What does DCC Stand for in Hornby Model Railways?

What does DCC Stand for in Hornby Model Railways?

Many beginners in the model railway hobby often begin with a train set from companies like Hornby. These sets can be controlled using either traditional DC analogue control or DCC (digital) control. For those new to the hobby or returning after a long absence, understanding what DCC (digital) control is may sound like a bit of a tech mystery. In this article, we will take a brief overview look at Hornby's DCC system.

What is DCC & What Does DCC Stand For?

DCC stands for Digital Command Control. It's an alternative method to controlling your trains & model railway. Traditional DC controllers control the trains by means of increasing & decreasing the voltage. This is done by turning the speed control knob to speed the trains up or slow them down.

On a DCC-controlled layout, the voltage remains constant at 15 volts. Every locomotive is equipped with a decoder (chip) that controls the locomotive. The decoder receives digital signals transmitted from the DCC controller (command station) which are sent along the track or via the track power feeds from the DCC controller (command station). Regardless of the loco position on the track, each locomotive can be operated independently, simulating real-life conditions. DCC provides enhanced operating capabilities compared to traditional DC control.

Is it true that you only need two wires for DCC?

In the early days of DCC on model railways, there was a marketing myth of surrounding the amount of wiring required. The marketing claimed that DCC only needed two wires. While it is true that DCC-controlled layouts require less wiring than DC-controlled layouts, DCC still uses more than two wires but fewer than DC layouts. This actually makes wiring a DCC layout easier. For larger DCC layouts, more wiring is needed to isolate sections and prevent short circuits. However, despite the increased wiring, it is still simpler and less complicated to wire up compared to a DC layout.

What DCC controllers do Hornby produce?

For DCC, Hornby makes several DCC control systems. These are as follows:

  • Hornby Select Controller - An entry-level DCC controller. It is found in some sets and is also available as a stand-alone item. The Select is pictured above at the top of the page. This has direct control over one loco at any time but can run up to around three trains simultaneously. You can upgrade its supplied 1 amp transformer to a larger 4 amp one which will allow up to run up approximately 10 locomotives, depending on how power efficient the locomotives are. It can store up to 60 locomotive DCC addresses. 
  • Hornby Elite - The Select's larger sibling, which offers more features and is also N.M.R.A certified (more on N.M.R.A shortly). Unlike the Select, the Elite allows direct control of two trains through its twin control knobs. The Elite can store up to 254 locomotive addresses and comes with a 4 amp transformer. Three amps are directly supplied to the tracks, while one amp is dedicated to separately wired accessories. It has the capability to power approximately 10 locomotives simultaneously, depending on their power efficiency.

Hornby Elite

  • Hornby E-Link is a computer-based DCC control system. The E-Link unit connects and powers the track, and it is also connected to a computer or laptop/device. The software program called Hornby Railmaster is installed on a computer, laptop, or device. The trains are operated via the Railmaster software on the computer.

Hornby E-Link

Seen below are sample screenshots of the Hornby Railmaster software, showing a layout mimic panel, loco control panel, and Loco decoder CV settings screen.

Hornby E-Link - Railmaster software

  • Hornby HM7000 DCC - A brand new system recently released by Hornby, which is designed to operate a layout wirelessly via Bluetooth and an app installed on your smartphone, iPhone, tablet, or iPad. A new range of Bluetooth decoders, as well as a Bluetooth dongle/power pack that connects to the track, has also been released as part of this system. This system aims to eliminate the need for the traditional DCC controller, which sits by the side of the layout and allows wireless remote control of a layout. It also offers a choice of 1 amp and larger 4 amp power supply adapters. The HM7000 DCC can be used with Hornby's Select, Elite, and E-Link systems. The HM7000 DCC decoders will work with other brand DCC systems.

Add on DCC Items

Operating points, signals, and other powered accessories like lights can be controlled by a DCC accessory decoder, as shown below. It is capable of operating up to four points, signals, lights, etc., using the DCC controller.

On some model railway layouts, there may be track configurations where the track runs around a loop as shown in the image below. This is called a reverse loop. To enable trains to run around the reverse loop without any electrical problems due to the change in polarity, a DCC Reverse Loop Module is required. This enables the train to run around the loop without stopping and automatically changes the polarity on the track in the reverse loop. More details about reverse loops and how to wire them up are covered in our how-to guides over on our modelling community here.

Hornby's DCC reverse loop module is shown in the image below.

Can Hornby DCC work with DCC decoders made by other manufacturers? 

Yes, Hornby DCC controllers and Hornby DCC decoders will work with other manufacturers of DCC. The exception is the entry-level Hornby DCC controller, the 'Hornby Select'. There have been some reports of compatibility issues with certain non-Hornby brand DCC decoders. However, apart from the Hornby Select, the Hornby E-Link, Hornby Elite, and Hornby HM 7000 DCC will work perfectly fine with other brand DCC decoders.

You mentioned N.M.R.A. What is N.M.R.A?

The industry standard with which model railway manufacturers work with DCC is the NMRA standard. NMRA is a North American organisation, that has set and defined the protocol standards for DCC. This standard is what the model railway manufacturers work to. This enables one to use the majority of makes of DCC decoders with any DCC control system. For example, you could use the Hornby Elite with a loco fitted with a DCC decoder fitted with a Bachmann decoder, which will work perfectly fine.

Keep on Shuntin'

 

 

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Comments(2)

Very good basic report I wish all DCC articles were made as simple as this one

I agree. Thinking of returning after 50 years, & clearly explained massive tech change.

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