I'm in the process of planning and building a new HO layout, that will be around the wall with a peninsula in a 14'x20' basement room.  I've settled on a track plan (all the details aren't complete yet but the mainline run and yard areas have been roughly figured out with minimum radius turns etc) and have started on some benchwork.  I'm now looking for a DCC system and power supply to get started with.

I would like the ability to run at least 6 trains at once (even though I probably won't run that many), power signaling, etc.

Does anyone have any recommendations for systems to consider? I picked up a book on DCC and am somewhat familiar with the systems, but am still learning.

Thanks!

Just a question.....  Why go with minimum radius turns?  I run G scales outsides and she has N scale stuff.   We've found for consistent  hours of operating not pushing around the tightest corners possible, helps keep down the de-rails.  Just a thought before the track laying starts.

The plan I’ve put together has 30” as the minimum radius turns. From reading through a bunch track plans, and Model Railroader articles, I’m hoping that will allow me to run pretty much any type of steam loco or passenger car. I’m also planning on using easements going in to the curves from tangent track.  I hope I’ve planned well, but I guess I’ll find out when I start running trains.

No less than 30" radius is good.

You can run #4 switches in the yards IF you are using 4 axle deisels.  Some 6 axle will run through them, some iffy.

On the main, no less than #6 switches.

Use Nickel-Silver code 87 track (rail size, it's more realistic), and the NS does not corrode like plain brass rails.

DCC system, without a doubt, I can highly recommend the NCE Power Pro system.  This is a 5-amp system, and you
can control a ridiculous number of trains.  The Power Pro will not be your limitation.  This system is easy to operate, and
far superior to any other brand.  Among operators who have operated on several different brands, NCE, MRC, Digitrax,
etc, most will tell you they prefer NCE.

Set up a section of track isolated with plastic rail joiners to use as a programming track.  You can rig up a DPDT Center-OFF
switch to be able to use it as part of the layout as a siding or spur.  Run the loco to be programmed on it, flip the switch,
now it can be used to program that loco without risk of programming every loco on the main.

Do NOT use "Program on the Main" function.

My layout is 15' x 11' with a 4' x 2' peninsula.  Your room will be great!

There are many "how-to" videos... let me suggest you search around Youtube for user arthouston3 and his Grande Pacific
Model Railroad.  He has a LOT of great videos on every aspect of the hobby.  He travels a lot, visiting other nice railroads,
helping other modelers and clubs install their DCC sytems, and knows the latest "what works and what doesn't".

And feel free to message me.

My layout (and link to video)

https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/Time-for-me-to-put-up-or-shut-up-my-railroad-now-with-VIDEO-p-2-/186-2088146/

Sand the bevels of the cork roadbed, round it off (I use an electric sander) before painting (following step) and laying track.  This will
let your ballast lay better instead of falling off the edge of the sharp bevel.

Determine what ballast you will use... and use Fine grade for HO, not Medium.  Take the ballast to a paint store (I went to Home Despot)
and have a quart of cheap flat latex mixed to match your ballast.  After you put your roadbed down paint it with the paint you had blended
to match the ballast.  That way it does not look so raw while you are doing trackwork.  And when you ballast, you can go light and it will
look fine.  Especially around the moving points of switches.

Thanks for all the information. I’ll look into the NCE unit you recommended.

Regarding track I’ve decided to go with micro engineering code 83 for my mainlines with #6 turnouts. I haven’t made my mind up yet or finished planning the yards and sidings but have been looking at the micro engineering yard ladder turnout system with #5 turnouts for them. I’d like the yards to be code 70 rail, and the ME yard ladder system is listed on their website as being made, but I can only find it for sale in code 83.

I’m modeling the transition era Southern Railway so I want to make sure all the trackwork is compatible with steam locomotives. So far I’ve purchased the only locomotive I’ve purchased is a Broadway Limited USRA heavy mikado but haven’t run it yet.

NCE also has their Power Cab system, which runs off a 2 amp wall wart, and has the "command station" (brain) chip
in the handheld controller.  This is a nice little system, having only a plug in panel, the wall wart, and controller.  It
can operate up to about 6 locos, and operate them separately.  It has a fair amount of features, and is very good with
programming.  You can plug in one other controller.  But you will soon outgrow it.  What you cannot do is unplug
the PowerCab controller and use it as a "walk around" controller, as everything stops when you unplug it, as it has
the command station inside it.

The PowerCab can have a "Smart Booster" added to it, and larger (5 amp) power supply, an easy expansion of the
original setup.

But after all that, you might as well just "buy once" and get the Power Pro 5 amp system from the beginning.  That
is really what you need for your layout as you describe it.  You can add quite a number of other controllers.  You can
even add radio to make some of the controllers wireless, though they are expensive.

I have three plug in panels and controllers around the layout, and one controller is wireless.  I will be adding a few
more plug in panels as I complete the layout.

I have shown basic operation of the controller to a kid, and he was running locos right away.  Very easy and intuitive.

The PowerCab can be useful to program locos work on a test track, as a throttle to take to a friends house for operating sessions, or just as an extra throttle for one of the larger systems. I keep a saved search on the eBay app and look for incomplete PowerCab systems. I've gotten a few of them for under 70 bucks that way with buy it now. If you're not using it as a PowerCab, it becomes a regular Pro Cab.

Yes, one of my three cabs is actually my original PowerCab.

Friend Art Houston ("This is a Grande Pacific pro-duct-ion"... on Youtube), in addition to the
programming track hooked up to his main system (a Power Pro system with extra boosters
and power supplies) has a PowerCab setup on a section of track nailed to a strip of ply to
use as a carry around programming track.

As DoubleARon said, it works exactly like a regular ProCab (the controller in the PowerPro
system) when using it on other layouts.

Attached File


As you can see, the button layout is exactly the same, the buttons are labeled the same, and
when either is plugged into an NCE PowerPro system will work exactly the same.

A different cord is used for the two systems.

For the PowerPro system, though both use the same RJ-12 plug, only the middle four conductors
are used.  For the ProCab, all eight conductors are used.  This is because it contains the "brain"
or "command station" chip, and the power flows from the wall wart plugged into the back of the
panel, out to the controller, and from the controller back out to the panel, where it then goes to
the track.  Those track power wires are not used with the PowerPro system.  The PowerCab
system supplies both cords, a flat cord for use as the PowerCab system, and a coiled cord for
use with the PowerPro system.

Our point is, even if you buy the PowerCab "starter" system you have not lost any money with it,
nor should you sell it, (NOT 'if') when you later acquire the larger NCE Power Pro system.

I can't buy PowerCabs from ebay because DoubleARon buys them all.  

Bunn... look at this on ballasting track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnS_Ws3LXYE&t=486s