Being a computer and gadget nerd, what drew me towards DCC when I started this foray was the possibility of controlling my trains and layout via a computer. I have a somewhat aged, but still capable laptop sitting around that’s doing nothing else. The train set we bought initially did not contain an actual controller, but a small command box that is operated via proprietary software (the Hornby eLink and Railmaster). This was enough to get started, but as time passed, I wanted to see what else there is out there.
In the meantime, I have bought an actual DCC controller (thanks to Geography my options were fairly limited). This precludes the continued use of RailMaster, which is designed to work only with Hornby-made controllers. While there is no shortage of software options that work with DCC as such, the field reduces somewhat depending on the DCC control unit you own. If you also want a piece of software that is reasonably easy and intuitive to use, you may just be out of luck. I’ve played around with four or five different programs, and none of them were particularly nice to use – some look like crap and handle worse.
The one that seems to work with almost everything is JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface). This also seems to be the most popular and widely discussed option. It’s got all the functionality to satisfy various demands and requirements – decoder programming, creation of switchboards, layout control, manifest creation, automation, even audio handling. The depth of this program is massive, and for a newbie, some of the terminology used is simply incomprehensible.
It is also an absolute pig in terms of UX and usability. There is nothing intuitive or simple about this software suite. Where some of the alternatives are at least somewhat easy to get into, JMRI needs you to read the manual or watch a tutorial even for basic tasks. By the time I had clicked together a basic layout in another software, I was still trying to work out how to even get started with this task in JRMI. To be fair, simplicity may not be the first order of business for an open-source project that is trying to both support complex use cases and a large variety of DCC systems. And that’s fine. But newbies be warned, the learning curve of this one is steep and can be off-putting at first.
With some patience, I have managed to recreate my basic layout in JMRI and get it to talk to my controller. My next challenge is to make it look half-decent on-screen, so that people with less technical inclination who like to play with my train set can also use it. JMRI has a built-in web server so it can be controlled via a web browser, but as long as it can’t show several panels (layout, throttles) on the same page, it’s fairly useless.
Another non-commercial project is RocRail, which is an odd mix of highly technical jargon and a somewhat simpler, more intuitive interface. Unlike JMRI, RocRail hides a few non-essential features behind a paywall – buy a support key for at least EUR12, and you get access to these features for one year. You also have to get a support key if you want to get rid of the startup dialog, which is a bit annoying, but I suppose it’s fair enough for a non-commercial project that is run by volunteers.
RocRail comes with a server and a client component – the server has to be running before the client can work properly. It generally has a fairly steep learning curve, for example it doesn’t even bother to give ‘friendly’ names to the supported controllers, potentially requiring users to check the wiki for more information. Creating a layout is easier than in JMRI, in that you can get going without having to read a tutorial. Another advantage (from my perspective) is that everything happens in one window. This means that the window layout has its limitations, but it also means that I don’t have to rearrange layout elements every time I start the software, which is currently the case with JMRI. You have the option to use multiple windows, and RocRail does a much better job remembering window positions between shutdowns than JMRI.
Both JMRI and RocRail are cross-platform. The more commercial alternatives are mostly Windows-only. Big Bear Railcontroller is one such option, with a very small feature set. Basically it serves as a switchboard and dispatcher, but lacks features such as programming. Despite some UI deficiencies (the icon set used for track pieces in the layout designer is very inconclusive), it’s fairly easy to use and quick to get started with. However, there is no support channel for it, and it’s unclear whether the software is still being developed. The forum link on the website does not work, and while it appears possible to pay for the software (the free version allows for a limited amount of track layouts and locos), I am not sure I want to try.
The definite commercial heavyweight is TrainController by German company Freiwald. This Windows-only software has a deep feature set, an appealing interface – and a price to match. The base version (called Bronze) goes for a measly 109 Euros, the fully featured Gold edition will set you back half a grand in that currency. And then you still ‘only’ have a software to control your layout, however complex it may be. If you want to program your trains and accessories (assuming you need a software interface to do so, which is the case with some DCC command stations), say goodbye to another 70 Euros for TrainProgrammer (or use JMRI DecoderPro). Is it worth it? That depends.
There are two more options that look appealing to me, but which I can’t use because they don’t support my DCC system. The one I was most interested in is iTrain, a cross-platform software with a very appealing UX and an acceptable price point. The developer of iTrain is focusing on the European market, which means that DCC systems not present in that market are unlikely to be supported. The same seems to apply to Windigipet, a software which comes in at price points comparable to TrainController. I did however have some promising communications with the iTrain dev, so who knows what happens in the future.
Conclusions? At this time I am vacillating between RocRail and JMRI, but leaning towards RocRail. Functionally both are about equal, but RocRail has some usability advantages over JMRI that are tilting the balance in its favour at the moment.