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DCC Articles

10 Steps to Choosing a DCC System

This column covers ten things to consider before buying your DCC system.

8 Ways to Enhance Operation With DCC

This article covers walkaround control, consisting, helper service, multi-train control, Rule 17 lighting, whistles, signals, fast clocks, and lighting effects.

A New Decoder for an Old Engine

The author describes how he replaced the stock DCC decoder in the S Helper Service F7 with a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 one.

A Slide-away DCC Programming Track

Describes how to build a small pull-out shelf or tray that holds a single piece of track connected to the programming output of the DCC command station.

Add DCC Sound to an Alco S-2

This article describes how the author installed a SoundTraxx Micro-Tsunami into an HO-scale Atlas S-2 engine. Includes speaker and capacitor installation. Lights are also discussed. There is a side-bar on how to make printed-circuit-board bus bars

Build a Portable Programming Station

The author shows how he built his own self-contained DCC programming station.

Canadian National Railways Sanmore Subdivision

This article covers how to convert MTH and Atlas locomotives equipped with "China drive" systems to DCC. This is a step-by-step guide with plenty of photos.

DCC Buyer's Guide

This article is a good introduction to DCC. It explains terminology, answers common DCC questions, discusses throttles, command stations, power stations, decoders, the various starter sets available at that time, and has a sidebar on what's available for three-rail O-scale.

DCC Buyer's Guide

An overview of DCC, and a listing of the various models available to model railroaders.

DCC Corner: A Word to the Wyes

Dealing with wyes when using DCC.

DCC Corner: Keep Your Trains Running with Power Districts

Information about how to wire one booster per district and how to protect blocks using automobile tail lamps.

DCC for Traction Layouts

Installing a DCC decoder in a trolley.

DCC Impulses

The author is retiring from writing regular monthly columns, so that he can work on his own layouts. What is the difference between the SoundTraxx Tsunami and the Tsunami2 DCC sound decoders? The author describes installing one of these decoders into a G-scale LGB locomotive.

DCC Power Supply

The author describes how he was unable to complete the 18-volt, 10-amp power supply project described in issues #23 and 24 of this magazine until he could find the perfect mounting box for the electrical components.

Decoder Installation into an Atlas SW Locomotive

The author describes upgrading four of his Atlas SW engines with LOKSound ESU 58429, using Tang Band speakers and TCS KA2 Keep Alive. Includes many construction photos.

Decoder-controlled Caboose Lighting

The author discusses what he had to do to install a Digitrax TF4 decoder in a caboose to gain a flashing amber roof-top beacon and red marker lights.

Decoding Decoders

What do the various wires on a decoder mean?

Demystifying Command Control Part 18

How addressing works, broadcast address, primary address, extended addresses, consist address, addressing ideas, accessory decoders.

Demystifying Command Control Part 19

DCC-ready connectors, new interfaces, wireless cabs.

Demystifying Command Control Part 20

Accessory decoders.

Demystifying Command Control Part 21

Another look at CV's and their functions. What is a CV? Anatomy of a CV. NMRA Recommended Practices. How a decoder deciphers CV's. Changing CV settings. Service mode programming. OPS mode programming. Methods of change. Different functions, same CV.

Demystifying Command Control Part 22

In this installment the author covers operating a layout equipped with DCC. It covers walk-around benefits, smaller local control panels, indicating turnout positions in dwarf signals, and how to deal with people who are die-hard DC buffs.

Demystifying Command Control Part 24

This is the last installment of this series. The article contains a glossary of DCC terminology, and a listing of DCC manufacturers, of DCC suppliers, and of DCC services.

Demystifying Command Control Part XI

This article covers the nasty topic of finding and fixing problems with both d.c. and DCC layouts. Handy flowcharts are provided to help hunt down problems.

Demystifying Command Control Part XII

This installment covers sound decoders and how to install them, including how to make a speaker box for a tender.

Digital Command Control

Primer on DCC.

Easy DCC Loco Speed Matching

Two approaches to speed-matching two locomotives.

Electric Flywheel

Locomotives come to an instant stand-still when they loose connection with the track on DCC. The author shows how he installed an Uninterruptible Signal Processing unit by Lenz to work with their decoder. This provides up to 4 seconds of power to the engine should it loose contact with the rail. He installed it in a Kato Mikado.

Finding Decoder Install Examples

The author reviews various resources (online) where you can find example DCC installations, focusing mostly on hard-wiring solutions, rather than plug-n-play ones.

Getting Started with DCC

Mostly a beginners article, but it offers a fresh perspective on what it is like to convert an existing layout from block control to DCC. The author uses NCE's system, but tried to keep it as generic as possible.

How Compatible is DCC?

The Amherst Railway Society show was used to test the compatibility between the various manufacturers of DCC components. A table of command stations, decoders, and programmers is provided with the article. It is an interesting historical perspective of DCC's early days.

How Sound Decoders Work

How sound decoders are created.

How Sound Decoders Work

This article describes how sound is converted to digital bits, stored in a decoder, and how the sound is reproduced in our engines.

Installing DCC Decoders

The article describes the author's experience installing an HO-scale decoder into the dummy B unit of a set of Life-Like's PA/B units. Shows close-up photos of the actual modifications and installation.

Installing DCC Decoders in American Models Diesels

The author describes how he makes a flat space in the diesel engines onto which to mount the decoder.

Installing Sound Decoders in Diesel Locomotives

Sountraxx decoders for HO, S, and O scale. Installation descriptions for Proto 2000 E-unit, Stewart FT, Proto 2000 GP7/9, Kato SD45, Proto 2000 FB-1, Atlas GP40, and Athearn S70.

Lights, Sound, Action

Installing DCC, a sound decoder, and LEDs into an Athearn CF7. Includes full installation photos. Includes a sidebar by Joe Fugate about using Kapton tape instead of masking tape in DCC installations.

Locomotive Lighting Effects

This article discusses, in general, how to install lights in locomotives, and then programming the decoder to perform special lighting functions using Decoder Pro.

Making Your Own DCC Stay-alive

The authors show how to built your own stay-alive circuit using a 4700uF electrolytic capacitor plus a diode and a resistor, which provide about 1 to 1.75 seconds of power to the typical sound-equipped DCC decoders. Also covered are the super-capacitors.

Model Railroading Take a Look at DCC Part XXXIV

This part in the series covers the Life-Like QSI Sound Decoder, the Bachmann E-Z Command, and the MRC Prodigy Advance

Model Railroading Takes A Look at DCC Part 35

Covers throttles, the Digitrax UT4/UT4R, Digitrax decoders, throttle pockets (holders for the throttles), and the new DCC Specialties "the Hare".

N-scale Atlas Shay DCC Decoder Installation

Installing a Lenz LE0511W decoder in the Atlas Shay. The article includes lots of close-up detail photos and drawings of how to do this conversion.

Power Buses and Districts

The first part of the article discusses the basics of good wiring and why that is important when DCC is used (as opposed to cab-control). The rest of the article discusses the benefits of well-thought out districts to help even the load and reduce total shut down in case of shorts.

Power Districts For Digital Command Control

This is an extensive look at why we need power districts, and how to design and construct them. Includes information about how to build small control panels to allow for shutting down of individual power districts for maintenance and debugging.

Sound for Brass Steam

The author describes how he went about installing a sound decoder into a Soo Line 2-8-2 Mikado from Division Point Hobbies.

TCS-WOW 101

The author describes how he installs WowSound into an Athearn SW1500. Includes step-by-step photos.

The EasyDCC Command Control System Part 6

This article covers the basics of accessory decoders, installing, and programming them. Included are a diagram of how to wire a Lenz LS110 accessory decoder to a twin coil switch machine. Another diagram covers how to wire a System One stationary decoder to a slow motion switch machine.

Tips for Using Wireless Throttles

Dealing with rechargeable batteries, holding on to throttles (various solutions), and picking good receiver locations.

Turning a Layout Hi-tech

Photography by Bob Werre. The author describes his process for switching to DCC, replacing wiring, installing stationary decoders for Tortoise switch machines, implementing a computerized CTC panel, and animating signals.

Upgrade an Athearn Switcher

The author describes how he upgraded his SW1500 with ESU Loksound DCC sound decoder, LED lights, and a stay-alive ESU Power Pack Mini. This includes installing the sugar cube speaker, and using it with the Iowa Scaled Engineering ProtoThrottle. Includes many step-by-step photos.

Using DCC on NTRAK Modules

This one-page article describes how to wire NTRAK modules for DCC and includes a basic diagram. The real purpose of the article is to reference the web site that maintains the NTRAK DCC standard: http://trainweb.org/nrmrc

Using DCC to Match Locomotive Speeds

The article covers speed matching, manipulating CV2, 5, and 6 to set a basic speed curve, and developing a method for locomotive speed matching.

Using Decoder Pro

This article does a good job reviewing how the Decoder Pro software application works. It lacks details about how to hook the computer up to your DCC programming track. The application is free.

Wiring a DCC Turntable

This article describes how to control the turntable motor using a locomotive decoder, and how to use the decoder's light function output to control the power to engine house stall tracks.

Wiring a Peco Electrofrog Crossing for DCC

The article covers reversing modules to handle the polarity changes encountered in crossings.

Wiring Reversing Sections for DCC

This article describes how to wire a reversing loop and a wye when using DCC.

Working With Older Brass Diesel Locomotives Part 2

Converting an older brass engine to DCC is not as simple as it may sound. This installment continues with painting the shell, and adding glass and details. LEDs and the decoder installation are next.

Zero 1 for N Scale

The author describes how he managed to get command control into his N-scale engines. He used the Hornsby Zero 1 system.