CAPPilot posted:BobbyD posted:Harvy posted:MartyE posted:MTH has a soft key that blows the whistle automatically as if going over the crossing. The sensor track has this functionality but it's not in a single button push for Legacy.
Thank you. I asked because this is something I could add to my software. I could create any sequence of whistle/horn blows or any commands for that matter and create a single button for it. Or a user could just use the Scenario feature of my software and save as many sequences of commands as they want.
As Marty explained, MTH has soft keys to give you the Forward, Back-up, and Grade Crossing whistle/horn sequences without you having to do anything else. A sweet little feature.
MTH's hand held controller's horn/whistle button had such a long delay that you could not play the forward, reverse, and crossing signals very realistically using the horn/whistle button. MTH had to add these buttons to play the sequence for you, but you have no control over it.
I much prefer the Legacy's well placed and sensitive slider switch to play these signals. If I have to press a button anyway to get the signal, why not have some additional play value in actually doing the sequence manually like a real engineer (at least on my 1949 era layout). I can vary it anyway I want, get different tones, and do different lengths of the long and short blasts to fit whatever my mood is at the time.
Plus, my crossing signals using Legacy always end right after I pass the crossing. With MTH's button, it was always guesswork to get it right.
Although the fancy Lionel way is nice, it requires a full Legacy controller and compatible Lionel Legacy engine. The MTH way allows almost any of their Proto 2 or Proto 3 locomotives to do it. I can't do it as well with the Lionel TMCC or "Legacy Lite TMCC Style" controllers, Wish it/we could "play" the earlier ones.
