I need any and all opinions!

[rodney mcgiveron]

G'day Brian...You can run DCC locos with DC locos via analog.(DC)control especially if they're Dual Mode...but the reverse isn't true unfortunately..Most DC only locos just sit there and buzz with all lights on and usually go nowhere I'm afraid through a DCC controller......and the speed matching would be pretty difficult too...Personally I'd keep my DCC locos together on your soon to be bought DCC control and if you are like me and have a few really favourite DC locos...hunt up a second DC controller...to occasionally hook up to your layout for a run...That's exactly what I do..Takes me all of two minutes .to swap over if the urge takes me to run some old SD40-2s or GP38s , etc....
Let us know which DCC control you go for...always a good deal floating around somewhere....Cheers Rod..

 

[tootnkumin]

One question though can I use powered locos in tandem that aren't DCC equipped or should I modify them?

To clarify here. DC locos can be run "in consist" (the term when running multiple locos together), and you can do it with the engines tail to tail or following elephant style, or with a couple or so that way and the last one reversed, just like you see the real RR's doing it, the direction of travel is controlled by your direction switch on the DC controller, and depending if your controller/power pack puts out enough amperage to do it. (think of electricity as something like water from a tap, Voltage = pressure, Amperage = volume. If you have a small supply pipe and tap and the water pressure is 100PSI, you will get a certain amount of water out of the tap. If you have a large pipe and tap @ 100PSI you will get the same pressure but the volume will be much greater. A bit rule of thumb but might help you to understand how DC works. You control the Voltage/pressure by how much you turn the control knob. This is what determines the speed your DC locos will move. The motors in your locos will draw whatever volume (current) they require, normally less than 1amp at max. You may have a P/pack rated at 1 or several amps (the DC layout power at one of my clubs is about 7 or 8 amps. This will be the determining factor of how many loco's you can run together.

DCC layouts are a different animal, they have a constant voltage and amps applied to the track at all times. The decoders in the engines decipher, according to the 'messages' sent from your controller, how much power from the track to apply to the motor/s, which is why each loco or consist has it's own 'address' and can operate independently of others on the same track, something you can't do with DC.

If you have DCC/sound, DC dual decoders in your engines, you will not be able to consist them with straight DC locos on a DC layout, as sound equipped locos draw anything up to 7 volts just to get them going, whereas your DC locos will be wanting to be speeding down the track by then.

 

[rodney mcgiveron]

G'day Brian , Re Toot's much more forthright answer.."Like he said ".....Exacty right....My suggestion is that you're much better off all round not mixing loco types ..I think I read somewhere a while back regarding amperage/power draw etc.. that running DCC chipped locos too much on analog control isn't a really good thing to do.....although you can run a dual mode loco via analog that way with some basic sounds and lights.. HOWEVER....If you still have an analog controller lying around .you can periodically unhook your DCC track wires and run a couple or three .nose/tail.or other configuration of DC locos..via analog...one small advantage of DC is that they usually run reasonably together that way.so long as they're in good nick ..If you end up buying a Powercab one of it's best features is the simplicity of 'consisting'...via DCC..of multiple locos (DCC of course)...I still drag out some nice DC only SD40-2s and a Dash 9 just for the fun of it...I have my main track wire with the same spade terminals to go allow a pretty quick and easy change of controller to my layout..but I don't mix them..I've even contemplated the thought of a third main track one day , just to run an analog train independently of DCC but at the same time..Speaking of analog...if you have time one day ,go to You Tube...type in " Tall Timbers & Santa Fe HO Railroad"..make yourself a coffee and sit back and watch two different layout visit videos...One is in two parts , both 15 minutes or so each...and the other one is just under 5 minutes.. They'll blow you away...and it's DC Analog ...In the shorter video though he has enabled sound in some way...it has taken the owner Jim Lofland..over 30 years...but WOW....Cheers Rod...

 

[otiscnj]

I think there are or have been several 'tutorial books' published by either Carstens, or Kalmback about DCC. You could always try and google search on 'DCC Q&As.' You might also go thru the Electronics forum here, as questions about DCC come up every so often.