DCC by Design

Tailoring DCC to your givens & druthers

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Design Example - Club Layout

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For the Prince William Model Railroad Club (PWMRC), we designed the DCC system. This is a large DCC system, designed for dispatcher control, heavy mainline running, future signalling, and future partial automation. 

Over the years of being a modular club only, club members had framed and refined the givens and druthers for a perminent layout. When space was secured at the Quantico Train Station, the detailed planning began. The track plan was designed by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (a professional layout builder and associate of DCC by Design) with input from other club members. In addition, the club had framed their givens and druthers prior to start of the design.

With the givens and druthers as a guide and the detailed track plan in hand, we  designed the DCC system for the PWMRC layout. The effort included:
  1. Determining the detection block locations and size
  2. Determining the powerd istrict configuration
  3. Grouping the turnouts for DCC control
  4. Designing the signaling concept (for future phase of develop)
  5. Designing for potential future automation
  6. Developing List of Major Equipment for purchase, including all DCC components, but not wire, connectors, etc. (Phased Plan)
  7. Selecting locations for DCC components
  8. Assigning address numbers for sensors, turnouts, and DCC components
  9. Documenting the design for the DCC/Electrical Committee
  10. Designing local control panels for turnout control

These designs were provided to the club Trackwork/DCC committee who wired the layout.

For more information about the layout, please see the PWMRC Web Site.

 Quantico Layout

Size: 30' x 30'
Controls: Digitrax DCC

Features:
- Occupancy Detection
- Turnout Control
- Designed for signaling 
(not yet installed)

Quick Stats:

5 Power Districts using 1 DCS100 and 4 DB150s

72 Detection Blocks with 6 Detection Boards

65 DCC controlled Turnouts