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Hi folks,
Not to get the Mindstorms folks out of the picture, but I'd like to consider
the possibility of going to NMRA DCC (Digital Command Control) for 9V Lego
Train at rtl/train2 (which would be late summer...September even)
The way it works is that each 9V engine carries a Decoder, and the entire
track is electrified by a Booster. The Booster signal injects a control
network protocol created by Command Station. The Command Station can be a
PC with joystick throttles, a handheld DCC throttle controller, or a number
of other devices. Trackside devices like switches can also be controlled,
each with a decoder.
Advantages would be no need to isolate blocks of track, no need to keep one
engine per block, and specialized functions like remote switching and
decoupling on a shunter.
It appears that the cost of conversion of a 9V 5300 Train Motor is about $32
Canadian for the Digitrax DN121140, yer basic no frills N scale DCC decoder.
The N scale decoders are little asprin sized things which have leads that go
between the power pickup on the wheels and the drive motor. The track has a
modulation which individually addresses an engine through a PCM signal. The
modification should be relatively transparent, you cut open the motorpack,
solder in the DCC decoder and glue the base back in place. Of course, DCC
modified and original motor packs can be swapped in and out of models.
The control system is a little more complicated but a friend at the office
here and I are enthusiastic to build a custom controller based on plans and
run it off a laptop.
Is anyone interested in converting to DCC? My plan is to build a single DCC
modified train and test out on my own personal layout. Eventually I'd like
to convert all my packs to DCC. The issue is that everyone has to go DCC in
one shot for a group layout-the unmodified motors probably will just zip
along uncontrolled on a DCC track.
Calum
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: DCC for train2
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| (...) Thats what they will do, because there's ALLWAYS the FULL power on the tracks. The BIG advantage from DCC is that EVERY TRAIN can run at DIFFERENT SPEED ON THE SAME TRACK.It's up to some clever software to prevent collision, or bump into each (...) (23 years ago, 16-May-01, to lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto)
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