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DCC Train AutomationAn independent UK guide to automating a DCC model railway — home

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Detection & feedback How to add infrared and Hall-effect sensors to DCC-EX Wire cheap infrared or Hall-effect sensors to a DCC-EX command station, define them for JMRI or EXRAIL and use them to trigger automation. Medium 1–2 hours
Detection & feedback How to add signals that follow train detection with JMRI Draw your layout in JMRI's Layout Editor, link blocks to occupancy sensors and let Signal Mast Logic set signal aspects automatically. Medium 2–3 hours
Automation projects How to automate a station shuttle with DCC-EX EXRAIL Make a train run back and forth between two stations on its own, pausing at each platform, using two sensors and a short EXRAIL script on a DCC-EX co… Medium Half a day
Computer control How to build a DCC-EX command station with an Arduino Assemble the free, open-source DCC-EX EX-CommandStation from an Arduino Mega and a motor shield, install the software with EX-Installer and drive you… Medium 2–3 hours
DCC basics How to choose a DCC command station Work out what you need from a DCC system – power, programming, expansion, computer connection and throttles – so you buy one that fits your layout no… Easy 30 minutes
Computer control How to choose model railway control software (JMRI, iTrain, Rocrail and more) Compare the main options for computer control and automation by licence, price model, platforms and features, then try the best fit before you commit. Easy 1 hour
Computer control How to connect JMRI to your DCC layout Install JMRI, choose the right connection for your command station and check the computer can talk to the layout. Medium 1 hour
Points & accessories How to control points with a DCC accessory decoder Wire solenoid point motors to a DCC accessory decoder, give each point an address and switch it from your handset, app or software. Medium 2 hours
Decoders & CVs How to fit a 21MTC, PluX or Next18 decoder Identify which modern direct-plug interface your loco has, choose a matching decoder and fit it without cables or soldering. Easy 30 minutes
Decoders & CVs How to fit a decoder to a loco with a 6-pin NEM 651 socket Swap the blanking plug in a 'DCC ready' 6-pin loco for a plug-in decoder, line up pin 1 correctly and test it safely on the programming track. Easy 30 minutes
Decoders & CVs How to fit a decoder to a loco with an 8-pin NEM 652 socket Fit a plug-in decoder to a 'DCC ready' OO or HO loco with the common 8-pin socket, getting pin 1 right first time and testing before you refit the bo… Easy 30 minutes
Detection & feedback How to install block occupancy detection on a DCC layout Divide the track into detection sections and feed each through a current-sensing detector, so your system and software know which sections are occupi… Medium Half a day
Decoders & CVs How to program a long (four-digit) DCC address Give a loco a four-digit address such as its running number, either through your command station's address menu or by working out CV17 and CV18 yours… Easy 15 minutes
Computer control How to program decoders with JMRI DecoderPro Use DecoderPro to identify a decoder, change settings through labelled screens instead of raw CV numbers, and keep a roster of every loco. Easy 30 minutes per loco
Decoders & CVs How to reset a DCC decoder to factory settings Get a misbehaving decoder back to a known state by doing a factory reset, then check the address and settings before you start again. Easy 10 minutes
Automation projects How to run two trains automatically with a station passing loop Let two trains take turns round a single circuit, each waiting in its own platform road, using two sensors, two DCC-controlled points and EXRAIL bloc… Hard 1 day
Decoders & CVs How to set CV29: direction, speed steps, analogue and long address Decode the bits of CV29, the decoder's main configuration register, and build the right value for direction, 28/128 speed steps, DC running, RailCom … Medium 15 minutes
DCC basics How to set up a DCC programming track Build a short isolated piece of track for setting up decoders, so programming commands reach only the loco you want and you can read CVs back. Easy 1 hour
Wiring & power How to set up DCC power districts with boosters Split your layout into electrically separate power districts, each with its own booster, so you can run more trains and a short in one area doesn't s… Medium 1 day
Decoders & CVs How to speed match DCC locomotives Adjust start, mid and top speeds (and trims) so different locos run at the same speed for the same throttle setting – essential for double-heading an… Medium 1–2 hours
Wiring & power How to troubleshoot DCC stalling and short circuits Track down why locos stall, stutter or trip the booster, working from track and wheels through wiring to decoder settings. Easy 1–2 hours
Points & accessories How to wire a DCC reverse loop with an auto reverser Isolate a reversing loop with gaps in both rails and let an automatic reverser swap its polarity as trains pass, so there is no short circuit and no … Medium 2 hours
Wiring & power How to wire a DCC track bus and feeders Run a heavy pair of bus wires under the baseboard with regular droppers to the rails, so every part of the layout gets full power and shorts are dete… Medium Half a day
DCC basics What is DCC? A plain-English guide to Digital Command Control Understand how Digital Command Control sends power and instructions down the same two rails, what a decoder and a command station do, and how DCC dif… Easy 15 minutes to read