I want to build a model railroad not sure what system to buy..I'm looking for reliability and expandable and compatible one..My goal would be like running 20 locos maybe 30..I've read up on lenz system don't sound to bad or NcE..Price wise not a big issue if it's worth the money..Thanks!!
Hello, and welcome to TrainBoard (or more correctly, congratulations on making your first post). What you are asking is one of those religion questions, with adherents preaching the gospel of their chosen systems. When you say "running 20 locos, maybe 30", do you mean that you want to have 20-30 locos operating at the same time? Any good modern system can support hundreds of locos, but it is the power consumption that limits how many can be operating at the same time. Lenz and NCE are good brands. So are Digitrax, ESU and many others. While the new ESU ECoS system is still going through some growing pains, it has been designed to be able to updated with firmware downloads, so won't require being "sent into the shop for x weeks". All the systems work well with JMRI, and there are many accessories available for expansion. Many of the decisions points will depend on what else you want the DCC system to control: signals, switches, auxiliary lights, etc. Maybe a bit more description on where you actually are and how you want to operate your railroad will help the members here guide you to a good selection.
Well one thing to add to Rick's post, see what the folks around you are doing if you can. That way you have some local support if you get in a fix. As for the DCC system, well that all boils down to personal tastes. You do not want to get caught up in the old Chevy-Ford, Yankees-Red Sox things. I have used both Digitrax and ESU ECoS. The best reason I can give is that I went past the limits of the Digitrax systems and that made me move on to ESU. That was the only reason. My layout went past the maximum turnouts that the Digitrax system could handle. I also run Digitrax with the NTrak club with good success. I have never used the Lenz or NCE systems so I will not comment on them. The other expansion choice out there was Zimo, but that was past my comfortable price point, though I do like their mobile decoders a lot. Hint, you can use any brand decoder on any front line system. Good luck and good hunting for your DCC system!
Their are a lot more things to consider when choosing your DCC setup. Where do you plan to use it? just home or out at a club or at a train show or maybe at a friends place? What system do others around you use? Do you want Wired or Wireless throttles or maybe autonomous computer controlled? Do you want Automated Signaling or just basic lighting What about support? .does your local hobby / train shop carry the system or will you have to travel across the state or order it on line. Have you tried out any DCC systems. The best advice any of us can give you is go find a local club in any scale and check out what they have and why they chose what they did. Go to a train show and ask those running trains what system they are using and why. Just don't be surprised if someone hands you a throttle and sais here give it a try. NCE and Digitrax seam to be the most popular with Z scale users Each system has its strong point as well as its weak spots. once you know what options you want and have given both a try you will be in a better position to choose which system best suits your needs David
Another thing to consider is, if you haven't purchased your locos yet, or you're locos don't have decoders, it would be really good to add Railpro to your list of considerations. Yes, there's more work adding the decoders in, but the system is so very very much easier than DCC and has features that just seem like the future compared to DCC. Especially if you plan to run more than one engine in consist. Again, there's a bit of an install challenge potentially, but if you're up for it, it's worth considering.
