HO Digital Commander Deluxe Set w/DCC, Santa Fe, Bachmann Trains, BAC00501

[newbrailroader]

Hello everyone, I am newwwwww to the hobby of model railroading. I just recently(1-6-2009) purchased the digital commander set part #Bac00501, I looked around alot and at all the diffrent sets to get started into dcc and chose this one. Now when I purchased this set I didnt realize that the switch and siding were manual.

Now I undestand how to run the loco's, couple and uncouple switch etc etc etc, but what I dont understand is how a piece of bachman ez track is controlled by the ez command controller, how many sections of dcc track can I control, how do they connect to the controller??? I just have the basic layout oval, I would like to buy some dcc and regular track to get this hobby going but confused about the configurations I guess.

Any help, comment's anything would be greatly appreciated!

Thank's

[the Bach-man]

Dear New,
If, by "controlling track" you mean switches, the EZ Command will control up to eight on address 9. They need no extra wiring; they get the signal through the rails.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[newbrailroader]

So. the switches all are controlled like the loco's ? you can run 8 swicthes? they have to be programmed on the function side of the controller?

[the Bach-man]

Dear New,
Yes, that's right.
Have fun!
the Bach-man

[newbrailroader]

Thanks for your help bach-man

[darrellwinstonhill]

How are the turnouts programmed?  I did not find any instructions for programming turnouts, just programming the different loco's that I have.

Any direction you can provide would be great.

Many thanx, Darrell

[hawaiiho]

Darrell,

I also recently purchased  the exact same set and had the same results that you described.  I removed the turnout from the box and turned it over. Imagine my surprise to find that what was provided in the "starter" DCC set was, indeed, a "manual turnout".   I did not expect to find the turnout that was provided in  a "starter DCC" set would be a totally manual turnout.
I was upset with my self for not checking more carefully before I made the purchase. I am very disappointed with Bachmann for not including a DCC turnout in what was marketed as a "DCC starter set".  In the future, I will be much more careful when purchasing Bachmann products.

The end result was, I tossed the manual switch in my junk drawer and purchased a DCC turnout, which by the way,  works very well.

[darrellwinstonhill]

Thanks.  Yes, i thought that was very odd also - to include a manual turnout on a DCC set.

I have found the DCC turnouts to be very expensive.  Try www.wholesaletrains.com, that is the lowest price that I have found on the net - although their shipping can be somewhat expensive ($9.99 for 1 lbs and it goes up after that).

Glad to hear that your DCC turnout works well.  I'm adding to my track little-by-little and will add a few of those in due time.

[Tylerf]

its not actually as suprising as it may seem, the set is a "starter set" intended as a great relatively inexpensive start to the hobby and like you just said the DCC turnouts are very expensive so adding them to the set would be pricey and destroy the whole inexpesive idea so manual turnouts make sense. my advice would be tho put the manual turnouts near the controls hence were the driver is were it would be silly to pay and add a dcc turnout, then use the DCC ones farter away from you on the other side of the layout.

[hawaiiho]

Darrell,

While the DCC turnout works fine, the same seems not to be the case with the EZ Command Controller. It appears to be developing a problem. The controller operates the turnout fine for several cycles, then it just quits commanding the turnout. All train commands(speed, direction, lites, etc work fine.
I have already reprogramed the turnout, which works great with a DC loco. So, now I am going to try reprogamming the DCC locos. I guess what I am saying is,  I am grasping at straws. If either of any of you have any ideas??

Tyler, while it is true that it is a starter set, I don't believe that means it is necessarily a starter set for a new HO hobbist. I take it to be  a starter set for someone just getting into DCC. And as a side point; it most certainly is not cheap. Even the lower priced(over $100 less cost) McKinley set comes with a remote turnout.

[darrellwinstonhill]

wow at $50-60 for a single DCC turnout, I'd be pretty ******* if it did not work after a period of time.

[hawaiiho]

Darrell, I not sure it is the turnout. When I only run an older DC loco, with the Command Controller only controling the turnout, everything works fine. It is when I run one of the new DCC locos and then try to control the turnout that I have problems.
Works fine for several cycles of the turnout and then it quits. It doesn't make me any happier though, particular since I am using a layout taken off the box the set come in. Reprogramming the new locos didn't help, either.

[Tylerf]

Darrell, I not sure it is the turnout. When I only run an older DC loco, with the Command Controller only controling the turnout, everything works fine. It is when I run one of the new DCC locos and then try to control the turnout that I have problems.
Works fine for several cycles of the turnout and then it quits. It doesn't make me any happier though, particular since I am using a layout taken off the box the set come in. Reprogramming the new locos didn't help, either.

After doing some research ive found that the set does say that there manual switches, and not for the sake of arguement that if you were a model railroader switching to DCC should probably get the digital commander with a locomotive set instead of the full one with track and all. But its the buyers choice. Also theres a large price difference between a DCC switch and a remote switch but oh well.

[hawaiiho]

Tyler,

I not sure what you mean by "if you were a  model railroader".  Does twenty plus years, about 20 DC locos and a few dozen cars qualify?

I bought the "set" because, since, because of a lot of use and multiple moves my old track was getting pretty bad. So,  I was "converting" both to EZ Track and DCC, it made economic sense. I needed an additonal DC controller. I needed additional track. As to the manual switch. I don't believe that I said otherwise. My only comments were about the decision by Bachmann to put a manual switch in a moderately expensive DCC set, and my anger at myself for not checking closer before buying the set.

As you said,  "but, oh well"

[Tylerf]

Sorry about that, i wasent referring to you as a begginer to the hobby i just meant a hobbyist that has a full DC layout would be more likely to buy just the loco and controller with no need for the track, so in that case the full set is a better begging set cause it includes a full layout. In your case though that makes full sense. So i guess what im saying is the conversation kinda drifted towards the general idea of the set and away from your origional question.