A successful maiden run ! I’ve enjoyed this series Larry and looking forward to the remaining videos. Thank you 🇦🇺

THANK YOU...for sharing. Enjoyed.

👍👍👍 Awesome work Larry

Great stuff Larry, thanks for sharing. I got the Powercab a few months back and I love it!

Good show! I recently did the same installation on my 4 x 8 under-construction project. Wish I had more track laid, though.

Very useful video thank you Larry.

Great explanation of the power cab. Would like to see more on the smart booster installation to power more engines too....thanks for sharing Jack 👍

Another great video sir. Thank you.

Great SIR! very useful! THANK YOU!

Just got the January 2021 issue of Model Railroad and sad to see a new DCC columnist. Really enjoyed your columns.

Enjoyed the video👍😎

I like that this was a simple explanation of the NCE installation. I'm going to be building a small British shunting layout in the near future.

Amazing, I'm gonna go to my local hobby store and get some 22 inch tracks that atlas made and start planning my layout for this come next year.

thank you always great how to

I bypassed using DCC. I had a hard time going back to a 1980’s technology. I went with Railpro direct radio with net. And I am going all battery. So I am dead rail on my layout. No frog juicers, no reverse polarity circuits for loops, no worry with dirty track just like in real life. I am going to add the AM-1 module as well to control my switches from the hand held. I have saved a lot of money as well going this route!

Nice video!

Its nice to see UK locos being used in the USA, we have a fair few American layouts in the UK, but ive never seen UK in the USA.

Top Video👍

Go with the Pro Cab. I went wireless and would recommend it. The Power Cab is good if you only run one train at a time but it has too many limitations if you want to expand.

Thank you Larry for an excellent Video, The Loco negotiated those Turnouts perfectly, mind surprised that you’re using an NCE System I thought you were a Digitrax Man. Keep Safe. Guess you’ll getting ready for Christmas soon too.

thx Larry

It's sad to me that model train videos only get around 1k likes so sad 😔... but to help you I subscribed😄

Hi Larry. I'm loving this series. I really appreciate the "why" with the "how". A lot of instructors forget that some viewers know very little about the subject. Now for a simple question. Does the polarity of the red/black wires on the back of the interface panel matter? I wouldn't think so but I've been wrong before. Thanks again.

Great tutorial, thanks. Will be doing this to my layout this weekend. Love the way you make it so simple. How do you get the power cab to display amps? Cheers.

Larry! You need a multi-tool(oscillating), to cut the slot out of your faschia for the NCE power panel. It would be much easier and quicker. That is what I use. You can get a corded one at Harbor Freight for 12 or 13 dollars. Thanks, Russ from Oregon.

Hay Larry : On a similar topic .... How important is the orientation of the six-way colour-strands of the flat data cable in respect of the RJ-Plugs ( One Facing Upside / One Facing Downside ) at each end when making the necessary daisy-chain connections ? Much Ta / John

Great video. I’m working on installing an NCE powercab module myself for my HO layout. What kind and size screws do you recommend for mounting the NCE?

Hey Larry, I really enjoy your videos and have learned a lot watching them. On one of your videos you were airbrushing acrylics indoors while using a shop vac to exhaust the overspray. Do you think that a shop vac connected to a spray booth would work in the same way? I want to buy a booth, but don’t have a place to exhaust it.

New this DCC sounds but put on my layout friends

Larry, I really appreciated all of the information on hooking up the system. One question though. When you connected the wires that were connected to your bus and you connected them to the rear of the interface, you didn't seem concerned about the polarity of which wire was left or right (red or black) on the connector into the interface. Does the polarity not matter ? or is it only determined by the wires? Thank you.

Larry really enjoy your video’s, I find them very clear and informative. Would you consider some time doing a tutorial on creating blocks. I have a NCE Powercab with NCE USB Interface and hooked up to JMRI. I am using NCE BD20’s linked to a AIU Interface but I have to admit that the procedure for entering the info into JMRI I find very confusing. My reason is that I have a hidden section with a up and down lines with a loop siding on both and I want see when a loco enters a section. I have set the AIU address at 50 and have calculated each output using the formulae so I understand that bit, but it’s where to enter the appropriate information into JMRI. Do you set up Sensors first, or layout editor first. I’m sure there must be others like me so if you could find time at some point to do a tutorial on this subject I’m sure it would be very much appreciated. Kind regards Roy W (UK)

Hi Larry.. your channel goes from strength to strength. For a returning modeller I’ve found so much information that’s saved me time and money. Many thanks. I have the NCE Power Cab and I find this ideal. Can I ask you about the BUS cabling? I have a two tier layout .... upper and lower track circuits. Can I T into the BUS and split across to the upper layout or should it ideally be installed as a single run with a start and an end ? Apologies for asking on this video ( particularly if I’ve missed one covering this)... but I’d like to maximise the Power Cab. Thank you for your time... Regards..Colin H

I just bought a power cab and how did you get the amps to show on your screen that you are drawing on the rail? Great video

Hmmm? Very Nice Video! 😀 I'm considering ditching my DCS52 system for NCE Power Cab as long its not too expensive. Quick Question 🤔 Unless i missed it in the Video, does NCE Power Cab have Program Main and Program Track capabilities? Again... Thank you for this video and time spent so we can enjoy the Hobby.

I’d recommend discontinuing the use of Scotch Locks (we call them vampire clips) as they weaken the wire. You could just as easily use butt connectors, but ideally a soldered joint is superior.

Howzit Larry : I am aware that different DCC Manufacturers have varying opinions and / or instructions in respect of the TWISTING / NON-TWISTING of the heavy-gauged Red / Black wires of the main DCC-Bus for RF that may affect the DCC signals .... What do you reckon ? Similarly; at the end ( s ) of the main DCC-Bus; what should take place ? I am a committed DIGITRAX user of many years on both of my two medium-sized; HO Layouts and I have not twisted the heavy-gauge Red / Black wires and do not have any * End-of-Train * devices ( ! ) where the main DCC-Bus terminates .... And seemingly; all is well with the world. Again; what do youse reckon ? Regards and Cheers For Now / John

Hi Larry Thanks for another great instructional video. Is it ok to use a Power Cab throttle on a layout that uses a 5amp system for a Pro Cab? Thanks Paul from Zillmere

Hi Larry. Question, when the second UTP panel is installed, can you plug in the NCE Power Cab at the second location and run Trains? I know once you remove the Power Cab, everything shuts down, but was wondering if the the power Cab has to be connected to the port where the power supply is. I have 2 yards at opposite ends of my layout and only operate them one at a time, and was wondering if this would be a fix, until I get a booster. Thanks.

Question do you have to use the same size bus wire for the NCE connection or can you use smaller gage wiring?

Larry, I think it's great that you'll be talking about the subject of twisting the bus wires. As you can tell from my questions, it has been a confusing topic, with various people venturing opinions, but I agree with you that we should trust the electrical engineers, people who understand the E&M and have actually done testing. Another topic about bus wiring: Some of my bus runs are lengthy. My layout is about 13 feet by 25 feet, with two levels. For the main line on the lower level, the bus has to run about 80 feet. My plan is to run half of it clockwise from the controller/booster and the other half counterclockwise, so each run would be about 40 feet, give or take. So, my question is, should the cable run be a single continuous piece of wire, or is it OK to put smaller sections in, with terminal strips? I'm wondering if the losses at the terminal strips might prove to be problems (current drop). I also have an accessory bus (for the SMAILs) that runs under both levels of the layout. For that, I'll run the lower level like for the main line; and the upper level similarly. So each bus run will be no more than 40 feet, broken into smaller sections with terminal strips (similar to what you would do with a portable layout like your little project). Breaking the bus wire runs like this would simplify twisting them, too. Does that sound reasonable? Thanks.

I just got a hollow core interior door, and a set of folding table legs to start my first ever layout in N scale. The layout will represent a small short line railroad in a Pacific Northwest setting, and will be using at the most three locomotives. I got two nice looking, and running Life Like engines, a GP-20, and GP-18, that I'll be converting to DCC, and would like to eventually get a small steam loco to pull a short excursion train. I'll be using Kato Unitrak, and would like to use this DCC PowerCab, as it seems like it will be perfect for my small beginners layout. Do you have any videos, or will you have videos that show you how to do a Unitrak set up with the PowerCab? The inspiration for my layout are the small lumber hauling short lines that used to exist in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Northern California, and Southern Oregon, like the McCloud River R.R. receive

Question, I have a three sectional layout, my bus is loose and open on both ends, one end is to connect to my next board. Making sure it's ok to connect to the other end? Or in the middle like yourself?

I sure hope a covid vaccine becomes available soon so that I can have NMRA meetings once again. And train shows. I need train shows.

Are the ends of the DCC Power Bus connected to anything? Or do they just suspended under the module for feeders and switch machines to be connected to with the suitcase connectors?

Hi Larry. I was operating my NCE Power Cab today, and around the end of my session (2 hours mark) I had 2 locomotives running. As I went to slow one of them, I noticed nothing was happening. Then I realized, the Power Cab was not responding, and was in fact frozen. The emergency (red button) also didn’t work, so I shut down the power to avoid a collision. When I powered up again, everything worked properly. I was just wondering if you have heard of this, or if it’s a sign of some issue? Thank-you.

Very interesting. I have two questions: 1. Can the NCE System run the track layout from the two wires coming from a standard Atlas 2 wire terminal track? The under the table “bus” wiring system is way over my pay grade. Can I connect the NCE terminal to a two wire terminal track? 2. I have a very nice Rapido SW 1500 that doesn’t have a DCC adapter installed in the locomotive engine. Can I still use the NCE System? Thank you for your consideration. Eric.

Larry, what do you recommend for a battery powered hand drill/driver?

2 Quick questions…. Can an MRC Prodigy advance handheld throttle be used as a second throttle, or does it have to be NCE?….and for Z scale, can a 10V power supply be substituted for the NCE’s standard 13.8v power supply that comes with the system?

Larry onesuit case connectors the black feed on suit case for the red fee so you used 2 suit Case connectors? Does t the suit case have an opening to accept the feeders so you couldn't you use just one suit case connector over the bus wire?

Newbie here..... Just learning. I was under the impression the NCE was the train controller and power station. So if I am right. What was the controller in your right hand used for at the end of the video?

Shame it sounds nothing like a Pannier tank but oh well XD Suprised to see a UK loco on a US layout.

Is NCE as "expandable" as Digitrax? I only have a small N scale layout with a few locos, so NCE is probably all I need. However, if I ever want to get into more complicated things such as remote control of switches, block detection, automated signals, or computerized train control, is that something that NCE can handle as well, with the right add-ons? It seems that most large layouts, with more bells and whistles, use Digitrax, and I don't want to limit myself right off the bat by buying NCE.

Notice your running a Great Western 57xx . Do you prefer British trains or was it a coincidence. I use NCE and have found them most obliging with any problems that occur. In fact I sent mine to America to have the chip upgraded and they were brilliant. Frank

Larry, I notice that you twist your bus wires together. I've read in some places that this isn't necessary except for very long runs. This layout is small. What is your experience with this for NCE systems?

I have this NCE power cab and the light on the ucp panel doesn’t come on what’s that mean I know I have power could it be a bad panel or the light be bad

OK : Apologies ! Now that I have woken up to the REAL world and have seen a number of the self-same queries a-ways further down the Comments section; I understand that you will be doing a subsequent Viddy on TWISTING and SNUBBERS. Much Thanks / John

Where can I get the 2 wires for the power bus?

i have ho layout 10buy 16 dcc power cab, only connection i have is two wires frome the rail joiners going to the panel, i run 3or 4 trains use no more tham 140 amps, speed is set at 28 i run between 7 and no more than 14,everything rusns great why do i need a buss or boster.

who made the small mini drill?

Where is the power coming from? And how does it get to the track? I would like to see that since I know absolutely nothing about DCC. Does anyone have a step by step video on how to hook it up I feel like I spent good money to buy one of these NCE and it won't work with out another part.🤔😞

Is it really that simple. Just like a Dc system hook it up to your main power cables

At minute 14:32 you say "just slip in the red and black wires into the black terminal" Not at all savvy on electronics, I don't understand whether there is a positive or negative wire preference. It seems you simply arbitrarily put a wire in each slot, not differentiating positive or negative wires. Is that correct?

Why do you twist the BUS wires?

How does DCC know if a locomotive is steam or diesel or electric?

An oscillating multi-tool wouldmake that panel cut much easier and much cleaner... Just sayin'...

You should never put your fingers anywhere near that blade there is no need.

Dcc abc . Stop with the industry jargon. Spell it out if you are teaching . Thank yah.

With the NCE : 1. Can it be used to program the Digitrax DS64 given the open DCC standard? 2. Inspired from your switching layout, I've started almost an identical plan with 2 locos. I plan to add another identical plan to extend this at rt. angles with 2 additional locos. Can I use the same command station but 2 daisy chained power interfaces; one for each layout?