I recently returned to the hobby via MTH's Christmas set. It seems to be the cheapest way to get a quality engine with digital control, sound, smoke, etc. However, it is entry-level and the upgrade to the full DCS system will be necessary at some point. It's roughly the cost of an engine, so it's not all that bad and will let you realize the full potential of your engines.
I've also found that RealTrax has its limitations when it comes to layout design and construction. That's true of all sectional track, so it's important to do your homework before you buy a bunch of track. IMHO, the biggest things to consider are curve radius, turnout options, and straight track options. Those might seem obvious, but they need to be said.
Your set probably says the engine will run on 031 curves, and it will, but you'll most likely want to move to wider curves. I've already decided to relegate my RealTrax to Christmas layout use and I'm moving to ScaleTrax for a few reasons. The biggest for me is the availability of flextrack which makes "fitting" things easier, reduces the need for short "fitter" sections and allows for sweeping curves on straight runs. It also looks better with turnouts from Ross and Ross offers many more turnout options, including wyes and crossovers.
Another reason is the noise created by the RealTrax roadbed. It looks good and is great on carpet, but was loud on plywood and even louder on foam. I'm going to cover my temporary layout with some kind of carpet (most likely carpet squares) because I'm not going to lay cork roadbed until I move to a permanent layout in a few years. Right now I'm not too concerned about scenery and may never move past carpet, but the limited selection of RealTrax sections and cost pushes me to look at the alternatives. Even if it's not ScaleTrax, it will be GarGraves or something else without plastic roadbed.
Also, I am going to stick with MTH for engines because I have no affinity for a particular road name and don't see any reason to increase my costs. I have the 4-6-0 steamer and I want an Old West style steamer and 2 diesels. If the Lincoln or Washington are still available this time next year, one of those will do, I love that style. I'll probably go with ScaleTrax to further my support for MTH.
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