Model Railway Forum

Captainkirk wrote: ↑Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:37 pm <SNIP>
I may pursue the DC sound option, but if DCC did improve the HD loco performance as well it may be worth pursuing.
I might try it on one of the HD locos on a test track using a Hornby TTS and budget Hornby DCC controller before I commit to wholesale expenditure on the layout.

DCC will offer you the opportunity of 'fine tuning' the decoder to the motor but you need a quality decoder for this as the more budget ranges wont offer that many CVs to adjust!
Secondly, if you obtain a 'Budget' DCC system it quite likely wont offer CV adjustments anyway!
As mentioned above, its highly likely that a TTS decoder will not be able to handle the motor current of these old locos.

Before you try one on DCC be sure the loco runs faultlessly on DC, if it doesn’t it will be worse on DCC apparently.

The point i would make, having many Hornby Dublo, 3 rail, and 2 rail locos, is they take a lot more current/ load, to start up, and run, than the newer locos. One of the Tech guys will know more than me, but i presume this will impact on DCC performance. I understand they have to run perfectly on DC, before conversion.