New DCC Books Will Help Many

November 12, 2013

DCC has been around for many years – yet for many in the hobby, how DCC operates is still a mystery.

DC Wiring

Basically with DC you need to break your layout into various electrical sections and add suitable switching. Pickups on the loco get power from the track directly to the motor. You need to have one controller for each locomotive running. You will also need to run a large amount of wire even on a small layout.

Tuning a loco’s performance on a DC railroad can be very difficult without changing motors or gearboxes. Locomotive lights will vary with the voltage. A low speed will mean low voltage, so stalling can be a common issue unless the trackwork is perfect.

DCC Wiring

There are several brands of DCC controllers to choose from.

DCC can be as simple (or as complex) as you want it to be. A DCC layout can consist of a simple common electrical circuit (you decide) – or if you are a wiring enthusiast…well, the sky is the limit!

With DCC each loco can be operated independently without worrying about unwanted interaction with other trains. There is no operational requirement for isolated sections or separate controllers.

The DCC controller provides a full voltage at all times so locomotive (and coach) lighting is constant. With the availability of a higher track voltage, the starting and slow speed running is often better than if the same loco were running on DC.

Two new DCC ebooks

If you are comfortable with DC then stick with it. If you want to explore new possibilities, then consider DCC. It really is a matter of personal choice.

If your layout operates well on DC, then it operate well on DCC too.

These new DCC ebooks are available from http://www.dccmodeltrains.org