How many DCC can I run on 1 layout using EZ command?

[badkarma]

How many DCC trains can I run simultaneasly in one layout? Do I need any special connections to run more than 2 locomotives. I'm looking to run atleast 3 locomotive at 1 time on my layout.

[Doneldon]

BK-

How many trains you can run using any given DCC system can only be expressed in general terms because there are so many factors which alter the equation. Among those are the age of your locomotives, whether they have sound, whether you have lighted passenger trains on the layout, whether you operate turnouts through your DCC system, what kind of rail you have, the size of your feeder wires, whether you know how to solder correctly, whether your locomotives have lights, whether your locomotives have lights in addition to the headlights, whether the lights on your locos and rolling stock is incandescent or LED, the capacity of your booster, how clean you keep your track and pick-up wheels, whether your rolling stock is free rolling or a bit stiff, whether your layout has grades, whether those grades are steep or gentle, the radius of your curves, how long your trains are, whether non-active locomotives are stored on live or dead tracks ... you get the point.

All of that being said, you should be able to operate at least two, and maybe three, depending, locomotives with sound on the lowest power DCC set-up, the EZ Command. As you move up in cost and sophistication the capacity will increase. Unless your locos are old and you have a bunch of incandescent bulbs in your rolling stock, the Dynamis system should handle three trains without any trouble, and maybe as many as five. But again, there are lots of things which can reduce a DCC system's capacity but none which will increase it. You can move still farther up the power dimension to five, eight or ten amps. Systems like that can easily operate large club layouts so they would be a sure thing for the kind of layout we have the time, space or money to build at home.

I hope this adequately answers your question. I'm not trying to be evasive; the reality is that there is no exactly right answer.
                                                                                                                                                                                           -- D

[show33]

Doneldon:
Sort of hijacking the thread, but related...

What is the most cost efficient way to increase the amps on the EZ command system? The Bachmann 5 amp upgrade seems pretty expensive.

I have a couple of older after market power supplies from my slot car days. One is a pyramid variable supply...not sure what sort of power they generate and I will have to dig them out of the basement, but wondering if they might be able to do the job.

[shleds]

Similar inquiry, is there any other options to have more power for the EZ-Command than to add that expensive 5 amp unit? It seems that getting another system (Digitrax, NCE, or Dynamis type of solution) might be a better way to have more amps?

How many amp is the EZ Commander? 3 amps? adding that 5 amp unit would bring everything up to 8 amp?

I think those are the details missing, what are potential upgrade paths, and how can we tell when we need to upgrade. Trains stopped working? turnouts loses their addresses? trains just start running slower when far away from the terminal rail?

[badkarma]

Doneldon:
Thanks for the input. I have a 8x4 layout and all my equipment are Bachmann and going on 2 yr old. I am now going over to DCC keeping the same track (EZ track grey). I got myself a EZ command and 2 DCC locomotive this past Christmas. My set up on my 8x4 is a simple set up. Will try to put up pics.

I have a 3 track set up (outside, middle, and inner). When it was just analog trains, I had 3 separate controls for each track. Now the outer and middle are connected with 2 crossover turnouts and I made it for DCC. The raduis on the curves of both tracks were simple. I used 22" curve raduis outside and I mixed 22" and 18" curve raduis for the middle. The inner track, kept analog, has 18" raduis curves and multiple turnouts (4), for a depot set up. I am thinking of having a jumper to connect the inner track to the other tracks, so its wired as a DCC. This way I can run a DCC sound train on it and also keep an analog train on the set up.

Is this good enough for the EZ command to handle. The turnouts i have a separate Bachmann analog controller for it. The control is not connected to the track, but my turnouts are connected to the accessories connection on the contoller. Is that bad? I would like to keep the turnouts analog with the separate controller.

[jward]

Similar inquiry, is there any other options to have more power for the EZ-Command than to add that expensive 5 amp unit? It seems that getting another system (Digitrax, NCE, or Dynamis type of solution) might be a better way to have more amps?

How many amp is the EZ Commander? 3 amps? adding that 5 amp unit would bring everything up to 8 amp?

I think those are the details missing, what are potential upgrade paths, and how can we tell when we need to upgrade. Trains stopped working? turnouts loses their addresses? trains just start running slower when far away from the terminal rail?

the ez command is a very basic stripped down system, with I believe a 1 amp rating. even the most entry level systems by others are rated 2,5 to 3 amps. and you'd probably get full programming capability and the ability to upgrade your system without starting over as well.

[richg]

You all have a PC at your finger tips to search for DCC boosters online. There are quite a few. I cannot post any other brands here.
There are competitive prices for the Bachmann booster also.
Google should be your best friend.
I just did a search and found lots of good info.

Rich

[shleds]

Yeah, we could Google it, I wasn't sure we could mix and match DCC equipment.

[Doneldon]

show and shleds-

The EZ Command is rated at 1.0 amp but consensus seems to be that it's more on the order of 1.25 amps. This is enough power for a basic set-up and several modern locos with efficient can motors and so on. It would be pretty much maxed out with two older locos. And by new/old I mean before and after about 1990. The motors, even can motors, before that time weren't especially efficient. That's especially true for even older locos with open-frame motors.

To my way of thinking, the major issue with the EZ-C isn't it's minimal power output because it can, after all, be expanded. For me, the biggest problem is that the EZ-C cannot program decoders, much less read values from them. And increasing the output is hardly worth the effort or expense because you'd just have a more powerful system which still cannot program decoders, still can't read CVs and still can operate only a maximum of 10 locos regardless of how much power the unit puts out.

Yes, the Bachmann five amp booster is expensive. Other manufacturers have boosters which are less expensive and which will work with the EZ-C. However, amping up the EZ-C is kind of a fool's errand because of what one has after doing so. IMHO it's much better to buy a full-featured and more powerful system in the first place. Dynamis, for example, is an excellent choice. It is significantly less expensive than an "improved" EZ-C and, while it's output is less than half of that of the improved EZ-C, it is still capable of running plenty of modern locomotives and it has the versatility that comes with the ability to program CVs. I would definitely recommend Dynamis or any other full-featured system over a pumped up EZ-C. Any of them, Dynamis included, would have enough power for most home layouts.

To address some specific questions: You can't just connect a more powerful wall wart to a DCC system to increase the system's output. This is because the power input to the command station is "upstream" from the command station and may overwhelm the light-duty wiring in a low power command station like the EZ-C. However, there is some universality with DCC; systems and decoders which are NMRA compliant will play well with one another. Boosters from different manufacturers can usually be used. This is because the booster is "down stream" from the command station and therefore cannot overwhelm it. But you cannot interchange controllers or throttles. This is because different manufacturers have different "structures" to their command system, different ways of connecting controllers and command stations and different physical ways of connecting their components. I am not 100% sure since I haven't put a meter to an expanded system, but I'm pretty sure that a system's output is not the sum of the basic controller's output plus that of the auxiliary booster; I believe the net output is only what the booster puts out.

BK-

An EZ-C should operate your two outer loops and very possibly your innermost loop as well, as long as you have comparatively new, efficient motors in your locos. I wouldn't count on operating more than a single sound loco, multiple lash-ups or long passenger trains full of incandescent light bulbs. Yes, you can operate your remote turnouts from the accessory terminals of your old power pack whether it is running your innermost loop or not. I would not try to connect the power pack for DC operation on your innermost loop (or any track, for that matter) if there is any kind of connection to DCC on the other loops. Your DCC system will become toast a lot faster than you can make the same in an appliance intended for the purpose. If you want to have the option or running either DC or DCC on that innermost loop, run the track feeds through a DPDT switch which will allow only one to access the loop at a time. For an additional mote of safety, be sure the DPDT is a break-before-make switch.
                                                                                                                                                                                       -- D

[badkarma]

Thanks Doneldon. I'm trying to do some research for sound decoders from various brands. MRC, Digitrax, and Soundtrax.  Soundtrax I am able to get some idea for Bachmann locomotives. I can't get a definitive answer for MRC or Digitrax. They  give a direct brand usage that it would work for like Atlas, Kato, and Athearn. None will say Bachmann. However youtube post will say something like "Bachmann SD40-2 with MRC sound decoder", but they don't give an item # used in that particular locomotive. They might say EMD 645, but there are so many style of boards for an EMD 645. I wish someone post a list of sound decoders of all various brands that will on work on particular locomotives.

If you anyone have any ideas, please PM me thanks.

[shleds]

Thanks Doneldon,

this is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. The Dynamis system seems kind of good value at $360, It is connecting via infrared? I imagine it is used like a remote control on a TV, where you have to point it at the sensor? You can add receivers on it at $53 each without the Pro Box, but you need the Pro Box at $500 to add controllers? Or the minute you add a wireless receiver or a controller, you need the $500 ProBox?

[Bucksco]

A quick search of online retailers shows an average price of around $400 for a Dynamis system and a Pro Box which is pretty average for a full function DCC outfit - additional handsets and receivers are sold separately.
EZ Command is designed with the beginner in mind. If you are planning a large layout you should obviously look for a more robust system. Bachmann has always kept the beginner in mind. It is very important that a value priced introductory product be offered so that newcomers to DCC can get their feet wet without being intimidated by complexity and price.
To the original poster- you are capable of addressing 9 locomotives with EZ Command. The number of locomotives you can operate at one time is limited by the load capability of the controller you choose.

I think that sums it up.....

[show33]

Doneldon - many thanks for the response, exactly what I was looking for.