Since I don't "do" DCC (I'm pretty much electronically challenged and don't have any particular intrest in DCC), I have a question for those who are: Do you think there will ever be a control system available without any modifications to the locomotives? I ask because in the early 90's there was a system advertised (In MR and maybe elsewhere) that could discriminate among a roster of engines from the minute differences in the motor windings. I forget the company's name (Somewhere in the South , maybe Georgia??), they advertised for a few months and disappeared. They advertised a system that could dicriminate and control up to a hundred engines with no modifications! I asked some electronically minded friends about the system--Most were only amused and the consensus was that the whole idea wasn't even possible. The company advertised only a few months and was gone...Anyone remember that company or have any discussion on that concept? Thanks, Tom
Tom, "it could simply could discriminate among a roster of engines from the minute differences in the motor windings." Two words - SNAKE OIL. The problem with that claim is that the electrical charge on the rails has its own mind - kinda like a "herd" of cats. You can't control where each electron is going; all engines on the same track "see" the same charge at the same time. Until the DC die hards go away, there will be the disparity of engineering two different electrical designs and we will not fully benefit from ecomomies of scale in producing locos in only one electrical design (however Athearn, Atlas and Kato are basically there with the exception of having to produce the "dummy" electrical boards for DC only locos). When you really look at DCC in its simplest form, there is no need for electronics knowledge. In a few minutes, I believe that you could have a DCC system up and operating locomotives. The only "complicated" thing is conversion of DC locos to DCC; however my Digitrax system will operate one DC locomotive (at a time) on the tracks with all the DCC locos. The overall biggest benefit of DCC is that it radically simplifies the wiring of a new layout (the same two wires go everywhere) but reverse loops still need to be dealt with (there are relatively inexpensive automatic solutions available).
Tom I do not remember the company that you are remembering. It doesn't surprise me that they dissappeared in only a few months. With the advancement of the technology of DCC it is getting easier and easier to install decoders in to locomotives. If I remember correctly you are an N scaler. TCS has recently started producing decoders for the newer Atlas light boards. In my opinion this is a big step forward for N Scale. One doesn't need to be electronically gifted to install and program decoders. Thanks to the Internet and Decoder Pro this has been made all the easier. Bob Wintle
Unfortunately, many of us have large numbers of older, DC locomotives that render a full switch to DCC impractical. But I do well remember back in the late 60's, my Dad building a layout that was "radio controlled". He was in the electronics business back then. He made homemade transmitters and receivers for our layout. The snafu was getting reliable operation, as back then, brass was the track of choice, and the sparks from Athearn wheels on the brass track would create interference between the transmitters and receivers. As a sidebar, the company he started in our basement in the early 60's is still in business. But, he sold out of it in 1973. http://www.conwin.com/about_us.html
John I was in the same position when I switched over to DCC. I installed decoders in some of my older Athearn locomotives and to be honest they didn't do real well. For one thing they were horribly noisy. I also converted and old Varney F unit and while it ran it still wasn't up to snuff. In my opinion it really isn't worth converting over to DCC with older locomotives. I still have a few of my old loco's but have purchased new ones as finances have allowed. I am finally at a point that I probably will not be buying many more locos. DCC adds an amount of realism to model railroading that is hard to describe. Reading about how your dad wired your layout for Radio Control all those years ago is interesting. Do you have any photos of the equipment? Having been a electronics tech for the last 33 years I would love to see them. I is really hard to believe just what has happened in the Electronics field these past 30+ years. No matter what type of control system one has, model railroading Is was and always will be FUN!!!! Bob
I'm not trying to "get into" DCC, I was just wondering about that ad I had seen (I saved it for a long time, but it's lost now) and whether any such thing was possible. Sounded kinda far fetched back then... Tom
