Other Model Railroading Web Sites

The following Model Railroading related Web sites are ones we particularly enjoy visiting. We take no credit or responsibility for the contents of these pages, we just like them!

Our very favorite web sites belong to our dealers. Click here for our Digitrax Dealer List.

Web Sites that offer technical advice

From Don Crano: I would like to invite each and every one of you to visit my Web Pages. But would like you all to at least see this one: http://home.neo.rr.com/mrwithdcc. Don has dedicated the top portion of this page to several manufacturers who he feels have made his model railroading experience in his words "GREAT." Gee, thanks Don!

John Kabat FREEWARE! for the MS-100 and PR-1

Wiring for DCC Home Page by Allan Gartner. This is an excellent resource for wiring information for Digital Command Control

Rutger Friberg This guy is possibly the most creative user of DCC technology today. He loves to try new and innovative ideas and he is willing to share!

North Raleigh Model Railroad Club This N-scale club has written rules for N-trak layouts running with DCC and has posted many installation notes for N scale installations.

Individuals and Clubs (most of these share installation experiences and advice, too)

Northern Virginia Railroaders (NVMR) A 70 member HO Club located in Vienna, VA. They are long time Digitrax users running a large operation. Check them out!

American Models and American Flyer DCC Layout! I am using American models flex track, switches and locomotives with Kadee Scale couplers. The layout is controlled with the Digitrax digital command control System

Free-Modu-Rail de la Capitale the group that coined the “Modu-Rail” name and standards back in 1981. This club uses Digitrax exclusively. In French & English.

CB Rail Les Halmos shares DCC technical goodies under DCC/Electronics. In French and English.

The Lakeshore Model Railroad Association Located in the Calumet Park Field House Chicago, IL

The Railway King of New Zealand Lots of links to DCC down under

The Chaleur & Restigouche Great pictures!

The Model Railroad Club On May 12, 2001 the Model Railroad Club, Inc. of Union, New Jersey held its second-annual Invitational Operating Session. Nineteen guest operators joined sixteen club members to operate two three-hours ”tricks” (sessions). These operations enthusiasts utilized thirteen radio throttles, ten UT-1 throttles, six infrared throttles, eight 8-amp boosters, one chief, two UR91 radio receivers, twenty-eight UP3 access panels and ninety-eight chief address slots (out of a possible one hundres and twenty) to operate dozens of tranis using timetables, train orders and even a CTC board. The DCC system operated flawlessly.

The club, founded in 1949 by Master Model Railroader and hobby pioneer Paul Mallery, has a long tradition of model railroading excellence. Operations and electronic innovations (including an early form of cab control) are among the Club’s hallmarks. With an existing sixteen hundred square foot HO scale layout (with an additional six thousand square foot extension under construction), and five hundred and twelve square foot N scale layout to control, it became obvious that the old tried –and-true DC system was obsolete. That’s why two years ago DCC was adopted as the new Club standard for train control The DCC system chosen was Digitrax.

There’s an old saying: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” Judging from the level of fun and fellowship enjoyed by all the participants, it’s clear that a successful operating session was served up, and Digitrax supplied a key ingredient. –Raymond E. Russell, President of “The Model Railroad Club, Inc.” Union, New Jersey

Craig Gardner Just thought I would send along my website for your entertainment. I’m a Digitrax user and have really enjoyed using your products.

Terry’s Train Trax My train website is New Zealand based with heaps of info including DCC!

High Sierra Railroad Freelance western model railroading with Digitrax Command Control

Texas A&M University Our computer science program has a track of courses related to robotics and process control processing. As a process control simulation laboratory, a HO model railroad is under construction. Control components are from Digitrax, design through Cadrail, track and turnouts Atlas, and engines Proto 2000-key is all are “off the shelf.” For those into programming, the code will ultimately be available. Most is UNIX based. One student is well into a visual location system using basic WEB cams. Can be viewed at the site one level back from photoalbum.

Miracle Strip Model Railroad Club Shalimar, FL Double deck layout with 4 track helix. Runs 12 trains at the same time. They have a modular layout, too!

Nashville N-Trak DCC makes N-trak more fun!

Margaret and Jim Mansfield Jersey Western Railroad Looks Great!!

Tom Rehberg Got his picture in the paper—Big Time!! Congratulations on a great article! This really helps promote model railroading to the poor unfortunate “un-informed.”

Ross Webster’s G-scale installations for Bachmann Shay & Climax, Aristocraft C-16, LGB Uintah Mallett, USA Trains NW2, Aristocraft 925, LGB Forney.

Jon Marinello's S scale. Runs 15 locos with an Empire Builder!

Oregon Trunk run by Lowell Smith in Portland, Oregon

Home Page of Ned Burgess, Digitrax User

Muskegon's Railroad Crossing Past & present railroad operations in Muskegon, MI. Our family also has a layout that uses Digitrax!

The Historical Model Railway Society has just added a complete new section on DCC web sites. Check it out!

Dave Mangett, Digitrax User. I've been playing with my new Empire Builder for about 2 months now, I love it. Sorry about the earlier e-mails complaining about the wait for the EB. Like you said, it was worth the wait. Can't wait to build the layout and put it to use on something other than an oval!

The Sacramento Modular Railroaders. We are using a Chief System. We are moving forward to make the Digitrax DCC system the only form of control for all operations. It has really opened up operating sessions. EVERYONE can operate trains at the same time, instead of having to wait their turn. Many times there were two or more engines working on the same module. It's GREAT. Check our web site at http://SacCentral.railfan.net

The Santa Susanna Railroad Historical Society (SSRHS), located in Southern California's Simi Valley operates a large (30’ x 50’, double deck) 100% DCC layout based primarily on Digitrax. The layout models the Southern Pacific Coast Route from Portland to San Bernardino as it would have looked in the 1950's or early 1960's. It's located in a restored 1903 Southern Pacific #22 depot located on the real Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Coast line with trains running by on a regular basis, including the Coast Starlight. The club is open to the public on Saturdays (workday) and Sundays (run day) between 1 and 4. Additionally we have meetings Wednesday evening for those who can visit only during the week. Docents provided guided tours of the depot on Sundays.

We welcome any prospective DCC users to come by and see us. Subject to how busy we are, we’re very likely to let you tr your hand at running a train over the system and you’ll always find members willing to talk of our DCC experiences.

The layout presently uses an 8amp Chief, three 8A & 5 A boosters to cover the full layout. The Club owns 6 UT-1’s and one DT-100 with the remainder owned by members. A typical operating session would see approximately half of the operators using radio and the rest using tethered DT-100IR, tethered DT-100 or UT-1’s through the UP-3’s scattered around the building. Two UR91’s are used for optimal radio operation.

The Club is presently 100% DCC , having converted from block control layout in 1999. The layout has full power district (and yard short protected) wiring installed following distributed DCC practices. Turnouts are presently controlled traditionally, from the dispatcher's panel, however the two primary reverse loops are fully automated (the layout is a generally speaking a very large single/double track dog bone). DS-54 automation of the reverse loop turnouts, for fully automated reversing using BD-1 detection, is fully operational. Signal head and panel indication provide direction and status of the reverse loop turnouts. A push button/DS54 input allows the reverse turnouts to be over ridden when needed. Northridge presently has a DS-54 in place for local turnout experimentation by the members.

WinLok is used as the primary programming tool and, over time, more of it's capabilities will be added as the club evolves towards block detection in all areas and, as the opportunities in the industry evolve, to meet their commitment to fully working signaling systems and ' blind' dispatching.

For details on the Club, the building, and directions to see us, please see the web site at http://www.trainweb.org/ssmrc.

Modellbau: German language model railroading site

Sarasota Model Railroad Club, a very active club with many members who use Digitrax!

Puckett's World of Model Railroading, Larry Puckett writes for Model Railroading Magazine and has lots of DCC experience.

Piedmont Division Web Site Zana, AJ, Armin, John, Norm, Charles Leake, Charlie Brown, Dick Pattillo & Bryan Johnson are all Piedmont Division members. Charlie Brown is the webmaster for this site.

West Side Lumber Co. Model Railroad Club Happy Digitrax Customers

North Georgia Modurail Zana, AJ, John, Armin and Evan are members of this HO modular club in the metro Atlanta, GA area.

Long Island N-trak Many members of this N-trak group use Digitrax Command Control.

Northern Virginia N-trak This club sponsored the fabulous N trak East 1996 Convention. A really cool bunch of guys.

Orlando N-trak This club is sponsored the 1998 N-trak East Convention.

FREMO A large European model railroad club. This site has plans for a LocoNet tester and more.

Orange Belt Lines Check out this N scale layout of the Southern Pacific. This layout was featured in the May/June '97 issue of N Scale magazine.

Organizations:

Model Railroad Industry Association

Model Railroad Magazines:

Model Railroad News A great place to learn the very latest in the hobby of model railroading

Model Railroading A magazine by modelers, for modelers.

Model Railroader Magazine A great place to learn more about model railroading.

Other Model Railroad Manufacturers:

Kato Manufacturer of spectacular N Scale & HO Scale locomotives, cars, track, etc.

Miniatronics, Inc. Suppliers of those tiny little light bulbs and other miniature electronic gadgets.

Sundance Pins Manufacturer of those collectible Digitrax Pins! Do you have all of them? There are six of them now! The Red Rectangle, the Black Rectangle, the Black Rectangle with Lightning Bolt, the Gold Digitrax Die Cut Pin, the White Digitrax Die Cut Pin and the rarest of all, the Smoochie (Digitrax K.I.S.S.).

Logic Rail Technologies Manufacturer of LocoNet Fast Clock and signaling products

Aero Car Technology Manufacturers of outstanding lubricants and cleaning chemicals for model railroads. Really slick!

Springhaven Shops Manufacturer of transformer kits and ready to run programming tracks for the PR-1 from Digitrax.

dccUncoupling.com Manufacturer of magnetic DCC uncoupling products.

Atlas Model Railroad Company Builders of the N-scale GP40-2 that now comes factory equipped with a Digitrax decoder. Supports NMRA plugs in locomotives for easy decoder installation.

Green Frog Productions Producers of exciting video tapes about prototype and model railroads. Ribit!! Ribit!!

Come to Tool Man for Hobby Tools All kinds of tools for modelers!

Galaxy Rails Custom designers of model train layouts. Visit this site and see what they have to offer in designing your next layout.

Prototype Railroad Sites:

Union Pacific Rail Road John's favorite place to shop!

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