Tracj

[baren97228]

I recently purchased a DCC engine and 3 cars, now I need to know what track and transformer to buy for a 60" oval presentation.  New to HO.
Thank you

[Doneldon]

baren-

Welcome to model railroading and this board. I know that you'll find that the many aspects of our hobby always give you something new to learn and plenty of fun in the process.

I'm guessing from your post and the calendar that you are thinking about a train under a Christmas tree. It won't matter if I'm mistaken because I'd make most of the same suggestions anyway. Bachmann makes its EZ Track, which is a good choice for trains which won't be permanently mounted to a surface, in both 26" and 28" radii. These dimensions are for the track centerlines so the outside radius will end up around 54.5" and 58.5", respectfully. The larger diameter will be, IMHO, too close to the edge of your display if the track is mounted to a raised surface like a table; wrecks will almost certainly fall to the floor and risk breakage. The 26" radius will give you a little margin of safety. If the trains are to be set up directly on the floor, you obviously don't need to worry about a fateful plunge off a cliff, to adopt a term used daily by our elected officials and newscasters. Each of these is a very broad curve so just about any rolling equipment will look good as it passes by. Be aware that only well-equipped hobby shops with extensive model railroad supplies are likely to have track with curves larger than 22" radius. (You'll need, by the way, four packages of five track sections for each of these two large radius circles.) List price on this track is close to $100 for a full circle but you can purchase it much more cheaply on line or on eBay. Check advertisers in Model Railroader or Railroad Model Craftsman magazines or google "buy Bachmann EZ track."

You have two options for a control system: DC and DCC. A DC power pack will allow you to run your train because most recent DCC equipped locomotives have what is known as a dual-mode DCC decoder. That means the DCC decoder will detect what kind of power is in the track and automatically function as the track power dictates. Do note that you cannot use a transformer because transformers output AC power which will destroy your loco's DCC decoder and probably the motor. A DC power pack (the term for an appliance which converts 120v AC wall power to 12-14v DC power) is the less expensive alternative. It will run your train just fine and will be more than suitable if your plan to just have the one train and Christmas tree operation only. A power pack will even work for you if your loco has sound, although you won't have as much control over the sounds as you would with DCC control. Locomotives with sound operating on DC track have a sort of programmed sequence of sounds; they often allow some control over sounds like the bell and horn/whistle. A DC power pack alone will do what you need for one loco on a closed loop at the lowest cost.

A DCC controller will give you complete control over sound and probably give you better motion control as well, though that's not much of an issue with a Christmas tree layout. However, I would strongly urge you to consider DCC if you plan on a permanent layout or one which will be more elaborate than a single locomotive running on a circle around your tree. DCC allows direct control of a locomotive so it's possible to operate more than one train (loco) on a length of track with each moving at the speed and direction the operator wants. DC control will make all locos on a given length of track go at the same speed (depending on variance between how given models run) and direction. As you can see, that's fine on a simple loop with a single locomotive.

Should you decide to go with DCC control, you'll have to select a DCC system. Bachmann offers two: The EZ Command controller and the Dynamis DCC controller. EZ Command is a low-power, elementary system which can run three or so non-sound trains or two sound-equipped trains. Depending on just what locos you have, you might be able to operate four non-sound or three sound trains though the latter will challenge capacity. That's not much power. You can add a booster to the EZ Command for more power but Bachmann's is very pricey compared to the competition. And, by the time you pay for the EZ Command controller and a booster you will have invested more than you'd pay for a more powerful and versatile entry-level system. Do note that all DCC systems, including EZ Command, allow you to add extra control stations so more than one person can operate trains at a time. EZ Command requires the Walk-around Companion. Other systems have hand-held throttles; you must use the Companion with EZ Command and throttles from the same manufacturer as your primary command station.

A different initial system will also give you full programming capability for your locomotives' decoders (the circuit board inside your locomotive which follows directions sent to it by your command station). EZ Command doesn't have any programming ability beyond setting the "address" of up to 10 locomotives and which is the front of the engine. I willingly admit that I am not a fan of EZ Command but that doesn't mean it is a bad product; it does what it is designed to do very well, and reliably. However, I believe its limited power and lack of programming renders it less than ideal for anything more than the simplest model railroad. You will find others on this board who will take strong exception with my opinion and you should carefully read what they have to say in order to make the best decision about a DCC control system.

Bachmann's Dynamis system is a full-featured and more powerful DCC system. It does cost more than EZ Command but it offers much more versatility and power. All of the other DCC manufacturers have entry level systems with similar characteristics. Which to choose is mainly driven by cost, design, comfort and familiarity. A last possible, and very important consideration if it applies, is a connection to another model railroader or club which uses a particular brand. This makes help and troubleshooting faster, much easier and more effective.

My last comments are directed just to the chance that this is to be an around-the-tree set up. HO is pretty small, with rails just ⁵/₈" apart. It isn't robustly built for handling or knocking around. It's especially vulnerable to the hands of toddlers and more difficult for them to use due to their immature fine motor skills. Thus, they routinely knock the trains off of their tracks and have trouble getting them re-railed. Too, HO is also so small that it's hard to appreciate from across the room. In short, HO isn't the best choice for a Christmas tree layout. This is another of my opinions based on my nearly 60 years in the hobby; however, other modelers with equivalent experience will disagree and I acknowledge that their opinions are as valid as is mine. Again, read everything to accumulate the most information before you make a decision. I don't mean to put pressure on you with that statement. After all, it's not the end of the world if you go one direction and later decide to do things differently. But I do think a decision based on more information is  better one than a decision based on only a little information.

I would not put anything smaller than O-scale (like Lionel) around a tree. That would include the currently popular narrow gauge O-scale trains which are run with some of the holiday village sets on HO track. My preference, and what I run around my own Christmas tree is a large scale Christmas train with tons of lights and animation. It's easy to see and watch from a distance, it tracks reliably, it's fun to watch, and the grand kids can handle and operate it easily by age two.

Whatever you do, have fun and welcome to model railroading.

                                                                                             -- D