Analogue or Digital?

Choosing the most suitable controller for your layout can often seem like a daunting task. This is mainly due to the number of controllers on the market, along with the fact they all have slight variances in design and use. This considered, there are only a few things to think about before you can select the perfect controller for your requirements. 

There are two methods of control on the market today. One is analogue, and the other is digital. These terms are often confused when referred to by their other names, DC and DCC. DC refers to the type of power being supplied to the track, in this case a DC current at 12 volts powering an analogue layout. This is seen as the traditional method of controlling model railways and involves a variable current speeding up and slowing down a locomotive on a single track. DCC stands for Digital Command Control, which works in a different way. On DCC layouts the track is constantly live, and the controller sends a signal down the track to decoder chips in each locomotive which interpret the instructions and power the motor or functions accordingly.

There are merits for both systems, and both offer something different. Analogue control gives the modeller the opportunity to control all aspects of the layout from a combination of controllers, switches and triggers, and Digital control controls it all from one central unit, with decoders in each locomotive and accessory decoders for signals, points, lighting effects etc. Of course, you don’t have to stick to one set method of control for your whole layout. There is nothing stopping you controlling your locomotives digitally and keeping your accessories analogue, or even vice versa.