How "Digital" – but without a Central Unit

CTC reinvents digital model railroading from the ground up. Instead of communication via the track, CTC uses WiFi technology, which is present in almost every household. The track only needs power. This can be supplied by an old analog transformer, a simple switched-mode power supply, or a digital command station.

CTC does not require a central electronic unit (digital command station), nor boosters, brake modules, or sensor buses. All you need is WiFi, the free CTC app, and the CTC modules in locomotives and turnouts.

Train protection like on the real railway

For those who want more than just driving and switching, CTC offers the "Balises" system for train protection and automation, modeled after ETCS of the real railway.

A balise in the track tells the locomotive where it currently is and what is coming next, e.g., a red signal 80 cm ahead. In the event of a red signal, the locomotive will reliably stop—not only in automatic mode but also during manual control.

For garden railways, we use NFC tags as balises, while smaller tracks use infrared transmitters in the track. The locomotives must be equipped with a matching receiver.

A new era of model railway control has begun

In the hundreds of conversations we have at trade shows, no one disputes that the future of model railway control will look like CTC. With the switch to WiFi control, we are following the "Smart" trend seen in household appliances and home lighting.

Unlike most other WiFi-enabled household devices, CTC does not require an internet connection (cloud). An old WiFi router in the basement, completely disconnected from the outside world, is perfectly sufficient.

Why reinvent digital model railroading?

The classic digital model railway is based on a central electronic unit (digital command station) that communicates with locomotives via the track.

The underlying concept of digital model railroading allows only very limited bandwidth. This means only a few pieces of information can be transmitted, and feedback is either not possible or severely restricted.

Any spark caused by the locomotive drawing current can interfere with data transmission. By repeatedly sending messages over the track, the risk of a message not arriving is minimized—but not eliminated. This also means: the worse the condition of the tracks, the higher the likelihood that the digital system will operate unreliably.

Starting from a garden railway, the desire grew in us to move communication away from the track and the idea for CTC was born.

Compatibility with Analog and Digital

Since CTC only takes power from the track, parallel operation with analog locomotives is just as seamless as with a digital command station. A start with CTC is therefore possible by upgrading just a single locomotive.

Optionally, the CTC app can use the Z21 LAN protocol to connect with Moba control systems and handheld controllers or remotely control a digital command station. More details can be found in Chapter 8 of the user manual .

What do I actually need?

To get started with CTC, you only need:

• A WiFi access point . For starters, your home WiFi will do.
• A CTC-Loco-Module for each locomotive you want to control. This corresponds to the locomotive decoder in digital model railroading.
• CTC-Turnout-Modules for the turnouts and signals you want to control. This corresponds to the accessory decoder in digital model railroading. As with digital model railroading, multiple turnouts and signals can be connected to a single CTC-Turnout-Module.
• The CTC app for PC (Linux, Mac, or Windows), tablet, or smartphone.
• Power on the track. This can be DC or AC, or from the digital control system’s command station or booster. The voltage level depends on what your locomotives, turnouts, and signals can handle or require. The CTC modules are designed for 9 to 24V.

To learn how to get started with CTC, refer to the introductory document Getting Started with CTC .