My DCC Journey

Hi Everyone,

I have recently decided to go for DCC in my new 00 gauge 12ftx8ft round and round layout, based on a 2 track WR main line, branch junction, and yard.

The layout track plan will be a compromise because while the main focus is on a 1960-62 era scene in the lower Thames Valley west of London, I have, and wish to run, from time to time, locos and stock from a number of periods up to c2016 (when electrification infrastructure which I am not a fan of, spread into the area).

I want to run singlehanded, a fairly intensive timetable, which I have generated from what I consider are the interesting movements from the 1960 WTT, coach and locomotive diagrams.

So, I think I need eventually, to have a touch screen mimic diagram, and some level of automation, so as to run straightforward through trains, while I concentrate on the more intricate and interesting train splitting, terminating, and shunting.

Initially my DCC equipment will be used on a small end to end test track, that I am setting up in my workshop, which is separate from the dedicated railway room.

Having set the scene in this first post, next time I will share the details of the equipment I have bought.

Best regards
Paul

 

Thanks for your positive replies, Guys.

I have kicked off with an NCE Power Cab. Having seen good comments on this controller on my To DCC or not thread, and as my local model shop is a stockist and can give me help and support, it seemed a sensible way to go.

I am taking things one step at a time, particularly as until my local shop has chipped a few locos for me, I only have one chipped loco, a brand new Hornby TTS Castle (I like Castles!). I expect that sound will by the cost be limited mainly to shunting and slow moving locos, where I think it will be most effective.

Chipping is not something that I feel confident to try myself, so I am happy to pay the charges to have it done for me.

So I have an existing 56xx tank being sound chipped and one of my pannier tanks and another Castle being chipped without sound, for comparison.

I am also off to Ally Pally next weekend to gen up further on the possibilities.

Best regards
Paul

 

Hi All,
Collected three chipped locos today. They are a Hornby 08, a Bachmann Pannier and a Hornby Castle. All are fitted with Zimo non sound chips.

These locos were chosen to explore facets of DCC:-
The Castle to compare with my TTS Castle - I have third Castle which might soon get a sound chip.
The shunters to compare diesel and steam shunters under DCC. Later a similar pair will get sound chips, again for comparison.
The panier is also non DCC ready, so I get a view of hard wired against socketed chips.

So tomorrow, I will get a view on setting up loco addresses, and also see how the above locos run on my test track.
I will post my findings later in the week.

Best regards
Paul

 

Further to the above, I have received information which says that the HCC Castle(amongst others) was the Airfix 1979 body on a Dapol 1985 Chassis.

I have now completed the readdressing of the three locos recently chipped, and am pleased to say it was not difficult. They all work fine.
I then got overconfident and decided to try pairing the two shunters in what the NCE manual calls a consist.
This was not difficult, but the problem I have is that I can't work out and the manual doesn't help on how to stop the locos working in a consist and return them to working against their individual addresses.
When I call up the individual addresses and advance the throttle, they just don't move?

Any help on this would be appreciated?

Best regards
Paul

 

Thanks for the Clear Consist info which I had read in the manual, but not appreciated its significance.
Unfortunately I misunderstood how a consist worked. I thought it sat in the system same as a single loco address and then could be called up any time you wanted it. I guess it can so long as you don't want to run the locos in the consist singly?

So when running modern stock and wanting to top and tail a train, unless I keep those locos purely for working under the consist, I will have to set up a consist each time I want to use it. I had hoped to use a consist for banking, but it seems not to be suitable?

So any ideas on the best way to do banking?

Best regards
Paul

 

I am leaving banking on one side for now, its not vital to sort out at present.

Bought a Hornby Sound fitted Vent van at Ally Pally on Saturday. I am pleased with it, it will be useful to provide sound background to the operation of my layout (when it is built!).
One downside is that the steam train arrival at a station file is spoilt by the background such as the station announcements is 2010s rather than 1960s (Please stand behind the yellow line …….).
Will have to work out a location for it perhaps behind a building. The wagon clanking and uncoupling sounds will make a good background to the hiss of steam in shunting operations!

Best regards
Paul

 

Yesterday I collected my latest items to be Sound Chipped.
One is a Bachmann WR 56xx tank, the other a Dapol class 122 Rail car.

The 56xx sounds good, although I think I shall have to increase some of the volumes a bit.

I have yet to find out if its sound is better than my TTS fitted Castle, although I suspect that may have to wait until I have somewhere to let them have a good run. So I may be putting together a circuit of 2nd radius curves as a continuous test track, once I figure out somewhere I can put it and leave it set up. It might be feasible in one corner of my workshop next to my existing long thin test track so that I can move my NEC from powering the existing test track to powering the circuit without too much trouble.

I have to say the "play" potential of the sound fitted class 122 is huge!
It is interesting to do a start up routine by switching on the cab lights, slamming the drivers door, starting the engine up, then on with the head and tail lights, off with the cab lights, on with the saloon lights, brakes off, rev the engine, and gently move forward!

Hope you are all progressing with your projects,

Best regards
Paul

 

So, Having got a YouTube account set up, I am now going to try uploading for you all a short video of my TTS Castle and Hornby Sound Vent van on my (very) temporary test track on our dining table!

This is only my second attempt at a model video, so there is more sound than model movement, as I found it difficult to control the models and the iPhone simultaneously!

Hope this works?

Cheers
Paul

 

Firstly, apologies for no update for several weeks, but a number of unplanned things both modelling and family/household got in the way!

Anyway, I have now able to test my old DC locos, as well as my newly converted DCC locos, having completed the roundy-round test track and provided it with both DC and DCC power, although switching between the two is not easy.

So can anyone tell me if I have separate power systems for DC and DCC, plugged into separate power sockets is it sufficient protection to switch which ever is not in use off at the socket and the power unit , or should I , as I am currently doing disconnect the system not being used from the tracks?

I realise I need to only have one type of locos, either DC or DCC, on the test track at one time according to which power system is being powered.

Having now got over my Class 31 Mayzak rot at the expense of a new class 31, I still need to test other classes highlighted on the rot list such as Bachmann class 42s, Hornby Class 50s and steam class 75xxx and MNs/WCs/WC 4-6-0s

The latest problem is the high current for Lima motors. I had tested several Lima locos and wanted a sound conversion on a GW AEC Parcels railcar as there seems little prospect of a new model unlike the passenger cars where I will have to be patient and save up for the new Heljan version. As the model ran wellI thought it ok, but on testing my model shop advised that it was drawing 1.1 amps which they thought too close to the 1.2 amp limit for Zimo chips, having had examples blow in the past.

So the two alternatives are :-

1) go for a second hand Heljan class 128 in BR green, which vehicle took over from the W34W AEC parcels car in the Thames Valley. This should convert to DCC sound ok.

2) buy a Hornby updated Lima GWR passenger car and swap to its chasss the body for the parcels car giving the parcels car a modern mechanism. This might be cheaper than 1) above provided Hornby have left the fixings between car body and chassis unchanged.

Any thoughts would be welcome!

Many thanks
Best regards

Paul