Where to start?

DCC can be used from the start and you can operate and wire up a complicated layout far more easily with DCC.

The iTraveller set is essentially an analogue layout i.e. a 0 to 12V DC potential is applied to the track and anything on that track will respond to commands from the HM | DC APP.

If you want to go old school DC then you are advised to get a decent controller as the basic controllers supplied with Hornby starter train sets are not fit for purpose in running an expanded layout.

DCC which powers the whole track at full potential and allows each decoder equipped loco to be controlled individually even on the same track, requires more initial outlay for a controller and a decoder equipped loco, so a digital starter set may be a good way to get into DCC but you may find you want your basic controller to do more and/or connect to a PC so you can run train operating software such as Hornby Railmaster.

In Summary: decide if you want to go analogue or digital control and/or if you want to be able to control your layout from a desktop controller or a handheld device like a tablet or phone or a PC screen.

Next see how much space you can allot to a layout, which will determine if you start with the popular 6x4 or 8x4 track-mat layouts or branch out and design your own other size/shape track-plan.

Having answered those initial questions will give you a blank sheet upon which to ask your ongoing questions down a particular path.

I’m getting the feeling that the model train world is moving away from the analogue systems and more towards the digital systems that have more potential.

The more I read the more I like the look of the DDC. Is there a good DDC starter kit? I’m not much of a fan of modern trains and would want to keep the era around 1950ish.

How do I know which locos work with the DDC system? Are there locos that have the decoder fitted, or do you buy them separately and fit them?

If I was to buy the Select’ Digital Controller, is that my main point of control for my entire layout, or can that be used in combination with a phone?

My loft space is quite large and I can make use of a full 8x4 sheet. I do like the idea of eventually building my own layout, but I think having a pre-set layout is better to start out with.

Thank you for your help.

It is DCC not DDC i.e. Digital Command Control. Knowing that will help future searches for DCC info.

Digital locos come as:

DCC-Ready meaning they have a socket installed ready for you to fit the decoder of your choice.

DCC-Fitted or DCC-On Board meaning it is factory fitted with a basic decoder which although adequate may not be the best in the world.

DCC-Sound or in Hornby case DCC-TTS meaning the loco is factory fitted with a sound decoder which again may/may not be the best in the world.

Many DCC-Ready locos may have provision for a speaker so fitting your own sound decoder is simplified to some extent, although modelling skills may still be required.

Decoders come in either sound or non-sound and in various pin (plug) configurations, like 4-pin, 6-pin, 8-pin, 21-pin and Next 18 which is obviously 18-pin. DCC-Ready locos tell you on the box which pin configuration is required.

The Select cannot be connected to a PC hence it cannot be used with a phone as yet nor with Hornby’s Railmaster digital control system which loads on a PC but does support handsets as walkabout controllers.

If going for an 8x4 type layout ensure you have all round access as leaning over 4’ width is not practical.

Loco & Decoder types.

In the main more locos are sold 'DCC Ready' than 'DCC Fitted' sometimes documented as 'DCC On-board'.

'DCC Ready' means that the loco is a DC Analogue loco which has a socket inside it that can be fitted with a DCC Decoder to make it DCC operable.

DCC Fitted or DCC On-board means that the manufacturer has fitted a decoder at the factory.

Decoders come in different types.

They can have 4 pins, 6 pins, 8 pins, 18 pins, 21 pins plus some other variants as well. At the current time, Hornby 'DCC Ready' locos are more likely to have 8 pin sockets, but be aware that small locos may have 4 or 6 pin sockets due to the need for less space to be used.

Bachmann, models are typically 21 Pin sockets, but again this can not be relied upon as an assumption for ALL models.

Then once the number of pins is identified, you can get basic decoders that just control the motor. Basic decoders with additional function outputs [controlling locomotive lighting for example which is more common on Diesel locomotives and unlikely on 'steam'.] Then there are decoders with functions AND SOUND.

One question that gets asked a lot, is.

If I have purchased a DCC Fitted loco but want to upgrade to sound, does the sound decoder get installed alongside the fitted decoder?

The answer to this question is NO. Sound decoders have a fully functional motor decoder circuit in them. Thus they REPLACE the fitted decoder to perform ALL the necessary control functionality AS WELL as producing the sounds.

The Select controller is very basic. It can not be used with any mobile phone APPS.

It has a very much reduced addressing capability 1 to 59 for locomotives and 61 to 99 for accessories such as points. So if you built a layout with more than 38 points, then the Select is unlikely to fit the bill.

Compatibility.

In principle all DCC equipment is [should] be compliant with the NMRA DCC Standards. This means that DCC equipment sourced from different manufacturers should in theory interoperate with one another. We do see the occasional issues posted on the forum regarding certain decoders, but in general these are rare. The main thing to be aware of is that not all kit implements the FULL range of features supported by the NMRA standard, and some manufacturers implement their own custom extensions to the products, but basic functionality should be consistently supported across the products. For example the reduced addressing range that was stated for the Select above. The FULL addressing range written into the NMRA standard is 1 to 9999 for locos and 1 to 2048 for accessories.

Further Reading.

You may benefit from reading my downloadable 'Getting Started' PDF. Chapter 5 describes DC Analogue control and Chapter 6 describes DCC Digital control. My PDF can be downloaded from the sticky thread located at the top of the 'General Discussion' forum index.

EDIT. Rob posted whilst I was still typing, therefore much of his post is duplicated in my own.

THIS IS A VERY LONG REPLY. PLEASE DO NOT CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON TO REPLY. Please use either the 'Reply' box at the bottom of the page to reply, or click the three vertical dots in the top right and chose the top 'Reply' option.

Pick either analogue or digital. Both have their pros and cons. I have a layout that includes both, very well separated from each other. Digital is simpler to wire up, but analogue has less to go wrong.

Get a Hornby starter set with whichever control system you choose. Follow instructions. Read Chris's getting started guide.

If on analogue invest in a HM2000 when you get to the second controller stage- its the best one Hornby have.

Enjoy modelling/driving trains! that is the most important thing about railway modelling.

XYZ

Wow that is a treasure trove of information from everyone, thank you all very much. I read the PDF from Chrissaf which was a great read, and I think it’s put me on the DCC path.

The RailMaster system that can be controlled from a PC looks incredibly fun to use and tinker with. Having that much control over so many features in one place does seem like something I’d prefer. The video of it all in action on Hornby’s website was amazing to watch.

One thing I’m still not clear on is what track/set to buy. From the PDF it seems that I could either buy the individual track pieces and connectors and setup my own layout, or I could buy a starter set (not sure which one?) then add the necessary features to make it work with the RailMaster system? Could someone possibly link me to a set which is digital, or that I can adapt to the RailMaster system?

I think I like the sound of the DCC ready locos too. Being able to add my own decoders seems very interesting. However, when I look on the Hornby website, some locos have a DCC status, but others do not. If they do not have a DCC status in the description, does this mean they are not DCC compatible?

Many thanks to all for the great information.

There was a time when there was a reasonably wide choice range of Digital DCC sets. Digital sets came in two versions. One that came with RailMaster software and an eLink hardware interface to interface your PC running RailMaster to the track layout. Or a Select controller. The Hornby Elite DCC controller never came in a train set option. At the current time, the Hornby shop (listing current products) looks to be devoid of any Digital train sets only DC Analogue ones.

Hornby catalogue correction. Searching for Digital train sets returns the iTraveller set as being Digital. This is an error. The iTraveller is an Analogue train set, it is not DCC, it does however use the HM 6000 controller which uses digital communication between the APP and the interface boxes. To list this as a digital set is misleading. This error has been reported to Hornby admin and may be fixed after this thread posting date.

Track is track and can be used with either DC Analogue controllers or Digital DCC controllers, but note these important caveats.

1. The Analogue train sets are shipped with Analogue track power connectors that are not compatible with DCC. DC Analogue train set tracks can be converted to DCC operation by opening up the track power connector and removing the suppression capacitor factory fitted inside them OR replacing the track power connectors with the proper digital versions R8241 and R8242.
2. Hornby points are also DC Analogue from the factory, they are converted to Digital as documented in my PDF via the fitting of R8232 DCC point clips.

It is true that not every locomotive that Hornby sell is 'DCC Ready'. The rule of thumb is that the very cheap locos from the Hornby Railroad range which typically have 4 or 6 wheels are more likely to not be DCC Ready, but again this can not be universally assumed. In theory, the Hornby shop page for the product should state if the loco is DCC Ready, but it is not unkown for a few locos to slip through the Marketing documentaion cracks. If in doubt, ask on the forum stating the R number of the loco you are interested in, or Google the R number to see what other retailers have it listed as.

RailMaster is just a PC software based controller product, the track used has no bearing on RailMaster suitability as long as the track implementaion is DCC compliant (as documented above with regard power connectors and point clips). You don't even have to use Hornby branded track.

Track caveat. Digital DCC is very sensitive to track condition, the DCC track power contains digital information which must reach the decoder fitted in the loco without corruption. Modern track is made of Nickle Silver whereas older track products were made from steel or coated steel. Any build up of dirt, grime and corrosion will distort and adversely affect a DCC signal, thus cleanliness is critical to reliant DCC operation. IMO I would advise against trying to save a few pounds by buying second hand track when deciding to go DCC. Second hand track may not be the preferred Nickle Silver construction.

Just to reiterate what has been posted earlier. If you are going down the Railmaster route you cannot connect a Select DCC controller to a PC yet as it does not have a USB port, hence you cannot use it with RM. you need either an eLink or the more expensive Elite controller.

Be aware that the licence for RM is not transferable owner to owner so if you see the package offered on the Bay make sure it has never been activated else it is worthless. What you can do is pick up a second hand eLink for peanuts, then download RM from the link on here, try it out in demo mode, then buy a licence key from within RM. This could a be a cheaper way of going digital.

The same methodology of try and buy RM applies if you opt for the Elite controller to use with RM. If you buy a Select digital train set then opt to later buy an Elite you can link the two controllers together to use with RM.

A lot of information to digest unfortunately, but model railways are expensive and it pays to do your homework before spending your money.

Hi DRC,

As you say there's an awful lot to digest and yes, model railways can become expensive, as 96RAF says. However, there are inexpensive ways forward. There's a lot to be said for starting simple and moving on to more complex arrangements as experience grows. A small analogue set up is neither expensive nor complicated. If all goes well one could look at moving to DCC when the basic principles of operation have been mastered. When all is said and done DCC is just a means of getting electricity to where one wants it. Speaking purely personally and having been brought up on analogue control on the cab control principle, I have stuck with it for half a century and , whilst appreciating the benefits of DCC, do not find it sufficiently attractive to warrant the expense of conversion.

Starting small and simple lessens the risk of being deterred by complexity from a hobby which is rewarding and absorbing.

Good luck with your foray into modelling.