3 Reasons to get a DCC System
Before getting into this topic, let me be clear that you can run your trains any way you want. I'm a firm believer in the "my railroad, my rules" philosophy in the hobby. Many people are content with analog DC systems, others prefer battery power and remote control (just ask garden railroad owners). But for the N scale and HO scale enthusiasts, I highly recommend checking out Digital Command Control. Not only does it allow multiple units to run on the same track in different speeds and directions, but there are several other advantages as well which make DCC a superior control system to analog DC blocks. Here are three distinct advantages DCC gives operators:
1). Simplified wiring. DC block wiring requires careful planning as well as an array of switches, lights, and power supplies in order to keep trains running smoothly. Even then, the control system requires manual input to ensure that two trains don't end up in the same block. Bascially, DC block systems were useful in the days where an operator was stationed at one place and controlled everything from a panel. DCC systems only require a pair of bus wires to be ran around the room which has feeders tapped in every few feet to ensure a solid connection.
2). Computerized customization. With programs like JMRI, trains, turnouts, signals, lighting, and sound can be programmed and customized. Dispatch orders can be created and organized, consisting and speed matching is much easier, trains can be automated for continuous running without any input needed. Heck, trains can even be run with smartphones! All this is possible from technology that 20 years ago was often feared and misunderstood. DCC helps modelers run their railroads more realistically and uniquely.
3). Wireless expansion. Anyone who is somehwhat familiar with DCC knows that throttles can be wireless. Getting rid of the need for plugging in every few feet is an amazing advantage all its own, but that is not what I am discussing here. For HO and N scale modelers, the future direction of DCC is in battery powered DCC. Product lines from (formerly) Tam Valley, S-cab, BlueRail Trains, CVP, and more are continually getting more compact and more reliable. I'm not saying this will be the future tomorrow, there is still a lot of progress to make, but I do think this is an absolutely fantastic advantage DCC has over analog DC. All the electronics are solid state in a digital system. This reduces size and mass and allows electronics to get even smaller. Batteries are going the same route. Imagine being able to simply lay track on a table and run trains without wiring connections. Now imagine a basement empire with few wires under the layout. That is the future I see.
1). Simplified wiring. DC block wiring requires careful planning as well as an array of switches, lights, and power supplies in order to keep trains running smoothly. Even then, the control system requires manual input to ensure that two trains don't end up in the same block. Bascially, DC block systems were useful in the days where an operator was stationed at one place and controlled everything from a panel. DCC systems only require a pair of bus wires to be ran around the room which has feeders tapped in every few feet to ensure a solid connection.
2). Computerized customization. With programs like JMRI, trains, turnouts, signals, lighting, and sound can be programmed and customized. Dispatch orders can be created and organized, consisting and speed matching is much easier, trains can be automated for continuous running without any input needed. Heck, trains can even be run with smartphones! All this is possible from technology that 20 years ago was often feared and misunderstood. DCC helps modelers run their railroads more realistically and uniquely.
3). Wireless expansion. Anyone who is somehwhat familiar with DCC knows that throttles can be wireless. Getting rid of the need for plugging in every few feet is an amazing advantage all its own, but that is not what I am discussing here. For HO and N scale modelers, the future direction of DCC is in battery powered DCC. Product lines from (formerly) Tam Valley, S-cab, BlueRail Trains, CVP, and more are continually getting more compact and more reliable. I'm not saying this will be the future tomorrow, there is still a lot of progress to make, but I do think this is an absolutely fantastic advantage DCC has over analog DC. All the electronics are solid state in a digital system. This reduces size and mass and allows electronics to get even smaller. Batteries are going the same route. Imagine being able to simply lay track on a table and run trains without wiring connections. Now imagine a basement empire with few wires under the layout. That is the future I see.