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I'm about to buy my first lokomotive, a Broadway limited blue line GE AC6000. I want to run this on a DCC track. My question: what DCC system? XpressNet or LocoNet?? Or doesn't that matter, i haven't choosen a decoder yet. (I have yet to buy some track and system)
Again, sorry if this is a totaly super stupid question but i have tryed to find the answer myself but....
Well, smaller than i would like i quess , not a very big layout i'm afraid, i want to be able to run a few trains on an ovalish track with a side track and a small yard.
So.....the wiring then Maby i need to buy a book or is it easy? Before the room in our basement is ready we would like to build a small railroad just to run the train and so. I'm thinking of just using our kitchen table when we want to use the train (4'x6') so it's nothing static. An oval with a small yard would be great. Something like this:
Not at all for DCC, just one pair of wires from the controller to the track, and then if you use remote switches, you will need a set of wires to each switch and a control for each one.
That is unless you use DCC controlled switches, then you really don't need anything more than the pair of wires from the controller to the track.
Things to consider..
1) do you have local hobby shops that carry particular DCC systems
2)do you have friends or clubs nearby that are already useing a particular system
As your just starting out...and with a pretty simple and smallish layout I would suggest you check out the NCE Powercab system
...its a perfect starter system that has everything you need to get a few locos running
very easy to set up
expandable for the future
reasonable price...about $150 US
heres a link http://www.tonystrains.com/products/nce_ssets.htm
An AC6000 probably won't work very well with the corners that would fit on a 4x6 layout. It is a huge loco and with those curves I would stay with small 4 axle locos like a GP9 or GP30 or 35.
for simplicity a MRC DCC system is hard to beat. its great for a small layout and comes with a hand held controller that lets you walk around a bit. you can also upgrade it to wireless. just my opinion as each system has their good and bad
As a user of both systems, I would recommend the NEC Powercab. If you want to program easily using your system, the NCE user interface is much more user friendly than that of the Digitrax system. I'd suggest trying both if possible. The cost difference is next to nothing. I know of several larger clubs that use Digitrax as their main operating system, but have an NCE Powercab under the table that they program with.
As a user of the old and reliable Super Empire Builder from Digitrax, I can heartily endorse this system. It is rugged, powerful, and 100% reliable after nearly four years of use.
I have no other user experience, and can therefore not offer you a knowledgeable comparative basis to defend my initial choice. I wonder how many other users responding here have extensive comparative experience.
For your own edification, you must learn what each system can and cannot do the way you need it done as it relates to your layout design and operation. Asking people for help to get the best system will provide some answers, but some could just as well be misleading without knowing the capabilities that you will need first!
The fact is, all entry level DCC systems find favour with first time users. Few new users return their systems because all of them provide the basics and do it reasonably easily so that they are easy to set up and use for those not experienced in DCC. They quickly earn buy-in, in other words, and their users are almost always content to retain them and continue to use them.
So, there will have to be other questions asked to separate them from each other. What are those questions?
I have used both NCE and Digitrax at the clubs I belonged to and from my experiences NCE Won. There were too many problems with digitrax. And if I brought locos from one club NCE to another Digitrax I couldn’t get them to work properly as I forgot to unconsist them. BUT had to reprogram the locos on the digitrax system to get them to run and from what I saw even the expert DCC guy at the club had issues setting the units up as I am not a frequent Digitrax user. As for NCE it is a lot user friendly and the instructions aren’t written like a computer programmer’s manual.
If that ever happens again, try programming CV-19 to "0". That will kill your consist without having to remember the consist number. Having used both systems myself I don't remember ever seeing a problem caused by programming on Digitrax and not running on NCE.
Thanks alot everyone for your input, i know the AC6000 is a big big loko i intend to build a bigger track l8er in life This layout is just for playing while we are waiting for the basement room to be available to us.
If that ever happens again, try programming CV-19 to "0". That will kill your consist without having to remember the consist number. Having used both systems myself I don't remember ever seeing a problem caused by programming on Digitrax and not running on NCE.
The DCC Guy at the club tried that and it didnt work, locos wouldnt change the CV value. LOL They did get reprogrammed after a couple tries and worked OK, then when I brought them home I reprogrammed them on the NCE system and had no issues. One thing I learned is that if you take units off a NCE sytem make sure to break up the consist and turn off momentum as Digitrax doesnt like that. LOL Left a sour taste on my mouth for Digitrax. Also I have used the NCE Radio throttle and can do everything with it but I noticed that on Digitrax the DT400 has to be plugged in to do some things.
niklas:
I believe Crandell (Selector) has given you the most sensible advise. Many will fault an entire line from a manufacturer because they had a problem that was actually the result of their own lack of understanding. As written, most all entry level systems have the same features/capability and Digitrax and NEC are probably the most popular. Purchase with the thought that someday you may expand: Is the system expandable?
Your question about Loconet: Loconet is the communications network used by Digitrax only. This is how the layout components (loco's decoder, stationary decoders, signals, block detector, etc.) get their information to/from the throttle via command module. Loconet is by far the most versatile, capable, and reliable of all.
