Hello All.

I am wanting to buy an analog N gauge layout i have seen advisted. The set is completely analog at the moment with no insulated sections, however it does have an inner section of track that needs some modification to the wiring as isolation of track sections is not occuring even though insulated points are there. All the points on the layout are controlled from a single board mounted switch panel. Completing the track control is a Gaugemaster D twin-track controller.

So being a total novice how would i go about changing this layout to DCC?

I would like to control the locos from the controller and maybe the points too (x20) if possible?!

Thank you for your help!

Phil

Hi Phil, and welcome to the forum
'Fraid I'm an old DC fart who knows very little about DCC, but I'm sure some of our experts will be along with some advice very soon.

Hi Phil, 

What you would need to do depends on the size of the layout. What you can do in DCC is to power the whole layout by running a pair of wires around, underneath the baseboard and soldering dropper wires from the track above and connecting to the bus. This makes the whole track live, including any areas that would be switched off by the points. The bus connects to the controller. This also works for DC, but not having isolated sections in DC means you can't leave a loco in a siding and run another round as well. In DCC you can.

Hi Phil and welcome to a great resource of information on everything 

Firstly from your description this lay-out is DC operated with various isolated sections, some isolated by points. You have mentioned a Gaugemaster Model D Twin track controller which if fully suitable for a DC lay-out.

To convert to DCC you would have to purchase another controller as the one you have mentioned would not work on a DCC layout.

It may be best to start with, to just stick with the lay-out as DC whilst you gain knowledge from the forum on the pro's and con's of each system.  The forum contains a vast wealth of information within the dedicated sections for both systems.

IMHO Lots of reading first will be the order of the day.

Mick

Welcome to the friendly forum Mick  Phil,  as you've seen on here already, you'll get all the help you need for anything to do with N gauge, remember there is no such thing on here as a silly question, just one you don't currently know the answer to.

Hello,

Thank you for the warm welcome and replies.

The layout is 6" x 4" board but only half the board is track.

So out of interested, what would i need to buy if i wanted to go into DCC? I was looking at the bachman controllers?!.

I am guessing if i went DCC, the locos that are with the layout would need to go DCC or wouldnt really work on a full live set?

Thank you

Phil

Quote from: Caz on February 06, 2015, 06:51:30 PM
Welcome to the friendly forum Mick

Thanks Caz, but I've been here a few years. It's Phil who has just joined

Quote from: newportnobby on February 06, 2015, 09:12:35 PM

Quote from: Caz on February 06, 2015, 06:51:30 PM
Welcome to the friendly forum Mick

Thanks Caz, but I've been here a few years. It's Phil who has just joined

      

Quote from: Caz on February 06, 2015, 09:22:29 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on February 06, 2015, 09:12:35 PM

Quote from: Caz on February 06, 2015, 06:51:30 PM
Welcome to the friendly forum Mick

Thanks Caz, but I've been here a few years. It's Phil who has just joined

      

Just as a matter of interest, is there any information on how many members on here operate DC and how many DCC. Has there been a Poll on the subject?.

Like Mick I am purely a DC man with no intention of ever going DCC., how many others are like me?.

I am too old to change now, but I can see that younger members first starting in N gauge might want to go straight into DCC. If I can get a suitable sound system operating on my DC layout I will be happy, I dislike dismantling locomotives (for example to add sound chips) as I invariably break something on them.

Quote from: philnotts on February 06, 2015, 07:10:24 PM
Hello,

Thank you for the warm welcome and replies.

The layout is 6" x 4" board but only half the board is track.

So out of interested, what would i need to buy if i wanted to go into DCC? I was looking at the bachman controllers?!.

I am guessing if i went DCC, the locos that are with the layout would need to go DCC or wouldnt really work on a full live set?

Thank you

Phil

Hello and welcome Phil the DCC question which way to go can only answered by yourself but there are a couple of questions to you first, is what kind of control do you want, do you want straight forward DCC so you can run a number of Loco's from just one controller with the option of operating points, or would you like to go down the DCC computer route which can be expensive, but DCC is not cheap as you have to add £20-£30 for each decoder for each Loco and in some cases you have to add 2 decoders.

The ball is in your court, tell us which way and members can advise you on different controllers.

I think i would like to know what i would need if i wanted to go down the DCC route to control the locos and points for now. I am guessing you cant run DC and DCC at the same time :/ ?

Thank you

Phil

A lot of answers here ,but not much solid information. If you want to run a  DCC layout you need
a DCC controller and DCC fitted locos, the layout itself doesn't matter , it's suitable for DCC or DC. However if the points are insulated you would need to install extra wiring as DCC eliminates the
need for insulated sections, one of its main advantages apart from sound and lights on locos.
The control of the points is the same for both systems,although  in DCC you can get fancy
electronics for this.

You can't easily run DC and DCC on the same layout, too complicated and pointless, no pun
intended! If you want a DCC layout apart from the controller and locos you would have to  swap
any insulated points for non insulated , a lot of effort  probably not worth the hassle and you
would spend money on a controller you'd have to junk, so better to start from scratch if you
want DCC, otherwise just stick with DC if the layout is a bargain..

Hope this helps!

Hello.

Thank you for the info.

So if i did want to go down the DCC route which controller would be the best suited? (Where i'd ideally want to control all locos and points from it?). Would i need to buy some sort of motor/connection for each point for the new DCC controller?

Thank you again,

Phil

Quote from: Agrippa on February 06, 2015, 11:19:35 PM
A lot of answers here ,but not much solid information. If you want to run a  DCC layout you need
a DCC controller and DCC fitted locos, the layout itself doesn't matter , it's suitable for DCC or DC. However if the points are insulated you would need to install extra wiring as DCC eliminates the
need for insulated sections, one of its main advantages apart from sound and lights on locos.
The control of the points is the same for both systems,although  in DCC you can get fancy
electronics for this.

You can't easily run DC and DCC on the same layout, too complicated and pointless, no pun
intended! If you want a DCC layout apart from the controller and locos you would have to  swap
any insulated points for non insulated , a lot of effort  probably not worth the hassle and you
would spend money on a controller you'd have to junk, so better to start from scratch if you
want DCC, otherwise just stick with DC if the layout is a bargain..
Hope this helps!

To me, your answer Agrippa, only goes to confirm my believe that I am better off staying with DC for my layout, and by doing so I will save myself a lot of money and hassle. Most of my DC diesel locomotives already have running lights, and I am about to embark on trying out Train-Techs sound module option on my layout, so that would be some of the advantages of going DCC overcome.

With DCC I know I would be able to do some "shunting" with one engine at the same time as running another locomotive on say a main line, etc., but I don't really want to do that, so that eliminates another advantage.

Just a personal opinion.