Digital Command Control changed all of that. Digitrax was the first US company to offer a complete system that supplied constant power to the track so that locomotives equipped with decoders could perform all sorts of independent controls and actions. These decoders make it possible to run multiple trains with ease, and without the large bank of switches that were formerly the norm. The standardization of Digital Command Control allows equipment from different manufacturers to operate in unison. Not only does this offer model railroaders more versatility in their layouts, it also makes the products more affordable to the consumer.