I’ve enjoyed and appreciated the many perspectives offered in this thread. What is clear to me is that many aspects of a new way to control and power our trains are already here, to include battery power. I still can’t help but to wonder how the market, and the technologies, will evolve with many thousands of MTH engines out there now stranded with current DCS technology. If DCS lives on in some form it will necessarily be an aftermarket retrofit, but that market is ripe to be addressed by other innovators as well.
I think an aspect that hasn’t been emphasized is the fact that many different control and power options can happily co-exist on a layout. Battery power and conventional or DCS/Legacy can all be operated at the same time on the same rails. Introduction of new technologies does not mean a necessary immediate retrofit of an entire fleet. I also do think that the expense will scare hobbyists away from new technologies. The same was said about DCC in the HO communities 20 years ago, yet DCC thrived.
Regardless of the exact approach, some key features will be important to me:
- A User interface that is intuitive, adaptable, and upgradable. Controlling trains via an app on a device fits that bill for me. Its been 15 years since I tried DCC. While I understand its benefits when it comes to features and commonality, I hated the user interface. I have no interest in programming CVs or using function buttons to operate features. IMO, the DCS wifi app is so much more intuitive and fun to operate.
- Some form of RF direct interface to control the engine, rather than sending signals through the rails.
- Option to transition to battery power rather power my engines through the rails.
Interesting that 2. And 3. would allow elimination of the center rail. I grew up with AF trains and loathed Lionel for what I considered the “toylike” 3-rail track. Ironically, now in my late 50’s, I’m all in with the endearing nostalgia of O-scale 3-rail trains. Even with battery power I’d want to keep the third rail!
