New to DCC, Some questions before I get started

[Berkshire Brian]

I have been building This railroad: http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/f...ad.php?t=21172 And because I inherited most of the equipment from my grandfather (who passed in 97) he never had DCC, he was still using the traditional controllers. I want to upgrade to DCC to make my railroad seem a bit more realistic. I have a basic understanding of DCC and how it all works but I have a few questions:

1) Where does someone like me start? I looked in my walthers catalog and was overwhelmed by all the options and different circuit boards. What I want to know is what are main components I need to start using DCC? I want to control the Locomotive, lights, switches, scenery lighting (if possible) and some sounds.

2) Will my old non-DCC trains be upgradeable to DCC?

3) With DCC will a manual selector still be needed to switch to different circuits of the layout?

If there are any kits out there, and even a website or thread with a good beginners tutorial I would appreciate the info. The prospect of having DCC is getting exciting because i have never been satisfied with my old setup.

[bristolman]

try this one if you havent googled starting out in dcc . http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm
one of the things you might do is tell everyone what scale you are doing this in . lot of loaded question ie: can you upgrade engine to dcc ? im new to dcc too but after all of the reading i did on different forums , i believe you have made the right choice going to dcc . the way it was explained to me the wiring is so much simpler in dcc ( another good reason) hopefully others will chime in as im a beginner too .
mike

[Berkshire Brian]

Thanks mike. Sorry i forgot to mention its HO scale.

That link is great I think it may answer all my questions haha.

[hamltnblue]

1) Where does someone like me start? I looked in my walthers catalog and was overwhelmed by all the options and different circuit boards. What I want to know is what are main components I need to start using DCC? I want to control the Locomotive, lights, switches, scenery lighting (if possible) and some sounds.
A: I would recommend visiting a club or LHS that carries DCC and check it out. Otherwise a good starter set by Digitrax or NCE is a good place to start.

2) Will my old non-DCC trains be upgradeable to DCC?
A: Depends on how old they are and a few other things. Most loco's can simply have a decoder wired into them. Some use the chassis as an electrical common. On those loco's the motor must be isolated from the chassis to prevent burning out decoders. Also some older loco's draw a lot of current and may be too high for decoders.

3) With DCC will a manual selector still be needed to switch to different circuits of the layout?
A: if you're talking about sections of the layout track NO. You can simply tie the output of the command station to all of the BUS wires and you'll be running. If you have a larger system with 5 amps you can isolate sections but for most home layouts it isn't necessary.


If there are any kits out there, and even a website or thread with a good beginners tutorial I would appreciate the info. The prospect of having DCC is getting exciting because i have never been satisfied with my old setup.
A: This and other forums are a good source of info. Trains.com also has books available on-line that include DCC starter books.

Once you go to dcc you will wish you had done so long ago. It is almost like a totally different hobby. The ability to run multiple loco in different speeds and directions with multiple operators, and without special wiring is a big deal. Also the ability to run multiple loco consists with them facing different directions adds to the fun and realism.

[cajon]

Have a look at this website for even more DCC info:
http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/n...tm#BoosterWhen

[amdaley]

Originally Posted by Berkshire Brian

I have been building This railroad: http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/f...ad.php?t=21172 And because I inherited most of the equipment from my grandfather (who passed in 97) he never had DCC, he was still using the traditional controllers. I want to upgrade to DCC to make my railroad seem a bit more realistic. I have a basic understanding of DCC and how it all works but I have a few questions:

1) Where does someone like me start? I looked in my walthers catalog and was overwhelmed by all the options and different circuit boards. What I want to know is what are main components I need to start using DCC? I want to control the Locomotive, lights, switches, scenery lighting (if possible) and some sounds.

2) Will my old non-DCC trains be upgradeable to DCC?

3) With DCC will a manual selector still be needed to switch to different circuits of the layout?

If there are any kits out there, and even a website or thread with a good beginners tutorial I would appreciate the info. The prospect of having DCC is getting exciting because i have never been satisfied with my old setup.

Brian.
Grab yourself a large coffee & have a good read here.Richard Johnson does a good job of explaining it all.
http://www.dccconcepts.com/index_files/DCCadvice1.htm