The biggest problem I see with Lionel's Legacy/TMCC and MTH's DCS is that they are both proprietary systems designed to make you a slave to their respective manufacturer. If you have other company's locos (say American Models or imported brass) that you wish to convert to your chosen system, it is both difficult and costly to do, even if you can manage to get the electronic components to do so. You are also at the mercy of the manufacturer should they decide to change their respective systems in the future. Neither the big L or MTH are producing enough variety of equipment in S scale to warrant pledging your allegiance to either of their systems. Since both the Legacy and DCS locomotives will also work with a DCC system, and there are many DCC systems out there, all of whom are compatible with each other thanks to a set of standards overseen by the NMRA, and used in all scales from N to G, that is what I would recommend as to an operating system. Even the FlyerChief system engines can run on a DCC powered layout (though they must use their own dedicated controller or BlueTooth app with either a cell phone or tablet) transparently, making them truly universally acceptable additions to any layout, whichever power system is being used.
Bill in FtL
