Greetings everyone, I'm back with my second round of beginner's questions
I made it to the local hobby shop the only one within 20 miles and the owner demonstrated DCC for me on an HO-locomotive. It was for a me a real eye opener, and it's very likely the way I will go. Is there any reason I should not go the DCC path? Since I am starting from scratch I wouldn't have conversion costs later. Locomotives, rolling stock and track I will, of course, purchase from the US, but I am thinking DCC/ electronics if I do go that way I might procure locally. The shop owner suggested I bring in some track, a switch, and a DCC-ready locomotive (he specifically said `chip and speaker already installed') and he'd show me how to use it with his recommended system: Uhlenbrock. I doubt it's known outside Europe --- or have any of you seen it? The system is called Intellibox / Intellibox II: http://www.uhlenbrock.de/germany/Download/1/English/I96EEA64-047.apd/Bes\ 65060-01e.pdf <http://www.uhlenbrock.de/germany/Download/1/English/I96EEA64-047.apd/Be\ s65060-01e.pdf> http://www.uhlenbrock.de/germany/Download/1/English/INDEX.HTM <http://www.uhlenbrock.de/germany/Download/1/English/INDEX.HTM> Is it possible to purchase a locomotive (late steam, early diesel 1950s, ideally Pennsylvania or New Jersey Railroads) with the DCC chip-and-speaker already installed? If so, can any of you suggest with whom I should place the order? My first purchase will be minimal: a locomotive, some freight cars, some track and a switch. In due course I will, I suspect, begin to deplete my savings as I build my little empire. While I am at it, should I already make the leap to magnetic couplers such as Kadee? I plan to do some serious switchyard work, so automatic coupling / uncoupling will be a must. In parallel I have been doing the obligatory tear-up-the-sheet-of-paper-again track planning for the 9' x 27' or so layout. Carpentry, electrical and lighting is on track (no pun intended). OK, enough dumb questions --- any advice would be sincerely appreciated. Many thanks in advance, and best regards from a VERY rainy Eastern Switzerland, John [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
