Model Railroading > The Name "Digital Command Control"

While reading "The Pulse of DCC" in the May NMRA Magazine, I was surprised  by the following statement: 
"Digital Command Control is a trademark owned by the NMRA."   That is a bold statement!   I've been involved
with DCC since 1995-96 or so when the NMRA  Working Group was formulating all the ins and outs based on the
Lenz DCC System from Germany.  I understand that the NMRA was given permission by Bernd Lenz  to use his
control system as a basis to improve upon and sell in all countries except Germany.  My question is:  What was
his control system known as if it wasn't "Digital Command Control?"   Have I missed something for 30+ years
or does it really matter?
Frank30

Anything to do with the NMRA really doesn't matter. I read ounce the NMRA invented DCC, but read later they adopted an existing system.
Updates and progress were by individual companies. NMRA contributed nothing to updates or progress in the development of modern DCC.

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I remember an old MR article in the 80's that had instructions on how to build something that was vaguely like command control.  Wish I could remember what that was, but I remember as a kid thinking that I wanted something like that for my trains.  Took about 25 years before I finally took the plunge and bought my first DCC system, but I haven't looked back!

As for the original name, I don't remember where that came from.

Nathan

Bruce Chubb C/MRI was the MR article series from the 80's.
 

I think the MR series was for the CTC-16 system.  Entirely possible that the NMRA owns the "DCC" name as they took leadership on trying to standardize DCC protocols so that equipment could be interchangeable (IE: decoders could run on different systems, etc)  Prior to that, there were various control systems that used different methods of control, but were not interchangeable.  The NMRA didn't invent DCC, but they did work to standardize and enable the operating environment we have today where we can run eachothers trains on different layouts, systems, etc.

My dad was a user of a previous control system, Dynatrol, which worked really well if you didn't have more than 18 locomotives...He did, and thus the layout wiring became a hybrid of blocks, local cabs, mainline cabs, etc in order to have operating sessions.  It was still a really good system with a nice handheld "cab" throttle that was made of metal, so it was rugged and easy to use.

-Sean

Back in 1978-79 Hornby ran ads in MR (and others) for their Zero one system, it used a decoder that you programmed into the controller, I bought and used it for 4 or 5 years til I moved and got out of the hobby for awhile.

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

bigmc83 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the MR series was for the CTC-16 system. 

Written by college student Keith Gutierrez. Various issues in 1980. EasyDCC was mid 80s. Gutierrez founded CVP Products while in high school. Still in business.

The first command control system was General Electric's ASTRAC from January 1963. It was expensive and GE soon dropped it. Allen McClelland was a user, and it leads directly into his system for operations. Walk around railroads like McClelland's were rare in the 60s. ASTRAC was alone for a while because the technology was not readily available. GE certainly didn't make any information available, and potted all unmarked and encoded components in silicon to deter deconstruction.

Hornby was next, fifteen years later. Followed soon by Keller, et al.

I'm not a fan of the NMRA, BUT the DCC working group made what we use today possible. Command Control was well known by then. The use of the word "Digital" may very well have come from the NMRA group. It certainly angered established analogue command control business owners.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/24 08:43 by Lighter.

True. But from what I understand, it doesn't support its radio DCC cabs anymore.
Victor Baird

Lighter Wrote:
- Gutierrez founded CVP Products while in high
> school. Still in business.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/24 17:31 by wabash2800.

I often wonder if anything better or more modern will come along after DCC. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/24 12:29 by CO1309.

Lighter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bigmc83 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think the MR series was for the CTC-16
> system. 
>
> Written by college student Keith Gutierrez.
> Various issues in 1980. EasyDCC was mid
> 80s. Gutierrez founded CVP Products while in high
> school. Still in business.

That's the one, thanks for reminding me what it was guys.  I do remember looking into the CVP Product in college.  EasyDCC had a way to connect to it with computer code, and I was seriously considering as I was finishing my Computer Science major.  But life had other plans and I never went that route.  But I'm glad for all the folks who made DCC possilbe, it sure has made the hobby a lot more fun for me and my kids.

Nathan

When I searched the US Patent and Trademark Office's website for marks owned by the National Model Railroad Association I found DCC but not Digital Command Control.
 

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