Kevin
Legacy uses a speed curve. The lower speed steps are very close together, less than one smph. They get further apart as speed increases. Legacy locomotives are accurate and repeatable but since the speed control isn't linear and isn't in smph there apparently is no issue between Legacy and DCS. I think the DCC committee would do well to adopt a standard speed curve like Legacy.
Professor
Gasoline engines and ships propellers had been around for years and birds had been flying on wings for millions of years prior to 1903. Maybe someone thought it should be obvious to put them all together. But no one did it successfully before the Wright brothers. They received a patent for their airplane and their system of control which the patent office found to be novel.
Perhaps the issue here is what is obvious. If no one had actually done it earlier maybe it wasn't so obvious.
The importance of model trains is a long way from the importance of the airplane. But there has been some important recent ip case law that involved another area of model railroading. We have very innovative people working in all segments of our hobby. Many of them have been working in O gauge and I sure have been enjoying the benefits.
DCS and Legacy are very capable control systems, they are cost competitive and have refined user interfaces. Lionel and MTH have put a great deal of money into developing them and I hope that they are earning a good return on their investment.
