What can DCC do???

[stephen_woodhead]

Hi, Im thinking of upgrading to DCC but im not sure if it can do what im hoping it can. I have a very simple layout its basically a big single track oval, but one side splits into 3 tracks and then back to one. I have 3 engines, each sits on one of these three tracks, 2 isolated by the points and one can run around the loop. At the moment I run one engine round the loop then stop it manually and flick the points to allow another engine to run round, stop it again, flick the points and run the third engine. This all works very well but im hoping that if i upgrade to DCC ill be able to pre program it to do this all by its self. So engine one complets one complete loop, stops the points change, then engine two sets off and dose the same then engine three etc. Can this be done? or will i still have to start and stop each engine manually and hit a button to change the points?

[Howbi]

Hi Stephen, welcome to the Forum..........yes, Hornby RailMaster is a PC/Laptop program designed to automate most operations on the model railway..........on your current layout you would just have one track connection with the necessary points configuration and the whole layout would be live so you can have several locos moving at the same time..........HB

[Fishmanoz]

HB, my reading of Stephen's question is that he only wants one train to move at any one time but wants to automate the parking in the passing loops and selection of the next train to traverse the loop.

 

Stephen, you can certainly use RM as HB mentions to write a program to automate this sequence.  All you need do is turn on its program recorder, run the trains as you wish and it's done.  However, if you then ask it to repeat the sequence a number of times, errors will creep in as to exactly where the trains come to a halt and sooner or later one will park itself across the points rather then neatly within the passing loop, bringing the whole sequence to a derailing and crashing halt.  To do this successfully, you will need the yet to be released Loco Detection to accurately park the trains in the passing loops.

 

So when will LD be released you ask?  To the collective sigh of those who've been here some time, it's currently 5 years and counting and no sign yet.  Go to the RM forum and the topic ending in Let's Start a Sweep to see what everyone's guesses are.

 

PS.  The fundamental difference between DC and DCC is that with DC you control the track and DCC you control the locos.  Currently, you are making live only that part of the track that contains the loco you want to run.  If you change to DCC, all of the track will be live and you'll use your controller to address commands only to the loco you want.  Then after parking that loco, you can switch to controllling another.

[2e0dtoeric]

If you really want to sit back and watch your railway run round on it's own, E-link and Railmaster is the way to go.

What will DCC do - just about everything! Lights on-off, noises - if fitted with a sound decoder, double-heading, with engines facing in different directions - (if you tried that with analogue, you'd get an instant crash!) - coach lighting, if you have any, stays on all the time, even if there is nothing moving. It does away with the tangle of 'spaghetti' under the board, especially on such a simple layout as yours, because the points can be controlled through the track - no extra wires! -

If you really wanted to, you could even play chase, with two trains going around the one oval, and you can adjust the speed of either one without affecting the other (until the faster one catches up with the slower one!)

[Chrissaf]

Just to provide some additional clarity.

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You need the additional intelligence of software running on a PC to provide the level of automation you have described. For example, RailMaster software. If you only have a digital controller such as for example a 'Select' or even an 'Elite', then you would still have to perform the functions manually with your hands on the buttons and knobs of the controller. The controllers on their own don't have the intelligence to be programmed in that manner.

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Also to have RailMaster change your points as part of the automatic programmed control function. You would have to operate your points via electrical point motors (typically solenoid point motors, but other types are available) then wire them up to Digital Accessory Decoders that can then be controlled via RailMaster.

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In this scenario, RailMaster sits at the centre of your layout control, talking digitally to your locos (that would need to be fitted with DCC decoders) and talking digitally to your points via the Accessory Decoders. The easiest way to program RailMaster to perform the automation, would be to put RailMaster into 'record' mode. You then manually perform all the actions you want to automate on the layout, and RailMaster remembers what you did and when you did it. You then 'save' that recording as a RailMaster program. As long as all the locos and points are in the same starting positions, then the RailMaster program will (when you run it) perform all the actions you did manually for you, without you having to lift a further finger.

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Review this short video produced by Hornby....it contains a section on using the RailMaster 'recording' feature.

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PS  - As Fishy says, there is likely to be some creepage over time if the recorded program is run sequentially over and over. When you notice this creepage and in the absence of Loco Detection, you would have to reposition your locos back to their original starting positions.

[stephen_woodhead]

Yea thats exactly what I'm wanting to do, I understand the fundamental difference between DC and DCC but wasnt sure if you could program it with the standard DCC kit. Thanks for clearing that up, as i said its a big oval, it runs round my living room on a high level shelf so a bit of creapage on where the trains stop probably wont be too much of a problem. Thjanks again !!!

[stephen_woodhead]

Thanks thats exactly the answer i was looking for!

[OzPepper]

Stephen, yours is running around the living room shelf, always in 1 direction?  As describe by the gurus above, with DCC you could potentially have multiple trains running at the same time in opposite directions, and shunt one to the siding whenever necessary to prevent collisions.

 

How about changing directions of any one train - do you do that? I am thinking reverse loops or turntables. If you do not have any of these yet, do consider to add more sophistication and excitement to the layout. Then you could really complicate the story by making your trains run all over!