I appreciate what FC has done to the Flyonel product line up and S gauge in general. For me, however, the dawning of TMCC in S-gauge in 2005 and the subsequent introduction of Legacy are what saved the scale for me. Right about that time I was starting to wonder if Gilbert Flyer alone was going to be enough to keep me heavily involved in just "S" for the foreseeable future. Add to that my envy of O gauge having already had TMCC for 10 years and the seemingly limitless variety of engines and rolling stock in HO, and my S-treadfastness was starting to waiver. Since then, however, a variety of TMCC, Legacy, DCC, other-brand conventionally controlled, and conventionally controlled engines that I converted to TMCC have kept me happily specialized in S gauge without interruption. I don't own any FC. It's not that I don't like it or think that it looks like fun. It's just that whenever I get the chance to run my double-header of N&W Mallets, or double-header of LV ES44, or a Challenger, Pacific, SD70, U-boat, Mikado, etc., I go - why bother? To me they collectively represent the pinnacle of S loco's so far.
BTW, I think the ES44's come the closest to "getting it all right" in terms of a truly RTR engine that stays that way. I haven't had to work on mine or send them back (fingers crossed). The Mallets come in at a close 2nd. They're beautifully built. I've only had to enhance their smoke production.
I don't own or plan to own MTH S other than some track to augment the SHS S-trax that I already have. Nothing wrong with it I suppose, just not interested in DCS and I already have an adequate number of SHS engines -- many of which I've converted to TMCC. And some of which I've already sold off.
Now don't get me wrong. All of this would be lost if it weren't for the Gilbert AF that I have and enjoy running. They are the bedrock or foundation of it all that continues to fascinate and please me no end.
Dave
