DCC recommendation ?

Jeff Binkley · 2006-01-16T02:11:25+00:00

If you've read some of my other posts, you'll note that I am getting ready to make the DCC plunge. I have done lots of research, including Tony's, the Dec Model Railroader and more, and am down to a choice of two systems: the Digitrax Super Chief Radio or the NCE Power Pro R. Both seems to have their pros and cons. The Digitrax is older but more established. It doesn't appear to be NMRA compliant and doesn't allow software upgrades. The NCE system has a thumbwheel, instead of a knob, and shorter battery life for the throttles. Can anyone share any other real world experience on either system before I take the plunge ?Jeff

Jan 16, 2006 72 Replies

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mark_newton 20 years ago

I don't ask this to be narky, but how much prototype track have you seen? I've seen track on the Dao line in Portugal that had neat and well-defined alternating bands of light and dark ballast, each about 30 feet in length. I couldn't find anyone who could explain that!

Bear in mind that I'm trying as much as possible to only model things that I've actually seen for myself, I'm not just making it up as I go along... :-)

That's probably the case. The effect on the actual modules is not that pronounced.

As far as I'm aware, there is no ballast on top of the sleepers on my modules. I went to some trouble to keep the ballast below the tops.

But having said that, it's not at all unusual to see replacement sleepers with old or weathered ballast around them. Ever seen a per-way gang re-sleepering, as opposed to relaying? I've watched blokes remove the spikes, dig the ballast away from the end of the sleeper with a pelican pick, remove the old sleeper, put in a new one, all the while barely disturbing the surrounding ballast. They do it in Japan, and we do it here in Australia, so I'd hazard a guess and say it's done that way elsewhere, too.

All the best,

Mark.

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mark_newton 20 years ago

Thanks for the compliment, Ken.

I'm dragging the thing outside next weekend to have some photos taken for a magazine article. I'll post some of them when they're ready.

All the best,

Mark.

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J Barnstorf 20 years ago

Yeah they do that in Canada as well. And touch up ballast often does not match old ballast and new ties are interspersed with old ties. I've seen track with similar weathering to what you've created but in a variety of different colors.

Here's a weathering effect that you might find interesting: lightly sprinkle raw sawdust along the tracks and you would be simulating the wood chips found along the CP Rail mainline in northern Ontario. Wood chips are often blown out of the tops of chip gondolas and there's a lot of that traffic near Marathon Ontario.

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mark_newton 20 years ago

That's interesting all right, Jb. I take it the chips are small and lightweight, and the gondolas have no covers, roofd or the like?

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Wolf Kirchmeir 20 years ago

mark_newton wrote: [...] Ever seen a per-way

They use a machine to do that hereabouts.

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Ken Day 20 years ago

Thanks. I'll be looking forward to seeing them.

Ken Day

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mark_newton 20 years ago

Yes, we have those too - made by Kershaw IIRC. Very useful for production re-sleepering, but as they're on-track machines they require possession. A small gang of blokes doing it manually can work between trains, as traffic permits.

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