dcc, OO is fairly even with a small majority DCC whilst N gauge has a clear majority of DC although there are some DCC. This is just my small group of associates, just wondering if others have found the same?

[Pete the Elaner]

I have now come across three instances where points (one insulfrog, one live, one unknown) have had significant corrosion/carbon type build up on the switch blade contact area, especially in points that were not operated frequently.  On one layout the "crud" was so bad on a facing point that it was causing de-railments.  On talking to one gentleman I understand this is not uncommon.  However I have never heard of such an issue with DC systems.  As an ex Metallurgist with some knowledge of corrosion I can see that under some circumstances an 18V 6 amp current might cause some corrosion.  This is not an attempt to decry any system but an academic question that I would appreciate comments on.  BTW one of the points was using a hex frog juicer. 

Small (but I feel relevant point) about this issue: You won't be passing 6 amps through a single point blade unless you have just 1 set of droppers. With several locos running at the same time, you may be drawing 6A from the supply in total, but this will be 0.7A from loco A, 0.5A from loco B, etc.

[Liam]

My home layout is DC, but I do plan to build a small diesel depot layout with sound fitted WR hydraulics and other diesels.

[hallmodelspares]

I find dcc to be not too easy to get along with. I prefer trains to be dc myself as this is still a majority of what is available second hand. To me its all about cost when I looked at railroad just coming on stream the dcc chips Hornby made were a bit cheaper than they are now and quite a few other items. To me a good has been to the dcc modeller that sound has come down in recent times with Hornby making some more affordable offerings but still over the average dc model price. I think there is a place for both its just down to what you can afford really.  

[Steamport Southport]

............... and in my experience there are two devices railway modellers don`t like cleaning........ trackwork    and airbrushes !!

 

And themselves in some cases.     

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Robin Brasher]

Perhaps people who have come into the hobby after DCC became widespread use DCC and older members who have got 200 DC locomotives have stuck with DC. You are not going to run 200 locomotives at the same time so there is no reason why people cannot buy a couple of locomotives and a DCC controller to see how they run on your layout. 

 

To go into DCC all you need are a couple of locomotives and a DCC transformer. At our model railways in the barn at Godlingston Manor in Swanage the 0 gauge layout is normally DCC, one N gauge layout has one DC track and one DCC track and the 00 gauge layout is normally DC.

 

I started off with a Hornby-Dublo train set with a battery controller and I am still entirely DC. If it works don't fix it.

[Richard Lee]

I decided to get into model railways about 5 years ago.  When I started, I was on a budget, and I wasn't sure whether my interest would continue.  I started by using DC, with the thought that I would probably end up using DCC.  Since then, I have decided that I am happy with DC, and have no intention of changing to DCC.  Others will have decided differently.  Might I suggest that people choose what they think suits them and their circumstances best?

[Reorte]

I guess a key question is, if we even remotely accept that more people are using DCC than DC now, why?

Well I'm someone who's generally not into new technology (although admittedly I'm rather more for it for hobbies than life in general), but I went DCC mostly to not worry about isolating tracks. How many recent-ish newcomers are there though?

 

If I'd started a layout before DCC came along I'd probably not change, I'd probably be in the "happy with what I've got so why change?" camp.

[Chris M]

Possible reasons

1. The magazines have been full of how wonderful dcc is. In recent years there have been many articles in all of the magazines about the marvels of dcc. I don't recall any recent articles on analogue control. This will affect people's view, especially newcomers.

2. If people want continuous lights and sound with many features then dcc is the way to go. Sound is very popular at the moment, and why not if people enjoy it? Personally sound does t do a lot for me because there still isn't sufficient depth to the sound and it only represents the loco not the whole train. Nobody is right or wrong on this, just different opinions.

3. I think a lot of people, especially newcomers, don't really understand electric circuits and so dcc is an obvious answer.

 

Perhaps there needs to be a few magazine articles explaining the advantages of analogue and how to wire a layout using dc.

[ROSSPOP]

Perhaps there needs to be a few magazine articles explaining the advantages of analogue and how to wire a layout using dc.

 

In this day an age you just need talk to Google.....`How to wire up a model railway`........ 

 

Mr  B Lambert et al, will tell you how......        simples........

[Junctionmad]

An alarming number of near misses in that video.

 

and massive confusion as to what the Up and Down lines are !!!!

[Junctionmad]

 

I guess a key question is, if we even remotely accept that more people are using DCC than DC now, why? I will be presumptious enough to try to answer that in three lines:

 

a) many retailers and much advertorial supports DCC, because it is available, it works and it might make them a bit more dosh (and why not?)

b) many people want the bells and whistles (literally as it happens)

c) many people actually do think it is simpler to install, if you happily ignore all the expert advice which can often make it seem otherwise

why, 

 

several reasons 

 

(a) Its cheap now 

 

(b) It has features that DC don't and cant have 

 

© Its easier to wire a layout for DCC 

 

(d) you dont need to build control panels 

 

once you " get over " the idea of pricing in a decoder ( which can now be had from about 12 quid upwards ) , DCC offers more features and easier installs then DC in any sort of complex layout  

[Chris M]

why, 

 

several reasons 

 

(a) Its cheap now 

 

(b) It has features that DC don't and cant have 

 

© Its easier to wire a layout for DCC 

 

(d) you dont need to build control panels 

 

once you " get over " the idea of pricing in a decoder ( which can now be had from about 12 quid upwards ) , DCC offers more features and easier installs then DC in any sort of complex layout  

 

I chose DC after much contemplation. It has one really great feature that DCC doesn't have. The loco in use changes when you change the points with no need to find the code for the next loco and enter it into the controller. Magic!

 

[Coryton]

(d) you dont need to build control panels 

 

 

I like control panels!

[bike2steam]

As always with this subject, it ends up being a tail-chaser.

[andy stroud]

When I started in this hobby over 35 yrs ago, DCC wasn't even invented yet.

  Zero1 was out in the late 70s. That's 40 years ago

[Pete the Elaner]

I like control panels!

So do I...but I use DCC.

I wire my point motors the old fashioned way, but I use the frog polarity to power LEDs telling me which routes are set, which is useful for points which are partially or completely hidden. You can't do it quite like this with DC.

Controlling which routes are set is the signalman's role.

I use DCC for driving the trains. I have acceleration set on all my locos. Real trains take time to slow & stop so this provides a much more realistic driving experience than DC, even when it has a simulator.

One of my friends was round recently & he spent almost all evening working out when to reduce speed in order to consistently stop at the right place. He seemed to be having a lot of fun with this & It looked like an addiction!

[pauliebanger]

If you decoders' software included a progressive Brake Key feature in the way that ZIMO decoders do (sound or non-sound), stopping distances would be more easily controllable, even with very high values in CV4 (for extended coasting).

 

Kind regards,

 

Paul