Having installed an up-to-date DCC command station on my US layout, I've been taking the opportunity to experiment with the Lenz LRC120 Local Address Display Module, a handy DCC gadget indeed...
What is it? The Lenz LRC120 is a simple DCC device, it exists only to display the number of a loco (or DMU, etc,) occupying the section of track to which the LRC120 has been connected. That's all it does, full stop - although in the future it will also be able to display other data concerning the loco, such as the acceleration rate or anything else stored in the DCC decoder.
What is it not? The LRC120 is not a block detector, or any other component of a larger detection or automation system. It isn't something that will talk to handsets, command stations or computers. Neither will it communicate with signals or other related devices. It simply talks to any item of rolling stock in it's section fitted with a compatible DCC decoder and displays it's number.
What does it need to work? The LRC120 is an NMRA DCC standard device and will work with any NMRA standard DCC system where the manufacturer has chosen to support bi-directional communication, or 'Railcom' as it's sometimes called. It will detect and display the number of any manufacturer's decoder that was designed to broadcast this information. However, because this technology is relatively new, the choice of compatible hardware is currently limited, although obviously this will change with time. The Lenz Sets 90 and 100 support this, but the entry level Compact does not. Lenz's Gold and Mini-Gold support it. The Zimo range fully supports it and Hornby's website claims the forthcoming Hornby Elite system will too.
What happens when it can't work? If you're perverse enough to install one of these units into a system that doesn't support Railcom, your system will still work. The LRC120 is completely transparent to the system, and merely flashes one of it's segments to indicate it's inability to communicate via the system it's been plugged into. The same happens if you deliberately switch your Railcom facility off. When installed and working on a Railcom-enabled system, however, but faced with a loco that isn't Railcom-enabled, the LRC120 simply can't display a number. Nothing untoward happens, in fact nothing happens at all.
Any restrictions? The LRC120 has a 4 digit display and is designed to display the number of a single loco, or the consist number in the case of a consist. If you drive two separate locos into the same section it works on a 'first in' principle and ignores the second loco's number until the first leaves. The only way I've managed to confuse it is by having two locos in the same section when the layout powers up - in that circumstance the unit can't decide which to display and so displays nothing.
How is it installed? Installation is simple, two wires in from the command station or track bus and two wires out to the track, all using the unit's screw terminals. No other hardware is required, however there are two additional steps needed before it will work. Firstly, you need to switch on the Railcom feature on your command station, if you've not already done so. Secondly, you need to switch on the Railcom feature in every decoder that has it. Once that's done, and we're only talking about button presses here, everything will work - drive a suitable loco into the LRC120's track section and the number appears on the display. Simple.
What am I using it for? The LRC120 is a 'spot' or 'local' display unit. It's designed to display the number of a loco at defined points only, and to me that cries out to be used in hidden storage sidings. I'm fitting these units to every section in my staging yards, the idea being that operators can easily see which train is in which siding and make the appropriate selections on their controllers. This is handy not just for hidden sidings, but also night-time operations or for selecting the right DMU from a swarm of identical looking units. The LRC120s neither replace nor conflict with existing block detection, they are merely an additional display facility that can be used alongside established installations when or if required. I certainly wouldn't try to outfit an entire layout with these gadgets, but at critical spots where I'd like to see a number they're very useful indeed.
Drawbacks? None really, it's a classic example of 'Does What It Says On The Tin' and worked first time for me. If you want a gadget that does what the LRC120 does, then it's worth a look. If you don't then spend your money on something else. There are some peripheral considerations that might concern some people, however:
Overall? An excellent product that was easy to install, worked first time and has worked consistently since. As a taster for Railcom products to come, this is certainly encouraging. In the near future I'll be installing a good number of these on my layout, until all staging yards are comprehensively covered. I'll need a few more Lenz Gold decoders before my entire active US diesel fleet is compatible, but I'm nearly there already. The cost of all the LRC120s will be significant, there's no getting away from the fact, but I feel it's money well spent for the functionality gained. If I have to trim my typically excessive loco shopping list for the coming year in order to fund this expenditure, will it honestly matter?
Currently On My Stereo: Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason