I’m not going to pretend to be an electrical engineer. In fact, wiring is the bane of my existence, aside from Algebra.
However, being the “techie” that I am, I’m often drawn to having the latest and greatest when it comes to these kinds of things.
Digital Command Control (DCC) offers some great advancements for model railroaders, but the additional expense can be considerable. Is DCC right for the Erie & Southern Railroad?
Why DCC?
A Digital Command Control system can control and operate multiple locomotives on the same section of electrical track. The main draw of DCC systems is this feature, whereas analog systems are limited to powering only one engine per block/cab at a time.
For me, this is not much of a selling point. While I can certainly see the advantage for larger and club-sized layouts, I can’t imagine myself running more than 2-3 trains at a time.
Toot Toot!
Another advancement that DCC offers is sound! I don’t know of any model railroader who wouldn’t enjoy this feature, and I’m no exception. However, I’ve heard that sound quality can vary greatly from system to system. Personally, I would rather have no sound at all versus having something that was cheesy or toy-like.
I also can’t imagine that it would be difficult to make a sound station where pre-recorded sound effects could be available at the push of a button. Small speakers could be placed strategically around the layout or inside model buildings to produce the desired sounds.
Final Verdict?
The jury is still out on this one. One major hit against DCC is the prospect of installing N scale decoders in my engines, which can be a real pain. Entry-level DCC systems are affordable these days, and they seem like they’d be easier to install than analog.
What are your thoughts and/or suggestions?
