Command Control on new layout. Looking for opinions.

Welcome to the forum. You're going to get a ton of opinions with your question.

If you're planning the layout now, and think/know you may have some PS2/3, and/or TMCC/Legacy engines in the future, I would plan on having all 3 systems.

That's exactly what we did. We can run conventional, DCS, and TMCC/Legacy all at the same time on the layout. We can even run DCS and TMCC on the same track, and it's very simple to do.

Yes it's a bit of expense to have DCS and Legacy, but if you have those different engines, you will want the appropriate system to run them, and take full advantage of all their features.  

Welcome.  

If you are asking whether to wire your layout now for command control even though you will not have a need for this until you buy a command system in the future - I would say yes. Similar to you, we got into the hobby 3 years ago and decided to build a layout approximately 2 years ago.  Even though we initially bought MTH railking products, we quickly realized that we would in all likelihood buy both DCS and Legacy locomotives.  And so we researched what if any special wiring considerations were needed in order to build them in up front and have to (inefficiently) redo things later.  Having said that, only DCS has special wiring considerations and the "one power drop per track block" DCS paradigm is not easily attainable if you plan to have turnouts and do not wish to tear out existing wiring and rewire them.

Peter

I am attaching MTH's DCS user manual. In it not only explains DCS but also shows recommended wiring of layouts. My recommendation is to wire for CC from the start. Even if you don't plan to run CC for a while. This will save you a lot of pain later on.

Doug

I agree with Doug's advice - can't go wrong with that.

I started the same way and eventually settled on one command system though at one time I had both DCS and TMCC incorporated into my layout.

Much easier to wire now with the anticipation of adding one or more command systems in the future.

Regards,

Greg

I would suggest purchasing 'The DCS O Gauge Companion' by our own Barry Broskowitz (sp) and wiring your layout For MTH's DCS system per the advice in this book. DCS seems to be the most picky system about wiring techniques. Picky maybe, but not at all difficult and it's well covered in the book which I think has a lot more information than the DCS manual. Many other things are explained in the book as well. If you wire for that the others will work with it as well.

Also as others have stated, plan on eventually having both DCS and Legacy systems to get full use of all the functions of all engines currently being made. Personally I think MTH's DCS system is the most versatile. Right out of the box it allows control of conventional, PS1, PS2 and PS3 engines. I started with DCS. Later on when you add Legacy it is just a matter of connecting the Legacy control wire (one wire) to the commons on your DCS system or tracks and you should be ready to go with Legacy as well.

And welcome to the forum, a really great place to go for answers to your questions for just reading for learning and enjoyment and maybe even finding a good deal or two on a DCS or Legacy system (or other items) from one of the forum sponsors.

When you wire your layout as recommended by MTH for the DCS system, it's ready to go for any means of running. It's more difficult to go back later, and try to "fix" or "modify" your wiring for DCS. Not to say it can't be done, or that people haven't done it, because they have.

You're starting from scratch, so prepare for all of them now, so you're ready to roll in the future, now matter what type of engine you set on the track. 

There are many videos on YouTube from members here, as well as others, that explain, and show you how to use the 2 different systems, together, and separately.

Dave, 

Lots of people will claim to have followed the DCS one drop per block paradigm, but after asking very many questions on this forum over the past two years on this subject, I am quite confident that most of those saying this have not.  Further, having just gone through the "wiring for DCS drill" I can tell you that anyone telling you that it's "easy to wire for DCS" hasn't really wired it according to Hoyle - unless, per my post above, you (a) do not plan on having turnouts; or (b) plan to have every turnout as a junction of three track blocks; or (c) for any turnout that will be in one and only one track block, you think it's "easy" to rip out the wiring from each turnout and then rewire it for Your needs. 

Having said that, DCS has proven to be more robust than I expected. And, track blocks will mare trouble shooting easier. 

Peter 

Doug, thank you for the manual and your thoughts.

I thought switches might be a problem for me as well. They were not at all. Didn't have to do anything to them but install, isolate the center rail on the turn outs (separate loops, spurs and sidings) and hook up the switch machines. My current layout (6' x 16') works much better than a roughly 4' x 7' temporary single loop of track with no switches that I started with a few years ago upon re-entering the hobby. I have been very pleased with my current set up, well so far anyway.

I followed Barry's book as closely as I possibly could and used the MTH terminal blocks. However, my blocks are a bit shorter than the recommended 10-12 track sections (or whatever it was?), probably only about ten feet or less each. Just divided hem up fairly evenly into four blocks per loop. Each spur and siding is also a separate block. Switches are fed with the block entering the switch before the track is split. Isolated from the next blocks at the two outputs from the switch after the track goes it's two directions. 

Peter, 

It sounds like a lot of what you went through I'm begining to experience. I started at my local MTH dealer and I was assured setting up DCS was simple. I checked out some Youtube  vids and setting up the system seemed doable. I received the "DCS O Gauge Companion " book for for Chrismas and began reading it. Good book so far and straight forward but I got to the part about blocks and power districts and I realized this was going to be a bit more involved than I origanally thought. Now you have mentioned turnouts twice in your replies. I can't wait to find out how that complicates things. I guess I have to keep reading.

That was my motivation for my original post. The more complicated this seemed I thought I could just do a traditional, simply wired layout with a few blocks and I'd be okay till later but from what I'm reading it's better to wire for the system from scratch rather than retrofit it Later. It looks like the glory will be in the struggle!

Thank you for all your input and thanks to everyone else who replied. You all have been a big help.

David  

rtr12,

Do you have blocks with more than one switch? Are the switch machines run off of track power or fixed voltage? What brand switch / track do you use? 

David

I believe I do have some blocks with more than one switch, well sort of. I will have to go look and report back later, dinner is about ready. I have the switch machines on separate power now, but had them on track power for a few months as I didn't have enough power supplies for everything. Had no problems with this while connected that way. Fixed voltage, 18VAC both times. Atlas track, Atlas switches and Atlas switch machines. I do have one DZ-1000 (which I really like) because I couldn't get the Atlas machine to fit the way I had the track, the DZ-1000's are a lot smaller.

Any trouble with the Atals switches? I was considering Atlas track for the layout but I've read a lot of complaints about the switches on the forum.

I have had absolutely no problems with any new Atlas switches I have. I have had problems with some I have purchased used, and some were pretty well used too. I was able to get parts from Atlas and fix most of them, but if you have to get a few parts and a new switch machine you are back to the price of a new one. I won't be buying any more used switches of any kind. I have done better with used track, some of that I got was very nice, almost like new.

Personally I think the problems with the Atlas switches were early on when they first came out with them. I believe Atlas resolved the problems fairly quickly after they were discovered and their switches have been fine since. However, some of the older switches are unfortunately still out there and I am pretty sure I have managed to get a couple. Layout building methods and materials can play a part in switches operating properly as well.

I don't doubt that some have had problems, I am sure they have. I don't doubt that others have had problems with other switches as well. In the last 2-3 years since I discovered the OGR forum, I don't think I have seen any more complaints about Atlas switches than I have any other manufacturer's switches, and possibly less?

Also, I found a track plan I had showing how my layout is powered. It's pretty close to the way it is. The main things that are in slightly different locations are the power supplies and terminal blocks. All the feeds and isolation joints are within a few inches of where they are shown here. It's all Atlas track and switches except for the DZ-1000 I had to use where the Atlas machine wouldn't fit.