DCC (Digital Command Control)
What is it?


Layout Picture


Layout Diagram

DCC Electronics Installed on SCCMRRC

Digitrax Equipment - (Web Site)

Power Districts (to Distribute Power) - 3
Digitax DCS100 - 1 - Picture
Digitax DCS150 - 2 - Picture

Sub Power Districts (to aid in Problem Isolation) - 14
(see below)

Turnout & Signal Control
Digitax SE8c - 7
Picture

Occupancy Detection (For Signaling)
Digitax BDL168 - 7
Picture

Occupancy Detection Sensors (optional)
Digitrax RD2 - 68
Picture
These optional little devices greatly reduce the amount
of heavy wire required for Occupancy Detection.

Signals
Digitax SMBK - 27
Picture (With 3rd party upgrade kit added)
wired to and controlled by SE8c
Upgrade kit from SMD-N-120 N scale

Radio Receivers
Digitax UR91 - 2
Picture

Tony's Trains Hardware
Tony's Web Site

Sub Power Districts (Circuit Breakers) -14
Main Line - 6 ... Yards - 7 ... Test Track - 1
Tony's PS Four - 4
Tony's PS Two - 1
Tony's PS One - 1
Picture

Reversing Loops
Tony's PS Rev - 2
(Picture pending)

Wyes - 2
Tortoise controlled

Power Distribution Panels

Three "Power District" swing down panels
with 6 Sub District circuit breakers (top and left)
and 2 Digitrax BDL168's (right)

Picture

 

Turnout Control Panels

Turnouts are wired to a Digitrax SE8c, and may be controlled:

  • Manually by Push Button,
  • Manually with a DCC Throttle
  • Computer Program

Push Buttons are wired to SE8c which is wired to Turnouts & Signals

Floyd's Push Button Control of Turnouts
Picture - Picture - Picture - Picture

These panels have:

  • Push Buttons to change Turnout position
  • Bi-color LEDs to indicate Turnout position
  • Blinking Red LED that indicates a short on a given Sub Power District

 

Computer Control

Railroad & Company's - "Train Controller"
RR & Co Web Site

Screen Shot of "Main Line Railroad"

(Image Pending)

May be used to Run Trains & Control Turnouts from the Computer
Keyboard for Realistic Railroad "Operations"

Screen Shot of "Dispatcher"
Used for "Automated" Operations

(Image Pending)

For Open House & Shows, we can run "Fully Automated"
8 trains, 4 at a time on the two Mainline tracks.

The computer program throws turnouts as required (as trains exit and enter their "assigned" siding), and prevents collisions if one train is moving faster than another on the same track.

 

Why all the "Fancy" Digital Electronics?

Your first question, "I thought DCC was as simple as connecting two wires from a DCC controller to the track?"

The absolutely honest answer is, "It can be that simple". A dozen folks can run a dozen trains --independently in any direction-- anywhere on the layout with simply two wires from a DCC controller to the track.

Okay then, if it can be that easy, why all the fancy stuff?

The answer to this depends on what you want to do.

  1. You want more than a dozen or so trains (large club).
  2. You want to distribute power around the layout (large layout).
  3. You want simplified problem isolation (where's the short this time?).
  4. You want reversing loops.
  5. You want remote control of turnouts.
  6. You would like to implement a basic CTC environment.
  7. You want Signals.
  8. Long range, you'd like to consider some automated or semi-automated operations.
  9. Wireless throttle control.

In other words, you'd like to do more than "Simply Run Trains."

For 1 & 2 above, install one or more DCS150 DCC Controllers (and power supplies) to create additional "Power Districts"

For 3, install Circuit Breakers to divide the layout into a number of independent "Sub Power Districts for simplified problem (eg shorts or open circuit) isolation."

For 4, install one or more Reverse Loop controllers.

For 5 & 7, install SE8c to control Signals and Turnouts. (Computer** required).

For 6, 7 & 8, install BDL168 Occupancy Detection (Computer** required).

For 6 & 8, Computer** required

For 9, intall UR91

**and an appropriate Train Control program.