Tag: DCC

DCC and Electrical System, Layout Construction, Planning Book4 Comments

Build #15: Good Wiring is An Essential Lifeline to A Model Railway

traiNmaster

It was a nasty Saturday this weekend but it was a good time to spend indoor. I corresponded with Jason Reis about DCC wiring my modules some 3 months back and in between, I let the notes of our discussions set for awhile. A recap of those notes: The bottom level (pic below) will be divided into 5 small power districts. For circuit breakers, Jason recommended auto tail-light bulbs. Cheap and effective. The top level (pic below) will have 4 small power districts. I started with the bottom level wiring first: the track 2 (dark blue marking). I have read … Continue reading Build #15: Good Wiring is An Essential Lifeline to A Model Railway

DCC and Electrical System, Layout Construction, Planning Book, Product Review1 Comment

When No Sound is A Good Sign

traiNmaster

Wiring for a DCC layout will be top on my germaN160 layout construction program. Everywhere I read about DCC wiring, one of the essential tools to have is a audible short tester. How does this tester function? In short (sorry, pun intended here), the buzzer will be audible when you connect the feeders to the wrong track bus polarities. Model Railroad Hobbyist (MRH) magazine provides an excellent explanation and video on how this work and how to build one. Source: MRH March 2012 – Issue #25 So I bought my parts from Conrad for less than 10 Euro and soldered … Continue reading When No Sound is A Good Sign

Diorama Development, German RailwaysLeave a comment

First DCC Run on ICE Diorama

traiNmaster

I have not abandoned the ICE diorama at all. Yes, as I said before, the ICE diorama is a test bed for me to try out things before I put them on the larger segment layout. Finally, I took out my NCE PowerCab and gave it a trial run with Kato P42 Genesis #52. Sorry if you were expecting ICE on this run, despite the name of the diorama (note to self again: stop calling it ICE diorama). Anyway, #52 is the only loco that I have added a Digitrax decoder some 10 years back. I did some shopping at … Continue reading First DCC Run on ICE Diorama

DCC and Electrical System, Planning Book, Product ReviewLeave a comment

“The Cart Before The Horse” Syndrome

traiNmaster

I used to suffer occasional “the cart before the horse” syndrome. Really …. though lesser these days as I became older and wiser (?) hmm ……. Source: unknown I used to buy lots of rolling stocks and accessories such as tracks and turnouts but never had a chance to build a layout until now. I have a drawer full of rolling stocks waiting to roll. I am sure they would be rolling soon, at least in a few months time. What I wanted to talk about is the digital command control (DCC) system that I owned since 2005 – that’s … Continue reading “The Cart Before The Horse” Syndrome