This looks like a good place to ask. What the heck is the " bus " mean after the DCC? I just come back from a wholesaler and spent 2 hrs browsing. WOW !! WHAT FUN. One of the salesmen took time to show me around and we got into a great conversation and he showed me his layout which was on display at Eaton's in Montreal and now has at the store.(16'x4') The topic came up of DC/DCC and he explained the differences and ran the trains, demonstrating what we were talking about.His attention to detail added so much interest to the layout and he explained the difference in money that i am putting into it and wanting to wire for dcc in the future.I know now that i have too many reverse loops (a headach to wire he said) so i will cut back to 1 or 2.( my album has a diagram of my layout ) if anyone wishes to critique. Well, sorry to talk so much!, I just had a good time and wanted to share. Now I have to hit the drawing board and rethink DCC.
I am happy to say that I just converted this week to DCC and it is the easiest thing to implement. At first it is hard to convert in your head. All you need to know is that BUS means wires. You attach the wires from the rails to the bus. No more attaching wires to selectors. Its all under the table. It is quicker to install then DC.
Joseph: The two bus lines are wires under the benchwork . Feeders from each rail are attached to one of the corresponding two bus lines. The bus lines in turn connect to the power terminals of your DCC command station. You can drop feeders from each section of track to the corresponding bus line (red) (black). The bus lines power your railroad. Each individual feeder is soldered to a bus line. Have fun. Stay cool and run steam.....
Hello Joseph, I just finished reading "Digital Command Control". This book takes you through DCC from beginning to Present (the book was written in 1998) and was VERY helpful understanding terminlogy and concepts. I highly recommend reading. Good luck and I think you've found the BEST forum! Chuck (sagelake)
THANKS BOB AND CHUCK. IT'S JUST THAT I WANT TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. WHEN I WAS AT AN INTRO. VISIT I HAD TO A LOCAL CLUB, THEY WERE ONLY TAKING NEW MEMBERS WITH DCC ONLY. THAT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON OF COURSE BUT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT SYSTEM TO ME. (BUT WHO AM I) I'M TAKING A LONG HARD LOOK AND STUDY DCC REGARDLESS. Cheers
The best source for DCC info is from the following website. Tony's Trains DCC Primer. This is current material. Chuck, unfortunately the book you read is dated..... 1998. Much in DCC has happened since 1998. Technology in DCC has made tremendous advances since 1998. http://tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm Stay cool and run steam......
I agree... save your money and read up online... there are plenty of sites to look at and learn from. DCC is very easy, dont let the terminology get you down... I maily learned where pictures were available and everything turned out OK!
Well thanks guys.I have it printed and now to read and do a self study. I,ll probably have a question after that, no doubt (oops, getting low on ink) 19 pages. Ink very well spent.
Joseph: Have fun reading about DCC. It really is very easy and the learning curve isn't too steep. Stay cool and run steam....
I am not sure why the hobby shop guy said that reverse loops were a pain to wire. DCC makes it much simpler than DC - the cost may be a little higher, but it is relatively simple to do, and even simpler to run. Andrew
In addition to the Tony's trains primer (good, but no pictures), here are a few additional links: http://www.loystoys.com/MiscHTML/dcc-topics.html http://www.litchfieldstation.com/ (Click “University”) http://www.siliconvalleylines.org/dcc/presentations.html
Andrew, I probably failed to explain that point properly. It was doing the loops withiot DCC which would be a real headache. Dcc is looking better for me I think. Hey, I have 2 sons in Ottawa, one named Andrew.and he is 35!!. Go figure! Thanks for the feedback.
Great, thanks Doug. I'll certainly check those out today. Cheers Just did a quick look, WOW. lots of good stuff
Yes, DCC is much better for this kind of thing. It sounds like a cliché, but it really is better to "run the trains, not the track" Are either of your sons into trains? There are some great groups here in Ottawa. Andrew
Not at the moment Andrew. I go often and would appreciate any info on shows , good MRR shops, or any clubs that I could visit.I spent most of my military career in Petawawa and was thinking of modeling some scenery of the Ottawa valley. Cheers
Joseph, Sorry for the delay in my reply. The best calendar of events for Ottawa (although it does not include everything) is at www.ovar.ca . There are also links there to many of the other active clubs, like hotrak, and the local NMRA chapter. Andrew
Ottawo and area events Well, thanks Andrew. I've spent the last hr reading some great history of T&NVR. and other link info. Appreciate it very much.Cheers.
Forgot to mention shops... Best HO in Eastern Ontario is Larkspur Line in Merrickville (west of the 416 via Kemptville). HO and N are in stock at Hobby House (in Vanier) and Vintage Trains in Kanata (both have info on the www.ovar.ca site). If you are into large scale/garden stuff, you should check out www.ovgrs.org They are getting into full swing now I am sure! Andrew
An amazing number of "hobby shop guys" don't understand DCC. Because they don't understand DCC, some are admantly opposed to it. In DCC you will notice it is the guys who don't have it who are opposed to it, not the people who own it. I've been in a particular hobby shop in the lower mainland of Vancouver and listened to advise given a newbie by the shop clerk; advise that was just plain wrong. The reason it was wrong is the guy didn't own DCC himself and hadn't spent the time to learn. Even in hobby shops that carry and support DCC, not everyone in the store is knowledgeable about it. You need to find the one or two clerks who know it, own it and run it.
Rick: You're correct in your statement that those opposed to DCC never have tried it. DCC users usually never switch back to analog. It's like watching a B&W television again, ancient technology. But times will change shortly as more loco manufacturer's incorporate decoders and sound in thier loco's at the factory. Stay cool and run steam.....
