What do you wish you knew about DCC or think others should know?

[Train_Dude]

DCC for me has been a bit of a game changer, It can offer you more reliability, a higher sense of realism, an easier time wiring, more detail in your models like sound and lights, multiple trains running on the same track and I'm sure there are many other benefits that I am forgetting. 

 

But DCC isn't without its drawbacks, it is a step up in price and there is a lot of jargon and technical info that is sometimes needed to get the thing to run at all.

 

Two things I wish I had known when starting for the very first time; not all DCC controllers will be able to do all the functions of the DCC loco you have and you might be better off jumping in and getting a good controller to start with as it will save you time and money. Another thing I have realized with DCC is if you want sound in your locos you are better off buying them with sound in to begin with as that will probably save you about £20-£30 a loco in the long run.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Two things that I find myself repeating as advice regarding RTR OO.

It won't fix stone age ringpiece mechanisms, and especially those dependent on traction tyres.

Live crossing pointwork and good quality wiring are required.

[Penrhos1920]

I wish I knew that it was only 2 wires.  It’s so much easier than 1,000,000,000 wires.

[Train_Dude]

23 minutes ago, Penrhos1920 said:

I wish I knew that it was only 2 wires.  It’s so much easier than 1,000,000,000 wires.

I have a friend who runs on DC and his layout is very impressive, but mine does pretty much the same but uses about 10 times less wiring and one controller. DCC kind of feels like a cheat code when you look at what people had to do 20-30 years ago.

[Michael Hodgson]

  .

Edited April 19 by Michael Hodgson

[Michael Hodgson]

Things the average DC user may not appreciate about DCC are

• you can use DCC for traction, or to control accessories like point motors and yard lights, but you don't have to put both onto DCC - which can mean a cost saving on equipment
• the direction forward/reverse is relative to the orientation of the loco rather than to the track, which means forward=chimney first and you need to know which is the front and back of a diesel loco if you want to set it going the right way first time
• you need an autoreverser if you have a reverse loop
• if it's a big layout all running on the one supply, a short caused by derailment will stop the lot, not just the affected line - so zoning the supply into districts with separate cutouts may be advisable
• if you're taking locos along to a club layout intending to run them together with other people's, your numbers need not to conflict with theirs, or you will have some unexpected movements
• traction feed wiring should use heavier gauge wire than you may be used to on DC
• when selecting equipment, there are some optional facilities which are not supported by all decoders, such ABC braking for automatically braking
• the same applies to Railcom, which allows a controller to identify a loco - both controller and decoder have to support the feature

Edited April 19 by Michael Hodgson

[Izzy]

What do I wish I’d known? That decoder makes are not equal in the motor control quality, most not being nearly as good as I got under DC. If it hadn’t been for CT & Zimo I’d have bailed out back to DC. And the situation is little different today than 14 years back. For the high investment cost I had expected better. Now I know different.

 

Bob

[spamcan61]

As an occasional DCC dabbler I hadn't realised that different manufacturers implement features in different ways e.g. some have latching functions by default, other manufacturers are non latching for the same function.

 

 

[mike morley]

Smartphones had been around for getting on for ten years before I finally got one and I very quickly discovered that a degree of existing knowledge that I simply didn't have was automatically assumed and that I was too far behind to stand any chance of catching up.

I'm now in the early planning stages of a new layout and was considering going DCC, but am rapidly coming to the conclusion that exactly the same thing applies.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

2 hours ago, Train_Dude said:

DCC kind of feels like a cheat code when you look at what people had to do 20-30 years ago.

It took a long time to move the traditional MRC member from 'the hairshirt approach is the only authentic way', and  to accept that good quality RTR was 'acceptable'; and DCC simply iced the cake.

(First thing I purchased on getting a place of my own was an automatic washing machine. My late mother adhered to a single top loader tub with 'agitator' plus mangle device, and took years to  regularly use the stand alone spin drier.)

8 minutes ago, mike morley said:

...I was too far behind to stand any chance of catching up.

I'm now in the early planning stages of a new layout and was considering going DCC, but am rapidly coming to the conclusion that exactly the same thing applies.

Not so, all your existing knowledge is relevant, it's more akin to moving from stick shift to automatic transmission.

[GrumpyPenguin]

3 hours ago, mike morley said:

Smartphones had been around for getting on for ten years before I finally got one and I very quickly discovered that a degree of existing knowledge that I simply didn't have was automatically assumed and that I was too far behind to stand any chance of catching up.

I'm now in the early planning stages of a new layout and was considering going DCC, but am rapidly coming to the conclusion that exactly the same thing applies.

It is a problem with most things thesedays - too many people assume that you know the basics & RMW is no exception, in fact, IMHO it is worse in some respects as many members over-complicate things.

 

I would suggest that you start simple after taking some time to choose your controller - visiting a shop &/or exhibition stand with choices will help a lot there, if not speak to people like Coastal DCC or DCC Train Automation for advice.

Follow up with a couple of locomotives & a "test/learning" oval with a couple of sidings and you will soon get the hang of it and be ready to progress further.

[Train_Dude]

8 hours ago, mike morley said:

Smartphones had been around for getting on for ten years before I finally got one and I very quickly discovered that a degree of existing knowledge that I simply didn't have was automatically assumed and that I was too far behind to stand any chance of catching up.

I'm now in the early planning stages of a new layout and was considering going DCC, but am rapidly coming to the conclusion that exactly the same thing applies.

I think this applies a bit if you are doing fully automated trains, they do require fairly specialised kit and some knowledge of computers and how they are expected to be used.

 

That being said I am not someone who has any idea about any dcc train automation, the tech, the jargon, the software. I know nothing about it other than I see youtubers using it and it looks quite cool (an expensive)

 

For me the nce power cab is very good, and more than I could want without going fully into automation. It's not designed (in my opinion) with the idea that you understand or use modern tech, because frankly as a 27 year old computer savy guy, the nce looks and feels quite "vintage" in its user interface and sometimes I have a hard time with it as it is so unlike modern tech design.

 

That being said, once you understand how it works and you read the manual a few times you do start to get an idea of what they are going on about and it starts making the Trains do train things!

 

I think this most likely applies for the other dcc controllers on the market, but you would have to ask the people who use them on specifics as I've only ever used the power cab and the starter dcc Hornby controller.

[Right Away]

14 hours ago, mike morley said:

Smartphones had been around for getting on for ten years before I finally got one and I very quickly discovered that a degree of existing knowledge that I simply didn't have was automatically assumed and that I was too far behind to stand any chance of catching up.

I'm now in the early planning stages of a new layout and was considering going DCC, but am rapidly coming to the conclusion that exactly the same thing applies.

DCC is really what you make it and what you want it to do.

 

At it's simplest, the ability to operate trains independently without the need of isolating sections is a very strong selling point. Indeed, it was this very feature that went a long way in convincing me to use DCC when my layout was being drawn up 13 years ago. My Lenz system is probably showing its age when compared to what is available nowadays but it has proved itself over time. Some people may allure to the bells and whistles of the latest tech but from a personal point, observing the trains and their environs is preferable to concentrating on a display screen.

 

There is no "specialist knowledge' required to start off in DCC,  but simple expedients such as providing feeds to every section (piece) of track together with preferably switched polarity to turnout (point) frogs, and keeping the track clean will ensure smooth running. Any advanced skill, if so required can be gradually achieved once you are comfortable operating the system.

 

[GrumpyPenguin]

1 hour ago, Right Away said:

DCC is really what you make it and what you want it to do.

 

At it's simplest, the ability to operate trains independently without the need of isolating sections is a very strong selling point. Indeed, it was this very feature that went a long way in convincing me to use DCC when my layout was being drawn up 13 years ago. My Lenz system is probably showing its age when compared to what is available nowadays but it has proved itself over time. Some people may allure to the bells and whistles of the latest tech but from a personal point, observing the trains and their environs is preferable to concentrating on a display screen.

 

There is no "specialist knowledge' required to start off in DCC,  but simple expedients such as providing feeds to every section (piece) of track together with preferably switched polarity to turnout (point) frogs, and keeping the track clean will ensure smooth running. Any advanced skill, if so required can be gradually achieved once you are comfortable operating the system.

 

Summed it up very well indeed .

[Oldddudders]

25 years after I adopted DCC, my only bolt-on to running trains is to operate points via DCC, and then only where it really adds convenience. But for those with the interest in doing so, the sky is the limit in terms of what DCC can do. It really can be all things to all modellers - subject only to the budget issue, which is significant in the present climate. 

[Andymsa]

Deep pockets I would say😃

[dave75]

Just to put a different view , if you have an old laptop and can find £30;for an Arduino, you don't need a big expensive "controller" to go DCC so I'm not sure the deep pockets line is relevant to the thread. 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

5 minutes ago, dave75 said:

Just to put a different view , if you have an old laptop and can find £30;for an Arduino, you don't need a big expensive "controller" to go DCC so I'm not sure the deep pockets line is relevant to the thread. 

 

If you've got a lot of locos and want to convert, it's still expensive because you have to fit them with decoders and it soons adds up.

[Nigelcliffe]

1 minute ago, Michael Hodgson said:

If you've got a lot of locos and want to convert, it's still expensive because you have to fit them with decoders and it soons adds up.

 

If you've got a lot of locos,  you either had deep pockets, or the person you inherited them from had deep pockets.....   

 

Most people have far too many locos.  One regularly hears of people with 50 or 100 locos.  How many of them actually get run ?  How often ?    There's nothing wrong with a hobby of "collecting", but don't use the shelf-collection to put down someone else' interest in running.   

[Railpassion]

Sound is the game changer for me. Shunting and running round is now such a pleasure with sound. From realistic acceleration to locos idling whilst the driver has his tea break, the sheer presence and heft which sound gives has transformed my experience.

The ability to switch off the sound is also an essential feature when needing to concentrate on wiring or trackwork etc.

 

I'd agree with the OP that buying sound fitted locos (new or second hand) rather than just DCC is sensible in order to save money. 

 

 

Edited April 21 by Railpassion

[GrumpyPenguin]

5 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

If you've got a lot of locos and want to convert, it's still expensive because you have to fit them with decoders and it soons adds up.

& that is the perfect time to have a "cull" of locomotives you no longer/rarely use & us ethe proceeds to pay for DCC.

[Train_Dude]

On 21/04/2024 at 09:10, dave75 said:

Just to put a different view , if you have an old laptop and can find £30;for an Arduino, you don't need a big expensive "controller" to go DCC so I'm not sure the deep pockets line is relevant to the thread. 

 

This is probably one of the best tips so far, even though I knew you could do DCC from your computer, I always saw that as something you do when you want to go all in, but this idea serves as a reminder that it could also be a cost saving measure in the right circumstance.

[YT-1300]

On 21/04/2024 at 09:21, Nigelcliffe said:

 

If you've got a lot of locos,  you either had deep pockets, or the person you inherited them from had deep pockets.....   

 

Most people have far too many locos.  One regularly hears of people with 50 or 100 locos.  How many of them actually get run ?  How often ?    There's nothing wrong with a hobby of "collecting", but don't use the shelf-collection to put down someone else' interest in running.   

I have a lot of loco's and don't have deep pockets!  

[F-UnitMad]

6 hours ago, YT-1300 said:

I have a lot of loco's and don't have deep pockets!  

I have a lot of locos which is WHY I don't have deep pockets!!! 🤪😁🤦‍♂️

[rogerzilla]

You can change controller system without reprogramming the locos, or in fact doing anything at all to them.  The decoders hold the CVs, not the controller.  This means you can start out with a basic controller, maybe one that came in a DCC train set, and upgrade easily when you feel you need to.  Open standards and all that.