how does it work

[willo]

hi all so how do you get a train to move on it track,is it the loco or the track thats powerd up,im assuming the track because people talk of bonding and plates.

is it better to buy dcc now or upgrade from dc later,also how do you know how many pieces of track you require for a given area,i have an idea wot i want to build but just need to get a bit of info together.

[mick]

Hi Dave. Well for your first post I must say there's nothing like starting at the very beginning

At its most simplest a model locomotive contains a 12v motor which requires a current to be passed to it for it to operate. The power comes from a transformer/controller which is connected to your track by two wires - one wire to each rail. The transformer part converts standard household electrical supply to a safe maximum of 12v whilst the supply to the rails is 'controlled' by the use of a control knob or lever and in general the more power that is applied to the track the faster the locomotive will travel. So yes, it is indeed the track that is powered and it is the track which transmits this power to all individual locomotives. Perhaps someone can explain further/clearer/better

The bonding you mention is simply the act of soldering a wire to the outside of each rail at the end of each section of track which is then soldered to the rail on the adjacent section of track. The two sections of track are additionally joined together by metal rail joiners (often referred to as fishplates) which connect each section of track electrically to the next. However, outdoors (and indoors to a lesser extent) these rail joiners eventually fail and so to ensure continuity of power the join is bridged with a soldered length of wire. The photo below is my attempt at soldering wires across the track joins in order to 'bridge the gap'. The metal rail joiners (fishplates) can be seen also. It's not the best handiwork around but should give you an idea of what is required.

As for your choice of DC or DCC, I would advise that you grasp the basics of how model railways operate and read up on what each particular system offers before making any firm decision. It can be a costly affair and the choice is not something that I can suggest because it will to a large extend depend on exactly what type of layout you require and what you want from your layout. The DC system is perfectly fine for simply running trains - the DCC system offers many enhancements such as digital sound, more simplified wiring and a host of other things.

How much track you will require depends on the size of the area you have available for use and the number of tracks you will be incorporating into your layout. Track is usually purchased in a combination of 1 metre lengths and often available in boxes of 25 metres although it can be purchased in any quantity you deem necessary. All I can advise is that you carefully measure around your proposed circuit but be prepared to require more track than you might at first imagine!

I apologise if I haven't made things any clearer for you or god forbid if I've even made things worse - I'm not one of the most experienced modellers around nor one of the brightest as you will have seen from my own thread but persevere and keep asking the questions if in any doubt. Don't worry if it's all confusing - I started from scratch myself too if that's any consolation - perhaps not eh

[willo]

spot on mike perfectly explained look forward to more answers.

[Dave]

Mick's description of powered rails makes all that clear, so no need for me to add to it!

I am going for a start with simple DC as I will have a pretty simple layout design (at least in the first instance) and I also have a number of regular DC locos already. I'm hoping to look at enhancing it to DCC in a few years, or at least look at alternate running (i.e., either DC or DCC mode), but either way it would require a whole different set of controllers and locos and probably some extra wiring, too. The track doesn't need changing, though, at least!

If you've not done so already, I think I would recommend picking up a cheap starter set that you can mess around with - I recently got a Hornby freight starter set for about £15 from ebay, for example. You can then use this to experiment with different things you want to attempt with the bigger outdoor layout and gain confidence that you're doing it right - I've also found a multimeter to be an invaluable tool and they're really quite cheap from Amazon at the moment.

I've ended up adding loads of little bits to what started as my experimental layout - buying some Thomas trains for the kids and even building an indoor baseboard for a Hornby trakmat for my experimental setup. You don't need to go that far, of course, but for me, this has effectively become an indoor layout I play with the kids on which has given me a lot of confidence to go outdoors and build, too.

[willo]

thanks for your input dave sounds like a good idea i will buy myself a little kit to get started and av a mess about.

[chris]

I'd be very interested to read Ian's opinions of running DC outdoors, because in my opinion DCC holds all the advantages for garden railways.

Simply put, DC varies the track voltage between 0 and 12v, DCC pumps out 16v all the time. 16 volts has a much better chance of passing through the "wheel-rail interface" than 8 volts (for example). Even at slow speed a DCC loco is receiving the full 16 volts from the track so your train can be crawling into a platform and not stall.

The other big plus for me is that on DCC you control the train, while on DC you control the track. This is the same whether you're inside or out, but in either environment it's a lot more fun.

[mick]

DCC has obvious advantages over standard DC and certainly its slow speed control is beyond compare. However, as I have learned myself, to get the very best from it you really do need to put the effort into getting your track properly laid to begin with. You've also got to have a strict regime of track and wheel cleanliness otherwise you'll encounter nothing but frustration. A momentary loss of power for just a split second and apart from a stuttering loco you could find the DCC sound restarts from the beginning and your loco's lights go out - not very prototypical at all although some DCC chips (but not all) can be programmed to overcome this.

I'm sure that DC users feel just as much in control of their train as a digital user but the advantage for me in DCC train control is that without any additional wiring or electronics I can control 2 or more trains individually on the same track at the same time. You really can 'drive' (and periodically blow the horn if you so wish )

With so many apparent advantages you would expect that DCC would quickly become the standard for OO gauge train control but it's far from that at the moment which shows that not everyone embraces its qualities. A look at the RTR manufacturers catalogues shows that the major companies also fully support both systems. There are still lots of modellers using analogue DC to control their trains and getting true enjoyment from them but I'm sure that the latest generation of OO gauge railway modellers will be weaned off onto DCC.

My entry into model railways was with an old analogue controller and it's that experience that has guided me to where I find myself today. If DC was the only system of control available to me today I think I would still be out there in the garden doing similar to what I do now - albeit without blowing my horn so much . It's not just about the type of control you have but how you build and operate your model railway. Would I be satisfied with a layout like the 'Kirkfield and Warmthorpe' but using standard DC control? - absolutely!

[chris]

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Would I be satisfied with a layout like the 'Kirkfield and Warmthorpe' but using standard DC control? - absolutely!

Me too, which is why I'm interested in Ian's opinion of DC outdoors.

[IanR]

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I'd be very interested to read Ian's opinions of running DC outdoors, because in my opinion DCC holds all the advantages for garden railways.

The only reason I don't use DCC is because of the cost involved. Forty odd locos and units would cost a few bob to convert and to be honest I'm satisfied with DC, having had no problems with it since built. You need clean rails and wheels whether running DC or DCC either indoors or out. I suppose that if I was starting from scratch I would almost definately go with DCC.

I do like what you guys are achieving with DCC though, especially with sound.