Chessie, Man, what kind of motors cost $70? I reciently had to replace 2 motors in an old Athearn DD40, replaced them both with the newer can-type Athearn motors for under $20. Add another $20 for a decoder and it's ready to fly! The newer Athearn motors are more DCC friendly and will retrofit into the older units nicely, at least that's been my experience. 2slim
Chessie, Where there is a will, there is a way...hang in there guy. I thought all TAMR members could leap tall mountains...etc...etc...etc Lol
Why don't I use DCC: Simple. I don't have $100 for anything, so how could I afford DCC at a minimum of $150 (for the MRC system plus decoder)? Model railroad has gotten so expensive lately - I know the equipment is getting better, but I'm finding myself getting the cheap equipment just so I can stay in the hobby. Not to mention that my layout will only really have one train running on it at a time...most layouts probably don't have more than two. If DCC comes way down in price, I'll consider it. But right now it just ain't going to happen.
I can relate to hobby poverty... But cheap is more expensive than expensive...especially in certain categories like engines, DCC, and track. You are better to buy one quality loco in a year, than couple...because you will find cheap ones die, and then you are out of pocket...quality ones just keep on going, and going, and going.
Hi Folks, I just got the Atlas unit to learn about DCC, so some lurkers do make the leap. Guested on a Digitrax layout, sold on the idea. Regards, Steve Lynch www.NYandW.com
Remeber and Remeber always... DCC does have its flaws. BUT I did not say it is worse OR better than traditional DC. I really consider DCC a novelty item for Model railroads its not needed to run a fully functional model railroad but can add to the experence. DCC or no DCC or MIXED Model Railroading is still FUN!!!
I'm still lurking, and yes I have retired, and yes I am still considering DCC. At 70 years old, and with over 50 steam engines, and probably somewhere around forty diesels I really don't think I want to spend the rest of my life converting to DCC just to have DCC. The only consideration I have for DCC is the 200 ton wreck crane that is DCC and supposed to be the greatest thing since Red Ryder BB Guns! Why not radio control, that's the newest one? Are all of you going to junk DCC and go to Radio? My main objection to DCC is the speed control, or lack of hands on "feel" with no throttle to allow infinite control, especially when coupling. Maybe I haven't seen an accomplished operator make a decent couple yet. So far the cars are banged together like a toy Lionel. They push the button and the engine keeps on going! I'm certainly not afraid of change, I made my living in Engineering Design & Development for over 45 years, it was all new, hadn't been done before! Talk about change? I have been there.
DCC has changed everything. Why not radio control? Well...for N scale...still not possible. Whether DCC survives, one thing is certain, block control is going to be thing of the past. Atlas agrees with that since all their new HO engines are coming equiped with decoders, whether you want them or not. I can assure you...many have put up a stink about it, but Atlas will ignore them because they know we are entering a different era. So these guys are taking the decoders out of the engine and flogging them on ebay. And you know what? I guarantee you, some of them will regret that move. I keep likening DCC to model aircraft flying. In the old days, I had a model plane that I could fly in a circle using string. It could go up and down, and that was about it. Then the industry went to radio control, and no one, but no one is flying em with string anymore. Why? Well, less fun and less prototypical. Now these guys are having "fly ins." Watash, I can sympathize with you. If you are a lone wolf running your own trains, then you might stay with blocks. But if the boys come over Friday night, well...you may still want to stay with blocks, if they are all starting to get long in the tooth. But then, you might want to switch, and see what all the noise is about, I know you will enjoy it more, unless you are a lone wolf. The throttle thing you are talking about, I've never run into that kind of problem. I run digitrax and when you set it up to run on 128 speed, there should be no problem. Also, occassionally when I have guested at another Digitrax layout, I have had problems. But the problems are due to the momentum adjustments the person has imput into the system. I don't like momentum, as I prefer to control that aspect of the train movements. Digitrax has three levels of throttles, with each level having a choice. First, there is the throttles for dummies (my favourite actually); these models are UT1 and UT2 I believe. These are both tethered throttles, with a nice big knob for us older farts. Then there is the 100 series, tethered, infra-red, and radio controlled, and now the 300 series, with a new release coming out soon of one of the two 300 series. Both the 100 and 300 can control two locos (not including MU'ing) at once, a feature that doesn't turn my crank, but might for a lone wolf. Whatever system wins out, DCC or radio controlled (mostly larger scales use radio control and HO and N, DCC); blocks are history, except for a few for a programming track, and to help locate shorts. It will be a slower transition than model airplane flying, because model railroading has more older folks, and folks who are conservative in everything in their life, who don't like change but it will happen. I am in sales, and what I was taught years ago was this. If you visit an old fart, don't use your lap top, they don't trust it or what it produces. If you visit a young fart, make sure you use your lap top, or they'll think your out of touch with the present. If it is some between the ages of 50 and 65, ask permission to use your laptop, some will be okay with it others will object. I was also taught that the young folks are already using computers, the middle folks are moving to computers with some resistence. And those close to retirenment are holding out, hoping they can retire before they use computers. Now this was about five years ago. Many older folks are discovering computers and the net, but lets be realistic, you couldn't pay some to use, even if the net enhanced their shut in life style considerably... my mother being one of those.
