To return to your original question:
Jordan said:
Secondly, as yet I have no other DCC kit, and no idea of what to get either. Can I buy this first and whatever I eventually get will be compatible (and I'm thinking better than Hornby Select or Bachmann EZDCC here!).
Yes, whatever you buy will be compatible with whichever DCC system you purchase - including Select and EZDCC, although as you say, best to go better than those as the Hornby is not fully compliant with the NMRA specs as far as I understand it, and the EZDCC is very basic - too basic, except for use with simple trainsets.
To re-iterate the discussion on the
DCC thread, which Cynric has pointed us to, when you come to buy a DCC system you need to try them all if possible, and see how comfortable you feel with them. They all have slightly different philosophies when it comes to how they think users want to use them, and you need to choose the one that suits you: do not be put off by local dealers who only carry a limited range telling you the ones they don't sell aren't any good (as happened to a friend), because their choices will be coloured by their own preferences for the control systems - this applies to other users, too. You would be better off not buying based on price, but on how comfortable you feel with your chosen system. Believe me, I know - I bought one which was fine until I tried something different, and then I regretted it, sold the original (hardly used, but at a loss) and bought the one I should have bought to begin with.
Power wise, you will probably need a 5 amp system straight off, especially if you want to have locos standing in sidings with the sound ticking over and lights on. For a single loco powered up, then 3A or maybe even 2A might be possible, but the total cost of buying low power and then upgrading would be higher. When you look at the prices, remember to add on the cost of a 5A transformer.
I am afraid you will need to start saving up, though - it will probably cost you about ?400 for a decent system, plus the cost of the 0 gauge sound decoders. I think it is a good investment, and would rather have 6 locos with DCC sound than 12 locos without it, for example.