My DCC Journey

[Tallpaul70]

Hi Everyone,

As you may have seen from my last entry in my thread "To DCC or not?" I have decided to go for DCC in my new 00 gauge 12ftx8ft round and round layout, based on a 2 track WR main line, branch junction, and yard.

The layout track plan will be a compromise because while the main focus is on a 1960-62 era scene in the lower Thames Valley west of London, I have, and wish to run, from time to time, locos and stock from a number of periods up to c2016 (when electrification infrastructure that I am not a fan of, spread into the area).

I want to run singlehanded, a fairly intensive timetable, which I have generated from what I consider are the interesting movements from the 1960 WTT, coach and locomotive diagrams.

So, I think I need eventually, to have a touch screen mimic diagram. A degree of automation might be good to run the more routine trains, while I concentrate on the more interesting movements!

Initially my DCC equipment will be used on a small end to end test track, that I am setting up in my workshop, which is separate from the dedicated railway room.

Having set the scene in this first post, next time I will share the details of the equipment I have bought.

Best regards
Paul

[Chris]

What DCC system are you planning to use?

[Tallpaul70]

So the story so far:-

I have kicked off with an NCE Power Cab. Having seen good comments on this controller on my To DCC or not thread, and as my local model shop is a stockist and can give me help and support, it seemed a sensible way to go.

I am taking things one step at a time, particularly as until my local shop has chipped a few locos for me, I only have one chipped loco, a brand new Hornby TTS Castle (I like Castles!). I expect that sound will by the cost be limited mainly to shunting and slow moving locos, where I think it will be most effective.

Chipping is not something that I feel confident to try myself, so I am happy to pay the charges to have it done for me.

So I have an existing 56xx tank being sound chipped and one of my pannier tanks and another Castle being chipped without sound, for comparison.

I am also off to Ally Pally next weekend to gen up further on the possibilities.

Best regards
Paul

[Mike Parkes]

On most models chipping is simply removing the blanking plug and inserting the decoder, the main difficulty is often getting the body off but you need to do that for maintenance purposes in any case and on a new loco its useful to check all is in order. Worth trying it yourself as you will save ££ and a google search for the class of the model and decoder fitting should bring up at least one article on it together with recommendations on what decoder to use (note the age of any such article however as it may be more recent decoders are better sized and/or priced).
There is a useful index of such article at https://clarahost.clara.net/www.bromsgr ... ion4mm.htm

[Tallpaul70]

I agree that betting the loco apart (and back together again!) is the most difficult part of chipping.

The Bromsgrove site looks useful, so I will bear it in mind!

Best regards
Paul

[Chris]

Do you intend to control points as well?

Nothing wrong with getting someone else to chip locos ultimately shops provide the service as there is a demand for it, Enjoy the TTS

[Tallpaul70]

On my test track the points will be hand controlled, and there will not be any signals.

At a later stage in preparation for the main layout, I may test point and signal control via DCC on my test track.

I am also considering a rolling road for testing/setting up purposes when I need to do something in the house as against going to the workshop or railway room which are at the end of the garden!

What you say about the third party services is very true.

Best regards
Paul

[RAF96]

By way of a DPDT switch you can use a rolling road as both a programming and a test run track.

[Chris]

At a later stage in preparation for the main layout, I may test point and signal control via DCC on my test track.

For me DCC points only really make sense if they are used with software where it overlays on a track plan, as then it becomes the same as an analogue mimic board

[Mike Parkes]

I have Roco Multimaus's and use them also for points and signals - suppose it depends on the size of the layout but on a small layout its easy to number the points 1 upwards from one and count them if a number has been forgotten or stick a numbered label on the fascia in line with the point