freescopesdad
Active Member
Couple (well, a few) of questions/comments/thoughts... How committed are you to DC? Is it because you are already invested in DC locomotives? Most can be upgraded to DCC with a decoder swap, rather cheaply if you ignore sound (which you don't currently have anyway). Your MRC1370 only controls one train anyway, so you will need to invest in more controllers to run multiple trains to take advantage of that dual main. Do you really need ALL of that yard area? I think half of that would suffice, perhaps along the back, separated by a scenic ridge. You can devote the whole left side to scenery. Another point is that DCC wiring is SO much simpler than DC wiring, you can abandon the need for block wiring and operate multiple trains independently. You are already investing a lot in this model railroad, I suspect converting to DCC will seem like a drop in the bucket and actually save you money in certain areas. Can't tell you what to do, just think about it.
As for wiring Kato track, terminal unijoiners are more reliable than terminal track sections, and more flexible. Of course, getting back to the DC vs DCC question again, there is the question of placement, so be cognizant of that issue. Wiring Kato turnouts... many modelers I know with DCC layouts still use the Kato 24-840 turnout switches and 24-842 DC converter connected to a Kato power pack. I have stationary decoders from DCCConcepts (Iron Planet Hobbies) that allow me to switch turnouts from within my DCC controller (ESU ECoS). All layout lighting (buildings, exterior lighting, crossing signals and bells) consists of 12 volt LEDs connected directly to 12 volt DC walwarts. My DCC track bus only supplies track power to running trains and the turnout decoders, which have very little draw as they are always in standby mode.
If you haven't already, you might consider posting your layout (the Anyrail file) on their forum. There are many very knowledgeable modelers over there who can offer quite a bit of constructive support in fine tuning your layout. Good luck. Ron
As for wiring Kato track, terminal unijoiners are more reliable than terminal track sections, and more flexible. Of course, getting back to the DC vs DCC question again, there is the question of placement, so be cognizant of that issue. Wiring Kato turnouts... many modelers I know with DCC layouts still use the Kato 24-840 turnout switches and 24-842 DC converter connected to a Kato power pack. I have stationary decoders from DCCConcepts (Iron Planet Hobbies) that allow me to switch turnouts from within my DCC controller (ESU ECoS). All layout lighting (buildings, exterior lighting, crossing signals and bells) consists of 12 volt LEDs connected directly to 12 volt DC walwarts. My DCC track bus only supplies track power to running trains and the turnout decoders, which have very little draw as they are always in standby mode.
If you haven't already, you might consider posting your layout (the Anyrail file) on their forum. There are many very knowledgeable modelers over there who can offer quite a bit of constructive support in fine tuning your layout. Good luck. Ron
