What is DCC and what can it do for Z

New to this but this does sound interesting. Are there any good examples out there? Thanks Ron

Dcc can add a lot of enjoyment to running trains. First, I love to play with the light like ditch lights, mars light, and dimming them. Then theres the mu engines with different running speed. You can speed match them. Probably the most important feature to me, you control the engine and not the rails. It keeps me from running engines I dont want.

Fantastic! Can I use this with Z trains. Where should I go to read about it and what units should I think about getting. Thanks Ron
shamoo737 wrote:

Dcc can add a lot of enjoyment to running trains. First, I love to play with the light like ditch lights, mars light, and dimming them. Then theres the mu engines with different running speed. You can speed match them. Probably the most important feature to me, you control the engine and not the rails. It keeps me from running engines I dont want.

First Question is how you wiring fixing engines opening them up and changing things. At present it is not go to the store an buy what you want ready to go. The NCE "Power Cab" is an easy place to start but you have to put decoders in your engines and program them plus the power cab will only allow you to run so many engines at a time. If you go to a larger system than the power cab like those typically used for HO then you have to think about protecting your engines from damage if they short something out on these these high power systems.

Sounds simple but there is a big learning curve and you can do a lot of damage very quickly if you are not somewhat savy. There is a lot of information on the internet but it basically suited for HO or larger and not for Z or N in some cases.

cheerz Garth

Thanks, maybe I should just study it and see how it goes. I sure there are other things I can work on for now. I saw a video on UTube and thought it was cool and maybe I could get into that. Maybe I'll wait awhile. See video below. Thanks Ron


garthah wrote:

First Question is how you wiring fixing engines opening them up and changing things. At present it is not go to the store an buy what you want ready to go. The NCE "Power Cab" is an easy place to start but you have to put decoders in your engines and program them plus the power cab will only allow you to run so many engines at a time. If you go to a larger system than the power cab like those typically used for HO then you have to think about protecting your engines from damage if they short something out on these these high power systems.

Sounds simple but there is a big learning curve and you can do a lot of damage very quickly if you are not somewhat savy. There is a lot of information on the internet but it basically suited for HO or larger and not for Z or N in some cases.

cheerz Garth

I don't know much about this but this video seems very cool.

It seems like you buy the NCE "Power Cab" unit for 160.00 dollars and than, I GUESS, you need a control module for the engine. Do you need a control module for each thing you want to do and for each engine? Run, Sound, are these separate modules? Is it available for the Z scale trains? Looks cool! Can you buy a locomotive ready to go with the NCE "Power Cab" ? I only have the deluxe 81466 Marklin train set so I have little to start with. Thanks Ron

Ron, this is my engine.

Ron while all this stuff looks neat these guys did that work themselves or had help from someone else to do it. At present there are no Z scale engines sold with a factory installed decoder. And yes every engine has to have a decoder on a DCC layout to be able to run. Put a DC or standard engine on the track with DCC power on and you fry it. However if you have the right decoder and program your decoder correctly an engine with a DCC decoder could be used on either DC or DCC.

Adding sound is still a problem in Z you pretty well have to install that in a box car behind diesel engines with the exception of some steamers with large tenders. You have to sacrifice a lot of weight to install the sound unit in the bottom of a diesel engine and so in the end it won't pull much. A standard decoder is about 22.00 to 32.00 dollars each added to the cost of the engine and if you have someone else install it than can cost upwards of 30.00 for the install. If you have a sound decoder installed the cost of the decoder can be 100.00 or more and to install it depends on too many variables to predict that cost. Then you have the problem of adding DCC to an engine usually voids the warranty as such on most engines.

Adding features like separate lights takes patience and skills with micro electronics to wire the LED and install them in the engine and connect them to the decoder. I do not know of anyone who is doing that sort of work in Z for hire for other people. Everybody I know that is doing this sort of work on their engines is doing their own work and most are on the west coast. The ditch lights on my engines are about the size of the end of a ball point pen and the wires are not much bigger than three hairs twisted to-gether.

cheerz Garth

I have to look into this for Z gauge! I like it! Ron

shamoo737 wrote:

Ron, this is my engine.