I think the terminology is confusing the issue. As I understand it you can get a DCC system with multiple throttles. Each boy can have his own and control a train with it. If you have 4 trains then they can each control 2 trains (although they can only change the speed of one train at a time). Systems allow quite a few 'throttles' --- it varies with the make.
Mark Thornton
"Ed Callaghan" wrote
exhibitions
I just reckon the other makes offer better value for money although I have heard several comments about ZTC reliability.
John.
The DCC control system consists of a central unit (a minicomputer) and controllers. Generally the central unit already has one controller attached and you can add more by plugging them into the CU. You can't have two CUs linked to the same track because the signals would clash and you would get a direct short.
How the CU and controllers are connected depends on the brand - some use a console control and some plug-in hand helds and some a mix of the two. (you pays your money and you makes your choice)
If you address one decoder address with the first controller then the CU will reject the second controller's attempt to gain control.
Sort of related - if you have two decoders on the same address then they will both react to the one signal message.
Greg.P.
You're close enough to the plot! "Joe" and "Bill" are of course "01" and "99" or in the most recent upgrade "001" and "999". If you want to drive two locos at the same moment then you're going to need two knobs, ten locos - ten knobs ... The signal length to "Joe" and "Bill" is so short that you won't notice the delay. (On big club layouts the delay can become noticable) The problem you don't yet know about is that there are usually limitations to each system because they have not implimented the entire DCC possibilities. The limitations might be the number of controllers, number of speed steps (0-14.
0-28, 0-127 etc) the number of acceleration/deacceleration steps, number of functions accessible ... Basically you have to know _everything_ before you buy or gamble that it does everything you will ever want from it, or be prepared to onsell and buy a better one later. When you buy that loco with lights and steam sound and whistle and coal shovelling and Westinghouse pump and ... and find your CU only allows you to turn the lights on and off you're going to be irritated! The you get problems like sound units that only allow steam sound _or_ whistle _or_ ... when the other brand allows 47 different sounds simultaniously for another pound on the price.Regards, Greg.P.
In message , John Turner writes
Not had any problems with my Command station or boosters. Did have a possibly dodgy Decoder, but they replaced it for me . lose the trap to reply.
BTW John, have you any pictures of the Military Flask wagon Bombardier built?
"Ian Birchenough" wrote
I don't think so, but if I have it will already be up on my
John.
Yes, I only discovered this recently... It's not just the cost of chipping-up all my locos in one go, there's the time involved too. Less than half of my stock is DCC-ready, so it will take a while to do the lot - hence the idea of chipping them up one-by-one ready fot the "big-bang" of swapping the controllers (hopefully thr "big bang" will be metaphorical not litteral!)
Adrian
OK...so say I can swing a Lenz Set 100 from my Mrs for CHristmas...
Adrian
"Adrian" wrote
Yup - email me off group for details.
John.
"Adrian" wrote
It's not just the cost of
Hi Adrian - I don't know what quantity of locos you're talking about, but I converted 14 locos & dmus (all my blue diesel fleet) in around a week, but that included the learning curve and some experiementing with different decoders in different locos.
I'm not trying to confuse matters but some locos work better with different decoders, but 70% of my fleet is now working fine using the Lenz LE1014 (or the Bachmann equivalent), whilst I've used LE1035s in Bachmann 40s and 46s and the tiny LE0511 in my 08s.
John.
For what it's worth, I have the following (one of each!) : Heljan 47 Hornby 50 (original with wrong socket orientation) Bach 55 Bach 40 Bach 20 Bach 25 Bach 08 Bach 158 Hornby 56 Hornby 90 Hornby 86 Hornby 91 Hornby 110 Hornby HST Mainline 03 Lima 87 Lima based kit-built prototype DELTIC Black-Beetle on DC Kits 105
John - I don't think I have your email address anymore - Please email me by replying to this (removing the spam-trap bits).
Adrian
"Adrian" wrote
Contact me off the
John.
I am considering getting the Roco Loco Mouse 2 with an extra throttle. There will then be two identical throttles --- important as I have two children (saves a lot of aggravation as any parent with more than one child will know).
While you can extra throttle to the Lenz Compact system, it won't be identical to the first unit. The more expensive Lenz systems would allow identical throttles, but at much greater cost. The other alternative is the American EasyDCC system which apparently has two controls on the main unit.
Mark Thornton
My old MRC unit has _three_ controllers on the one panel and sockets for two hand-helds.
"Mark Thornton"
erk - i have two kids but the youngest is only 1 . so i have to worry in a few years time?
but don't they need identical tracks and engines as well?
even with eldest and his friends, annie and clarabel get split up behind behind percy and thomas - and they get a troublesome truck each.
thanks the roco - hadn't heard of that one.
May be not as the age gap is probably rather larger than we have.
Well you can hope that they will have different favourite engines. However the power/speed need to be balanced.
We have Percy, Thomas, and now (as of today) Gordon. I wonder if any one here will admit to having converted any of these for DCC? Incidentally Gordon runs a lot better than the other two (as he should for the price).
Mark Thornton
I've done the Tomix N scale Thomas... Makes a big hit on the club layout at shows!
Kids are never identical so they don't "need" identical treatment. You could look on the railway as a "reward" system as well as a teaching system. A new wagon as a reward for a good report-card/... Just don't get too carried away with the size of the rewards or you'll end up with the biggest and most battered collection of trains ever! Way back when, I used to bring home plastic farm and zoo animals as rewards for good behavior - the layout was inundated with farms and zoos!!!
Time to get the Thomas books out and get them into observations on how the prototype (Sodor) worked!
Mark Thornton wrote:-
It would not surprise me if Hornby announce a DCC starter set with both Percy and Thomas included in order to counter Bachmann's freelance twin-loco set.
(kim)
There was a Thomas done in Model Rail sometime in the last 12 months or so.
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