tripp10538
Registered
I grew up in an LGB home. My father was a distributor in greater NYC area. It was a second job for him, a professional hobby. It ended, and it leaves me with lots of trains and lots of track all circa 1985-95. I've been dusting it off for a few months now, and I have settled on my idea.
I'm going to run about 200' of track as an indoor shelf layout. This will go through a few different rooms with tunnels and bridges being suspended about 8' off the ground. It sounds like a lot of track for indoors, but its really just a single room main line loop with an extension off the main for a larger loop into another room. Picture two long narrow rooms in a railroad pattern (pun intended, railroad rooms means they share a common short side, and the floor plan of the rooms might look like a couple of cars on a track, NYC apartments are often done in this "railroad" style.) There is not a lot of room for more than a perimeter based shelf system, so the only path any train could take is going to be limited to the loop of the first room, or a loop of both rooms. To add a little more variety and fun, I'm going to have a siding in the outer loop. But that's it for track. I want to max out the potential for the layout, and since the track is locked in, I need the trains to do more than just go in a circle around the room. That gets boring after a while.
The layout I'm building will give me 4 total turnouts. I first figured to do the whole thing with LGB analog ELP stuff. I figured if I can get the timing with the track sensors right, I could have 4-5 trains running in an automated endless cycle where each train takes its turn at each spot on the rotation.
Problem is, that would be the end. The layout would be finished, and all I could do is adjust the speed. Then I started looking at DCC. With DCC is seems I could have the same automated design, but also be able to make route changes as I saw fit while the trains were going. That seems like a more interesting way to go.
But, I am really new to DCC, and I need a starting point. Seems like the most important decision is which system to use for the Command station. I read up on the most popular stuff, it sounds good, then I usually find out its meant for HO scale or smaller. Seems G scale doesn't quite have the availability other scales do. Basically I need some help picking the right command station.
I have a few needs, so that should narrow it down. I'll break it down by essentials, then by bonus features.
1. Must be programed and throttled by a modern PC
2. Must have an automated feature (I want to hit go and not have to worry, and multiple trains take their various routes around the layout without any human input)
3. Must be able to have at least 2 non-PC throttles to use in un-automated control.
4. Obviously, must be powerful enough to handle 200' of track, and as many as 5 locos assuming some powered rolling stock, but probably not all of it.
5. Will work with wide range of decoders since I do have some aristocraft loco's I want to use.
6. Must be able to identify where each loco is on the layout, even if it means extra components.
Bonus features,
1. Able to control from my smart phone (android for me)
2. Expandable (unlikely, but always nice to know you can)
3. Not needing a separate track section to do programming would be nice
4. maybe someday I put legitimate signals on the track for show
I realize this may not sound cheep, but I want to do it right, and I prepared for a big dent in my wallet to make it work right. I'd rather install decoders to get my childhood trains running again than get new ones, this includes some aristocraft locos.
So...what's a good Command Station to get this all done with?
I'm going to run about 200' of track as an indoor shelf layout. This will go through a few different rooms with tunnels and bridges being suspended about 8' off the ground. It sounds like a lot of track for indoors, but its really just a single room main line loop with an extension off the main for a larger loop into another room. Picture two long narrow rooms in a railroad pattern (pun intended, railroad rooms means they share a common short side, and the floor plan of the rooms might look like a couple of cars on a track, NYC apartments are often done in this "railroad" style.) There is not a lot of room for more than a perimeter based shelf system, so the only path any train could take is going to be limited to the loop of the first room, or a loop of both rooms. To add a little more variety and fun, I'm going to have a siding in the outer loop. But that's it for track. I want to max out the potential for the layout, and since the track is locked in, I need the trains to do more than just go in a circle around the room. That gets boring after a while.
The layout I'm building will give me 4 total turnouts. I first figured to do the whole thing with LGB analog ELP stuff. I figured if I can get the timing with the track sensors right, I could have 4-5 trains running in an automated endless cycle where each train takes its turn at each spot on the rotation.
Problem is, that would be the end. The layout would be finished, and all I could do is adjust the speed. Then I started looking at DCC. With DCC is seems I could have the same automated design, but also be able to make route changes as I saw fit while the trains were going. That seems like a more interesting way to go.
But, I am really new to DCC, and I need a starting point. Seems like the most important decision is which system to use for the Command station. I read up on the most popular stuff, it sounds good, then I usually find out its meant for HO scale or smaller. Seems G scale doesn't quite have the availability other scales do. Basically I need some help picking the right command station.
I have a few needs, so that should narrow it down. I'll break it down by essentials, then by bonus features.
1. Must be programed and throttled by a modern PC
2. Must have an automated feature (I want to hit go and not have to worry, and multiple trains take their various routes around the layout without any human input)
3. Must be able to have at least 2 non-PC throttles to use in un-automated control.
4. Obviously, must be powerful enough to handle 200' of track, and as many as 5 locos assuming some powered rolling stock, but probably not all of it.
5. Will work with wide range of decoders since I do have some aristocraft loco's I want to use.
6. Must be able to identify where each loco is on the layout, even if it means extra components.
Bonus features,
1. Able to control from my smart phone (android for me)
2. Expandable (unlikely, but always nice to know you can)
3. Not needing a separate track section to do programming would be nice
4. maybe someday I put legitimate signals on the track for show
I realize this may not sound cheep, but I want to do it right, and I prepared for a big dent in my wallet to make it work right. I'd rather install decoders to get my childhood trains running again than get new ones, this includes some aristocraft locos.
So...what's a good Command Station to get this all done with?
