Model Railway Forum

I am about to embark on a large indoor/outdoor 00 project with DCC. ( new to me)
Is there the perfect book out there which explains everything clearly.
Cheers
Rob

Far be it for me to say!..... Link click here

Or perhaps... Link 2 click here

I can highly recommend 'The Newcomer's Guide to Model Railways' by our very own Brian which covers just about everything. If it's specifically a DCC book your after then I'm sure someone can recommend one.

You beat me to it, but mines cheaper

Thanks for the replies...
Yes it’s particularly DCC info I need. As it’s going to be a large project I know I will need at least one power boost unit but not sure if more than one...electro/insulation frog?? Dbl/single slips, point control, programmed computer control of point switching and engine movements.... all this sort of stuff

Hi Rob - you obviously need to do a bit of reading, but you could answer a couple of questions, for example, how big is this layout - how big is big? You say you need at least one power booster - sometimes these are not necessary - how much of the layout will be outdoors? BB

Approx 100-120 metres of peco code 100 track...
40% indoors, 60% outdoors
Plus approx 20 points, a few single or double slips, and a and a few 3 way points...
I already have the NCE Cab controller....

The length of track is not that important. Its more to do with the total number of locos being run at any one time.
Outside use a DCC Bus pair and fit dropper wires to every piece of track. Soldering all connections. Never rely on the metal rail joiner (Fishplate) outside to pass power and data rail to rail. In fact its best practice not to relay on metal joiners anywhere and use a Bus Pair of wires throughout.
If you want to add a Booster then install IRJ (Insulated Rail Joiners) in place of metal joiners in both rails of all tracks leading into the proposed section and again in all rails leading out of the section.
Run a totally separate pair of DCC Bus wires to feed this now isolated section with droppers going only to the rails of the isolated section from this Bus pair. Then until a Booster is obtained or considered necessary, connect this 'Booster bus pair' to the main DCC bus pair observing polarity across the two. If and when a Booster is obtained remove the Booster section bus pairs connection from the main bus and then connect the 'Booster bus pair' to the Boosters output, again ensuring polarity is maintained.

As indicated by Brian a booster feeds a totally independent track district. It does not ‘boost’ an existing track district. The only thing common to both districts is the DCC signal which is taken from the master (and only) DCC controller in the primary district and passed to the second district by the booster. The second district has its own power supply feeding the booster unit.

Thanks Fellas, great advice... much appreciated.
I intend using droppers and a bus for the whole system and a useful tip re isolating one section in case.
Yes, I was under the misapprehension that the a booster beefs up the supply for the whole system instead of just relying on the hand held unit.
There will be one isolated part of the layout which will be the shunting hump... my intention is for a diesel shutter to push a rake of uncoupled groups of wagons over the hump (stopping at preprogrammed intervals) allowing them to roll down the slope and out of sight ( under a road bridge to the marshalling yard) and somehow get them or another set back for repeat) ideally using an old laptop. That’s the plan