DC stands for Direct Current (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_current). This is just using DC electricity through the rails to a DC motor in the locomotive.

DCC stands for Digital Command Control (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Command_Control), it sends messages over AC (alternating current) power to microchips in the locomotive that then controls the locomotives.

I think Jerry covered it pretty well, it really boils down to proprietary v. open standards.

I recently heard an interview with one of the guys behind the Ring system. It's a very cool system from a technological standpoint but I'm not sure it will last. Every part of the system relies on the 2.4Ghz wireless spectrum which is great unless it's a crowded spectrum (i.e. wifi, cordless phones, etc). My question would be if all your locomotives, switch motors, signals, etc are communicating on the same frequency will it start breaking down on large layouts or multiple adjacent layouts (like at a show).

Jim things covered just about everything, the only other potentional problem would be coupler breakage

I guess I've never seen the phrase "sound-value" but I would guess it's either a cheaper sound decoder or it's been setup for a sound decoder (i.e. place engineered for speaker) but doesn't have a sound decoder installed.

I thought the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory was hilarious! My wife spent just about the entire show pointing at me. One benefit of involving model railroading is that of increased exposure from the show. The scene where Sheldon put an N-scale locomotive(?) in his mouth was great...I know several people in Washington, D.C. who could do the same thing with G-scale. [Behave Ray].

Ray

My wife was the same Being the physicist I almosted expected him to go way beyond N-scale in to microscopic trains

I thought it was pretty funny, I thought the exchange between Howard and Bernadette really summed it up... it's easy to laugh at someone else's hobby but it's a little bit different when you have a hobby someone else could laugh at.

Was that on the season premier or tonight's episode (I haven't watched tonights episode yet so don't post any spoilers )

I don't remember any trains on last weeks episode.

That's might point, it's not as easy to modify the tooling as it is to do a finished shell. And that's just the shell, a new drive has to be developed and tested.

So it's completely reasonable for Bachmann to sell a single item that goes with nothing else they sell? I'd agree if Bachmann was a specialty provider but they really aren't. Just because YOU want it doesn't mean it'd be a big success, just because you modified a single item doesn't mean it's trivial to put it straight in mass production.

Sure it would be simple for Bachmann, all they'd have to do is make all new tooling. Oh and then they'd have to make a significant investment in production and hope that it takes off like On30.

Of course they couldn't just only do a 45 tonner, they'd need to produce a line of track to go along with it and a line of rolling stock. So I guess you could say it's simple except for all the work.

The closest I've seen is detail parts from Details West (http://www.detailswest.com/)

Like Donalden said there isn't one single correct answer, it depends on where you want to run it. If Bachmann made it prototypically correct they probably wouldn't go around 18" radius curves that everyone seems to want.

I admit it wouldn't make sense to have two different frames however it's not unheard of. I have an Athearn SD45T-2 that was available in both sound equipped and DCC Ready versions. Unfortunately the DCC Ready version was not sound friendly.

If Bachmann is making sound friendly diesel locomotives I'd like them to start advertising it. It would be a huge selling point for people like me that want to eventually upgrade to sound without finding someone with a milling machine.

Bachmann, while you are at it a sound ready EMD switcher would be nice

I agree, hopefully the DCC ready versions of new diesel models are sound ready too for those of us that want to add it later.

If it runs perfectly on DC and shipping it back to the sender or Bachmann you still have other options.

If there is a club nearby that has experience with DCC and decoder programming you could ask them to take a look at it, it might be the case where it's not configured correctly.

If the cost of shipping makes warranty repairs unfeasible you could always replace the decoder yourself or find someone more local since the locomotive works fine.

I'm guessing there have no answers because there is a high probability that those who frequent these forums don't know. Based on my observation the population on these forums is mostly north american and Roco is much more european focused.

I've never used Bachmann's DCC turnouts but they are listed as NMRA DCC compatible so if the Roco systems are NMRA DCC compatible they in theory should work.