Search the forums. Has been discussed here. The loco's can run on dead rail, DC layouts and DCC layouts.

Rich

I have RailPro and it works perfectly on DCC layouts. No problem taking your locos and a controller there.

I was so pleased with RailPro that I also became a dealer. ( www.pdc.ca )

There is a RailPro User Group that is a great resource and the members are very happy to answer any questions you may have about this fantastic control system.

Some great things are in the works from Ring Engineering too; including a new computer interface for programming and control.

DCC is only one way to control locos with digital signals. Rail Pro and another system via wireless. I think the NWSL system. Battery operated.

DCC  and DCS via the rail.

One system uses wireless Bluetooth. Smartphones. Battery operated.

Rich

If you still think of Rail Power versus Battery Power having anything to do with Digital Command, you have not yet learned to separate the Power issue from the Control issue.

For FAR too long, the people in this hobby have conflated Power with Control, be it the early days when you controlled the trains by varying the power level at the track, or be it the DCC days, where a digital command message is modulated over the very power stream itself.

Digital control does not care where the power comes from, nor what form that power has, for it is just power.

" If I can use what I have noe the cost will not be to much for me to switch over." 

   The big cost difference is the hand held throttles, Rail pro costs close to $300 per throttle while DCC is about $100 each. Non sound decoders cost a lot more for RailPro ( no $15-20 utility decoders) but sound decoders are closer together in price. I think the decision would depend on how many throttles you think you'd need and how important having a touch screen throttle is to you? ........DaveB

I think the decision would depend on how many throttles you think you'd need and how important having a touch screen throttle is to you?

Or how important 1 click speed matching is.

BTW: Street Price for a fully featured RailPro wireless throttle is $229 including shipping, not $300

BTW: Street Price for a fully featured RailPro wireless throttle is $229 including shipping, not $300

The key word in Bill's statement is WIRELESS throttle. DCC wireless throttles are closer to $200 each, not $100 each as quoted previously.

And as for running on a DCC layout, the RailPro demo video we did here for MRH was running on my NCE DCC equipped Siskiyou Line layout, and RailPro ran just fine.

"Street Price for a fully featured RailPro wireless throttle is $229 including shipping, not $300"

     That's great if you can sell them for $229 the throttle price difference becomes about 2.3 times instead of 3 times. I think one would have to consider how many locos they'd be running to decide if the higher decoder price difference matters to them more than the ease of consisting and the touch screen? A good non sound DCC decoder is about $20 while a non sound Rail pro decoder looks to be about $50( which hopefully would drop if this product survives?). If they are planning to use all sound locos the difference is not as great maybe $70 for DCC and $80 for Railpro? Like most things modelrailroad the layout needs are pretty specific to the situation so I'd research it myself instead of looking at ads or commercial reviews which are mostly based on selling product, then decide based on what I really need to do the job.....DaveB

That's great if you can sell them for $229 the throttle price difference becomes about 2.3 times instead of 3 times.

I repeat - apples to apples is to compare DCC WIRELESS throttles to RailPro, so the price difference is more like 1.0x to 1.5x. If you've ever wondered about wireless vs tethered throttles, consider this photo from an op session on my layout and imagine how it would have been if we used TETHERED throttles ...

"I repeat - apples to apples is to compare DCC WIRELESS throttles to RailPro"

    Hi Joe,  Digitrax UT4R is $96 and UT4D $107 including postage these days.....DaveB