Steel vs. Nickel Silver track

[DBR]

Just getting started (for grandkids) Purchased the Analog "Overland Limited" starter set and then the DCC "Echo Valley Express"  (Like all the cars and set up for the Overland set; like the DCC of Echo Valley.

Overland comes with steel track.  Echo comes with Nickel Silver.  Purchase additional steel track.

Made all the purchases before I realized the different track with the two sets.

I know mixing the two track types is not as aesthetically pleasing, but that aside, is it an issue?

[jward]

steel rail is harder to keep clean. it can also rust, which impairs contact. electrical contact is a huge issue with dcc, not so much with analog dc. poor electrical contact from dirty track can result in a corrupted signal reaching your locomotive, and cause loss of control or outright stalliing. nickel silver rail is much easier to keep clean, and works much better if you are running dcc.

as an example of what I am talking about, I have seen dcc locomotives hit a patch of dirty rail, and continue moving no matter what I did, until they reached a section of clean rail. given enough contact to draw track power but not enough to get a clear signal, a dcc locomotive will continue to move on the last command it understood until it gets another signal it understands.

[DBR]

Thanks Jeffrey.  Very helpful.  Sounds like I should return the steal and order nickel silver - just bight the bullet on the rail that comes with the Overland Limited start up kit.

[jward]

this is one of the reasons i am looking forward to experimenting with ez app when it comes out. by sending the control signal through the air, instead of the rails, you can eliminate most of the problems associated with dcc and dirty track. the more advanced dcc systems have had wireless controllers for many years now, but still relied on the command station to send the control signal through the rails. that is the weak link, requiring clean track, and redundancy in wiring.

blue rail trains, who are developing this system in partnership with bachmann, have a series of videos on you tube showing how this system will work. one of the interesting features is the ability to control the locomotive regardless of power source. imagine a steam locomotive with batteries in the tender that charge off regular track power. imagine a fully charged locomotive running on track not wired to any controllers whatsoever. imagine a layout where the only tracks hooked up to a power supply are the ones around a turntable, and when your locomotive's battery gets low, you run it into one of the radial tracks to charge, and take another, fully charged locomotive out to your train. this is the promise of ez app. with this system, it won't much matter what kind of rail you have on your layout.

i know this is getting a bit off track, but i can see a future where rail type is a moot point.

[jbrock27]

Just curious, what are we talkin ' bout for cost here?

[rogertra]

blue rail trains, who are developing this system in partnership with bachmann, have a series of videos on you tube showing how this system will work. one of the interesting features is the ability to control the locomotive regardless of power source. imagine a steam locomotive with batteries in the tender that charge off regular track power. imagine a fully charged locomotive running on track not wired to any controllers whatsoever. imagine a layout where the only tracks hooked up to a power supply are the ones around a turntable, and when your locomotive's battery gets low, you run it into one of the radial tracks to charge, and take another, fully charged locomotive out to your train. this is the promise of ez app. with this system, it won't much matter what kind of rail you have on your layout.

I have been waiting for battery powered locos for a long time.

No more wiring, other than to engine service areas, roundhouse stalls, ready tracks, staging yards etc. that can be used to recharge batteries  No more reverse loop issues, no more shorts caused by engine trailing through misaligned switches, no turntable wiring, use cheap steel rail and who cares if it rusts, that's realistic, cast metal frogs in switches, crossings etc.,  with no wiring required for power which, hopefully, with result in cheaper track components.

Roll on battery power, can't arrive soon enough for me.  

Cheers

Roger T.

[Len]

Just curious, what are we talkin ' bout for cost here?

Me too.

Will this system work with existing decoder equiped locos, or are we talking another major investment in time, control modules, and in a control system to swap everything out? If the later, I suspect this will end up a niche market primarily for people starting out, or a one time 'curious to see what it's about' purchase. Something like what happed to HO locos equiped with DCS.

Len

[jward]

they haven't released the decoders yet, but the Bachmann ez app locos are listing for about $200. given that I would estimate decoders will be in the $50 range, but nothing has been announced yet.

this system can draw track power from either dc or dcc, so it can operate as an overlay of an existing dcc layout. but, since the decoders would need power to operate, on a dc layout you would need block control with one controller, turned up all the way, assigned to run the ez app. as with a normal dc layout, you would have to be mindful of block boundaries and have your toggles set the appropriate way. if you have a locomotive equipped with battery power, all of this becomes a moot point, since the locomotive is no longer drawing power from the track itself other than to recharge the batteries. thus, battery equipped locomotives could operate anywhere, without restriction, on any layout.

best of all, your controller is your cell phone or other apple or android device, and if i'm not mistaken, appropriate sound files will be available for download and played through the phone itself.

all in all, this system promises to run like dcc without all the drawbacks of dcc.

[Hunt]

they haven't released the decoders yet, but the Bachmann ez app locos are listing for about $200. given that I would estimate decoders will be in the $50 range, but nothing has been announced yet.

this system can draw track power from either dc or dcc, so it can operate as an overlay of an existing dcc layout. but, since the decoders would need power to operate, on a dc layout you would need block control with one controller, turned up all the way, assigned to run the ez app. as with a normal dc layout, you would have to be mindful of block boundaries and have your toggles set the appropriate way. if you have a locomotive equipped with battery power, all of this becomes a moot point, since the locomotive is no longer drawing power from the track itself other than to recharge the batteries. thus, battery equipped locomotives could operate anywhere, without restriction, on any layout.

best of all, your controller is your cell phone or other apple or android device, and if i'm not mistaken, appropriate sound files will be available for download and played through the phone itself.

all in all, this system promises to run like dcc without all the drawbacks of dcc.

jward,

Some major misconceptions about a Bachmann HO locomotive equipped with a BlueRail Trains circuit board  ln your post.

[rogertra]

You can already control DCC locomotives from a cell phone and other devices.

One program is called "Engine Driver" and I believe there are others.

Cheers

Roger T.