40 pages
Scale against scale and system against system: N or HO for the space you have, code 83 or code 100, DC or DCC, Digitrax against NCE against ESU, Kato Unitrack against Atlas flex, with the verdict in the first two sentences.
Every page is researched from manufacturer specifications, instruction manuals, published NMRA standards and recommended practices, and the consensus of verified owner reviews, not hands-on testing. Every table on this site is plain HTML you can quote, and every calculator shows its formula on the page.
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The throttle is the system: everything lives in the handheld. Widely regarded as the easiest DCC system to learn, and the same cab becomes a walkaround throttle if you later add a bigger NCE command station.
Best for: the simplest DCC system to actually understand
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A number 6 in code 83, which is the general purpose turnout for main line and yard throat work and the one most track plans assume.
Best for: main line and passing siding work in HO
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One length of code 83 flex, the correct rail size for scale HO modelling. Buy one first and lay a curve with it before committing to a carton.
Best for: trying flex track before buying in bulk
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A four axle road switcher, which is the more useful locomotive on a small layout because it takes sharper curves and looks right on local freight.
Best for: a small layout where a six axle diesel would look wrong
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