Until the magic of electricity, model train lovers had to push their trains to receive their trills... It wasn't until the introduction of electricity that modelers began to tackle the problems of operating multiple locomotives simultaneously on one block of rail!
Lionel offered a cool two channel system way back in the 1940's. This awesome before her time system used oscillating electrons and a transmitter to shoot messages through rails where your locomotive took in orders and delivered them with railroad precision!
The engineer could control his or her model train through a switch or dial of some sort. As you where able to control your speed and direction using this technique, it was never the less cumbersome which made for a daunting setup and timely dissemble.
Lionel's short comings in the convenience category left room for companies like GE to walk in and introduce there electronic wizardry into the model train industry. GE brought to light a 5 channel system which allowed for the controlling of more than one train per block.
GE called this system ASTRAC (Automatic Simultaneous Train Control). This new system from GE utilized a silicon based rectifier that Incorporated a receiver in each cab. The receiver responded to signals within the tracks sent by a transmitter mounted elsewhere.
Later came other systems such as, Dynotrols Carrier Control which was popular for a while in the sixties and seventies. These early command control devices shared a major setback which held the industry down for a few years. These control devices where not at all compatible. This meant you had to have all the components made by the same manufacture as different companies followed different electrical blueprints and guidelines. You could easily short out your layout or even worse cause a serious electrical fire.
In order to keep order in the industry a proclamation was handed down by Lenz, which is one of Europe's leading DCC innovators and manufacturers. This decree lays the ground work for uniformity in the DCC community, thanks to Lenz and Marklin Digital, DCC manufacturers of toady must match the compatibility of decoders in engines with power stations attached to tracks. In other words whether or not you have a Digitrax or a Lenz decoder, your commands are still understood by the power station, no matter what brand it is!
As long as your decoders and power stations follow NMRA standards you're good to go! Be sure to check your decoder before operation to assure positive results. - 33381
Lionel offered a cool two channel system way back in the 1940's. This awesome before her time system used oscillating electrons and a transmitter to shoot messages through rails where your locomotive took in orders and delivered them with railroad precision!
The engineer could control his or her model train through a switch or dial of some sort. As you where able to control your speed and direction using this technique, it was never the less cumbersome which made for a daunting setup and timely dissemble.
Lionel's short comings in the convenience category left room for companies like GE to walk in and introduce there electronic wizardry into the model train industry. GE brought to light a 5 channel system which allowed for the controlling of more than one train per block.
GE called this system ASTRAC (Automatic Simultaneous Train Control). This new system from GE utilized a silicon based rectifier that Incorporated a receiver in each cab. The receiver responded to signals within the tracks sent by a transmitter mounted elsewhere.
Later came other systems such as, Dynotrols Carrier Control which was popular for a while in the sixties and seventies. These early command control devices shared a major setback which held the industry down for a few years. These control devices where not at all compatible. This meant you had to have all the components made by the same manufacture as different companies followed different electrical blueprints and guidelines. You could easily short out your layout or even worse cause a serious electrical fire.
In order to keep order in the industry a proclamation was handed down by Lenz, which is one of Europe's leading DCC innovators and manufacturers. This decree lays the ground work for uniformity in the DCC community, thanks to Lenz and Marklin Digital, DCC manufacturers of toady must match the compatibility of decoders in engines with power stations attached to tracks. In other words whether or not you have a Digitrax or a Lenz decoder, your commands are still understood by the power station, no matter what brand it is!
As long as your decoders and power stations follow NMRA standards you're good to go! Be sure to check your decoder before operation to assure positive results. - 33381
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