20
Consists Configuration
Synopsis
Consisting multiple DCC locomotives has become a daunting task due to more advanced lighting
and sounds used in modern sound decoders. In addition, two methods are used by most DCC
controllers to manage these consists. These two methods are Advanced Consists and Universal
Consists.
Universal Consist
Universal consists are those that the controller remembers and interprets all commands, sending
out appropriate DCC commands to all engines in an addressed consist. With a universal consist,
proper sound functioning will be at best difficult, since there is no NMRA definitions for sounds
beyond horn and bell. Which horns, bells and other sounds should play on each engine part of
the consist is important in the consist though. A decoder has no control over the universal
consist and this consist is not portable to other layouts. The controller is configured to remember
what engine ID’s belong to what consist ID and which engines receive the programmed function
commands. Now, is not that easy?
Advanced Consist
The advanced consist is defined by the NMRA.
contains a number from 0-127 or 129 to
255. What do these numbers mean?
0 and 128
Indicates the engine does not belong to any consist
1-127
Defines the consist 1 to 127
129-255
Defines consists 1 to 127 but with reverse lighting (129 is consist 1 reverse
lighting)
So now the consist may be set within
, but what is the relationship between the engine ID
and its active consist ID? Once the engine is part of a consist, certain NMRA rules exist for
functions (
). Rules for the engine ID addressed as the engine ID that is part of a consist
are different than the rules for the engine ID addressed as the consist ID. Whew! Lets look at
what this means!
