From the Dome Car: Train 8 Track 5 (January-February, 1999)

 

It’s hard to believe now, since DCC is so common, that there was a time just 27 years ago when the technology was relatively new and people were wondering if it was right for them. That’s the topic I addressed in this Dome Car. As it turned out, I never adopted it, preferring block control even though I had a large double-deck layout and over 40 locomotives. (And I still use DC on my current layout, the Gateway Spur.) Anyone else out there still using only DC?

To DCC or not to DCC? That's the question William Shakespeare might have asked if he were a model railroader. 

On the one hand, Digital Command Control offers freedom: No more blocks to throw, no more "Who's got my train?" being yelled across the layout room. 

On the other hand, there's the cost of the units, throttles and decoders for the locomotives. It can add up pretty quickly, even for a small layout. 

And there's the rub, to stay with our Shakespearean theme: Because of the freedom it offers, DCC is ideally suited to modellers with large layouts. Since those modellers usually have lots of locomotives, they end up being exactly the group that has the greatest amount of difficulty affording DCC. 

Meanwhile, those of us with more modest pikes can afford it, but we really don't need it; conventional block routing will do just fine. 

One modeller I know, who uses a conventional block system for his first-class operating sessions, says "I always get asked by visitors to my layout when—not if—I am converting to DCC." For him, it's a question of all the work involved to convert to the new system; he likes the freedom offered by DCC, but isn't sure he should take the plunge. 

He wishes he could hear from people who have experience with DCC: What are the pros and cons? What is the ideal layout for DCC? Is it really that easy to set it up? What should people know before taking the plunge? We'd all benefit from your letters on this topic. 

New columnist: With this issue we introduce a new column called "Tales of the Midland Railway." Ever wonder how wide aisles should really be? What makes a layout user-friendly? What about all this new technology? We're pleased to offer the musings of longtime model railroader Ron Bareham of St. Thomas, Ontario. 

Ron's reflections, originally published in the Niagara Frontier Region Flimsy, will provide a host of practical modelling tips from his wealth of experience. We're sure you'll enjoy his tales and find many useful ideas for your own layout. 

A photo contest: As mentioned in the last issue, long-time reader Lawrence Adams of Toronto, Ontario, is putting up $100 for a Modellers' Photos contest. We've decided to match Lawrence's offer. Here's how it will work: send us your 4x6-inch colour prints (the only size to be considered) along with the negative by June 15, 1999. There will be two categories for photos: one for those that have been previously published in our magazine and one for those who's photos have never appeared in Modellers' Photos before. We will present the first place photo in each category with a $50 cheque and the second and third place winners with $25 cheques (along with our usual photo publishing payment, of course). We will choose one from all the photos submitted and use it on the cover of our 50th issue, Train 9 Track 2 in July. 

Identify each photo with your name and address written on a self-adhesive label attached to the back of each photo, and be sure to send us a proper caption, written on a separate sheet. There will be a limit of 4 photos per person, per category. Mark your envelope to: Modellers' Photo Contest. All photos will become the property of CRM and could be used in future issues. We will be looking forward to hearing from you! 

And so, another issue is 'put to bed' as they say, which means its time to work on the next one. And, a Happy New Year to all.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From the Dome Car: Train 3 Track 3 (February-March 1993)

Image
    A price increase! And not the last time. Prices for everything kept going up; finding a way to balance costs and revenue was an ongoing challenge for Morgan. And we get a report about his plan to give a train set for Christmas to some neighbour boys. New collector cards are coming, and we hear the common refrain again for more articles. Journalism, it is said, is either an act of commission—going to get articles—or collection—waiting for them to come in. The latter approach is less expensive but riskier; that’s the approach Morgan took. Later, when I became involved, I would search out articles and work with authors, trying to keep the hopper full. It was always a challenge. With Groundhog Day behind us, it's only a matter of time now before the snow will be gone and I can drag the BBQ out of the shed and burn up a steak or two! We've had our share of the white stuff this year. On the plus side, the railfanning in the snow and cold was great! Our plans this year in...
Read more

From the Dome Car: Train 7 Track 4 (August-September 1997)

Image
Remember when collecting  President’s Choice trainsets was all the craze? Maybe some of you still have them in your basements or attics! When we cleaned out Morgan’s basement after his death, I think he had two of each set there. (Sold to support his widow, along with the rest of his model railroad collection.) Morgan was a big booster of Boris Polakow and his trainsets for Loblaws, seeing them as a way to introduce kids to the hobby.   When we think of manufacturers of model railway products, names like Walthers, Model Die Casting and Athearn quickly come to mind. Chances are you wouldn't include Loblaws in that group, but since 1992 the grocery chain-giant has been one of the largest retailers of model trains in Canada, selling 60,000 specially-produced train sets.   It all started with an idea by Boris Polakow, Vice President of Canadian Sales Development for Lob law's Private Label. As a kid, Boris was fascinated by trains, building three HO scale layouts with his...
Read more

From the Dome Car: Train 5 Track 5 (November-December, 1995)

Image
  "Weekend Warriors”—there’s a term I haven’t heard for a long time! Weekend Warriors is what we used to call people who operated hobby shops out of their homes, selling new products at weekend train shows across the country. Hobby shops disliked them for cutting into their sales since they could sell items so much cheaper due to not paying rent, salaries and taxes. Morgan took the topic head on in this Dome Car, and in a special investigative report in the magazine written by yours truly. (I think this was my first byline in the magazine.)   The ongoing controversy between hobby shops and the so-called 'weekend warriors'—people working out of their homes who sell new model railroad products at weekend shows—was recently brought to our attention here at CRM. It's our policy at CRM not to mention swap meets in Subdivision Footnotes. The column is intended to provide free space to clubs which want to promote their shows.   But a hobby shop owner in southern Ontario i...
Read more