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The HO turnouts derailed sometimes as well. A friend of mine had both Bachman and Kato in N scale, the Kato in N was better than the HO Bachman, because of the Kato Unijoiners. The Kato is even more expensive than the Bachman, but it is good for temporary layouts, and most DCC vendors and...

You can set the trip time to 500ms on the Digitrax system, and then use tail light bulbs to protect farther like Joe Fugate does.

Digitrax is the most capable system as far as stuff like this goes. First, you need to figure out if a train is in a block. You will need at least twice as many blocks as trains, probably even more than cab control. These can get wired back to a Digitrax BDL168 block detector board. If you want...

Yes, modern switchers can be up to SD-40-2's!!! Smaller switchers are generally geared lower, so that they can move long trains around, with less horsepower. Many don't go very fast though, but thats fine, as it is dangerous to go fast in a yard. Switchers are only in the the americas, they have...

I have a number of Bachman locos. They don't run too well, but for $30 at a train show you just can't beat the price. I have had the best luck with the FT-A and FT-B. None of the hooded diesels run as smooth. With Bachman's lack of QC (I have two GP35s, bought at the same time, one runs slower...

First, you need to learn more about DCC systems, decoders, etc. You might want to take a look at the more powerful and expandable Digitrax Zephyr, although if you want radio on Digitrax, you will have to have a US contact buy/ send the equipment to you, as only NCE radio is approved by the...

Ah, OK. I think the Soundtraxx equipped locos just sit there and do nothing. As for running a DC loco on DCC, not only is it a bad idea, but many manufacturers don't even have this "feature" (an annoyance that has to be turned off). Digitrax and Bachman do, luckily there is a way to turn it off...

Kato unitrack has even more variety, and the stuff actually fits together to make a layout. I have a lot of experience with the Bachman stuff, and the layout is almost always bent an inch or two. You could sell the Bachman stuff for a little bit, and use the money to buy the much cheaper, and...

My HO scale modular club has hexagonal corners, and they nest together, get bolted together, and then get put in the club trailer for transport. The yard, power supply, throttles, and corners stay in the trailer, and are owned by the club, so that if someone is sick, we still have four corners...

True, you can zero stretch, thats a complicated one to explain, so for all practical purposes it doesn't exist. Haven't heard of DCC decoders that will be fried on DC. I have heard of ones that just plain don't work on DC. This sounds like a MAJOR design flaw, as many people have DC at the club/...

I'll add my $.02 in: Go with flex track... cheaper, smoother, no derailments. I have had lot of bad experiences with EZ-Track. If you use "real" techniques on a 4x8 then it will be a real model railroad. EDIT: Wording

You need to read up on DCC, the theory, the power, the systems, the wiring, the programming, etc, before buying. A DC loco cannot run on DCC, but a DCC loco runs just fine on DC, just without functions or anything. You will probably want to look at a full featured system like the Digitrax Zephyr...

For a layout that size, you shouldn't need more than 18 gauge lamp wire, or whatever else you have laying around that is 18 gauge or thicker. Speaker wire is good also, as long as it is 18 gauge. Then use 22 gauge feeders. You can still use terminal strips for easy disassembly. If you are going...

The Empire Builder is a bad set, as it does not have a full command station with a programming track, or full functions. It is really just an expansion set for the Chief, even though it technically can run on its own as a system. Get the Chief or the Zephyr, whichever one suits your needs...

I thought thats all I would want, and once I started using DCC, I realized that I wanted more, so now I am getting a Digitrax Zephyr with two radio throttles. Save yourself the $$$, and start out with a Digitrax Zephyr. See my reply here: http://www.the-gauge.com/showthread.php?t=24224

Number 6's are standard turnouts, anything will run through them. #8's are just for high speed running/ better looks, and are great if you have the space. You might be able to use #4's in your yard, do some tests with your 6 axle diesels before installing if you want to use #4's.

The Bachman DCC system is a good system for what it is, but it is VERY limited. I have it, and I am upgrading to Digitrax with Radio throttles. The Bachman system cannot program, cannot get hooked up to a computer, cannot have radio throttles, can only have 9 locos, and basically can't do much...

Try resetting your command station to defaults, and power cycling it.

ScottyB, A lot of people seem to love the PA, but for new users, there are a few things to be aware of. First, the PA is not a fully featured system, unlike Lenz, CVP, Digitrax and NCE, as it does not have wireless or a computer interface. The other thing is that it is said to be as easy to...

From what I understand, it is a competitor for TMCC for Lionel/ 3 rail O. There is one loco in HO for it, HO is pretty much DCC or DC, not DCS. Some people hate MTH, not sure what the whole deal is with them and patenting and something.