Model Train Manufacturers Are “All Aboard” DCC

Microchip decoders are installed in each train, which allows for independent and customized control of each locomotive.

The biggest trend in model trains can be summed up in three letters: DCC. With Digital Command Control, model railroaders control multiple trains at multiple speeds in multiple directions on a single track without the need for complex wiring or toggle switches.

“DCC has revolutionized the way that model railroading works,” reports Zana Ireland, who along with her husband A.J., founded Digitrax, a supplier of DCC systems, 13 years ago.

“In its simplest form, DCC allows one to individually select and control any locomotive on the layout even if another locomotive is right next to it on the same track,” explains Mark Gurries, a member of Silicon Valley Lines, an HO-scale model railroad club in San Jose, Calif. “This was not possible with the traditional direct current (DC) power system. DCC also offers additional features, starting with something simple like headlight on-and-off control … [and] moving on to full engine sound systems.”

Explaining the technology further, Deborah Ames, marketing manager for Lenz Agency of North America, reports that microchip decoders are installed in each train, which allows for independent and customized control of each locomotive. DCC took a major step forward when the National Model Railroad Association brought worldwide manufacturers together to develop uniform DCC standards, which have been in place since 1994.

“The standards [facilitate] inter-operability among companies,” reports Ames, noting that the early work of Lenz Elektronik, GmbH, Lenz Agency’s German-based parent company, was instrumental in developing the standards.

Ames adds that there are approximately two-dozen companies now producing some form of DCC. “DCC is a multi-million business because of this cooperation,” she reports, estimating that approximately 18 percent of model railroaders currently are using DCC, with much more growth potential possible. The trend is being propelled by club enthusiasts and by individual hobbyists, who run the trains in their basements or recreation rooms.

Falling costs also have made DCC more accessible to a wider range of hobbyists. Ireland reports that Digitrax’s decoders typically sell in the range of $20 to $50.

While DCC is growing quickly, Gurries concedes that it will not completely replace the old DC control system. In fact, he reports that some train vendors are adding some of the benefits of DCC technology, such as sound, to DC systems. However, while DC control systems still account for a larger market than DCC, Gurries predicts that it is only a matter of time before the situation is reversed.

The following model trains reflect the DCC trend.