[Knightrider]

Hi all My wife purchased an HO Bachman eztrack train set for me to get started with. It is a basic circle. I want to expand but not sure if i should ditch the set and go with dcc. Iwant to basically start with 4x8 layout with several trains. any help would be appreciated.

 

[tworail]

I wouldn't ditch the set right yet. Use the set, and perhaps expand it with Atlas Snap Track - more realistic and probably cheaper, as well as available at every hobby/model train shop. Get that and some cork roadbed, ballast, etc. Do you have a beginner's book or guide to provide you with some ideas of what you might want to do?

Once you add buildings, scenery, more more rolling stock etc, then decide whether you want to make the investment in DCC. Buy an engine that is DCC ready, but doesn't have the chip. This way, if / when you decide to move to DCC, you have an engine that is ready for the decoder without a lot of hassle.

Post some pics in the gallery when you are setup, we would like to see the set!

John

 

[Gil Finn]

You can keep the set and use DCC, you need an DCC ready engine however.

Bachman strater sets wont last so not to wory.

 

[eagle37]

Dcc?

Once you add buildings, scenery, more more rolling stock etc, then decide whether you want to make the investment in DCC.

Really ignorant but--what is dcc?

Edward

 

[Boston&Maine]

Really ignorant but--what is dcc?

Edward

Digital Command Control... There is actually a thread on here about it

Basically it allows you to control multiple locomotives individually on a single track/circuit... If you use a standard controller, all of the locos would go the same speed, all whistle at once, etc... Where as if you are using a DCC system, one loco can be going full speed, another half speed, etc... It really improves a layout when it is used...

You can read this Wiki article which goes into some of the technical stuff...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Command_Control

 

[XavierJ123]

Maybe I'm crazy, but the sound effects that DCC provides gets annoying after a while. Then I am ready to have some piece and quiet without it. And I can hear a derailment when DCC sound isn't present. Live & learn.

 

[Stan kolak]

Newbie question

If you keep the e-z track set-up, buy a set of switches to have some logic thinking to do. You can set up a 36" by 60 or 72 " oval easily on a 4X8' board. Around this, you can buy flex track as a 2nd loop. Now you can run 2nd train for less money than buying a DCC set-up.