Why consist?

[sinebar]

What the advantage of consisting over just setting an A and B locos to the same adress?

 

[Espeefan]

No real advantage, but guys with larger rosters like to use the cab numbers for addresses so they don't have to write down the addresses anywhere, and at clubs, if they are large enough, members are sometimes assigned a two digit prefix and use the last two numbers of the loco number for a four digit address. Keeps everything simple, though I do have a few E & F AB sets that are never separated and are programmed to the same address.

 

[UP2CSX]

There are some big advantages in consisting. First, you have the locomotive couple in different directions, like the lead engine forward and the trailing engine cab facing rear. Second, most DCC systems allow you set "silent" consists, so only the lights of the front unit are on in forward and the rear unit in in reverse. You can also set the rear unit for dim in reverse, a common railroad practice. Third, it's even more important with multiple sound units. You can set the consist so the bell and horn only come from the first or last unit, depending on direction, while still having the engine sounds from all units. There are probably more advantges I can't think of right now, but learning how to consist really makes running multiple units a lot easier and more realistic.

 

[thaddeusthudpucker]

Agreed. Consisting can make life a bit easier, when you decide to break up your set (unless of course you have them Drawbar'd as I do my AA F-unit Set) you dont have to reprogram the now wrong-addressed locomotives. This is the way I shall do my PA's, what way if I so choose I can break up my passenger train into 2 sections.