"....a slow and smooth modern engine with speed control."
Always a good idea under any circumstance for any reason with any equipment.
Simple, proper gearing actually eliminates most of the need for speed control anyway (oh, if only we had gone that way), but we in 3RO have seldom been offered locomotives with the "adult" gearing, such as the 2RO crowd generally got/gets.
....which then lead to expensive 3RO electronic complication that was not necessary....but I've beaten this drum too often...sigh.
