Chuck,
Yours is the only S-gauge DCS control experience with Legacy that I've seen posted on the OGR S-Gauge forum. Several folks have posted their success with DCC; I don't care to go the DCC route. I have been considering adding DCS to my S-gauge layout. I only recently added a Legacy Command Base and remote to my layout. My layout is 10 ft x 10 ft Gilbert tubular track + Gilbert 720A switches. I have 3 concentric loops interconnected by 720A switches and electrically isolated by fiber track pins at each switch. I have 2 MTH Z4000 transformers to power individual loops or a single transformer output for all loops at the same time. I switch MTH Z4000 transformer power amongst the loops via an Atlas 215 SPDT switch array. I also have 2 reversing loops electrically triggered via Atlas 200 snap relays wired to their respective Gilbert 720A switches. My layout is detailed in the following post on OGR ... https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ntage-gilbert-layout There are 2 attachments embedded in the post that detail my layout.
I have an MTH F-3 diesel with Protosound 3.0. I'm able to run it via conventional AC transformer control and get horn/bell/whistle/dialogue via my MTH Z4000 transformer. With my block wiring and Atlas 215 switch I can run it on one loop while running other Legacy and/or FlyerChief engines on either of the other two loop at constant 18 volts. I have been waffling back and forth on whether to add DCS to my layout in order to control the locomotive at constant 18 volts in all loops via DCS control. However, have read some painful stories on the O-gauge side of OGR forum about folks having multiple and perplexing issues getting DCS to correctly operate on their layouts. I don't care to spend beaucoup hours trying to debug DCS on my vintage Gilbert layout. I bought and have read Barry B's books and have scoured the internet for insights on setting up DCS. My layout was not designed per Barry B's book layout guidelines. It does not use star wiring; it does not have isolated power districts in each loop. My layout was put together to run mostly traditional AC locomotives via transformer control. My subsequent addition of Legacy last month was slick and everything worked straight out of the box. I still use my Atlas 215 to wheel power around the 3 loops and/or open all loops to the same transformer power input.
So, would appreciate your review of my layout as described in the above OGR post link. Then get your thoughts on likelihood of addition of a full DCS suite (TIU-L, Remote, needed cabling, etc) to my setup working as advertised. For wiring in the DCS system, my plan would be to wire 3 of the TIU's 4 in/output pairs between 3 of my 4 MTH Z4000 transformer outputs (remember, I have 2 MTH Z4000s) and the Atlas 215 SPDT switch inputs. Then retain the Atlas 215 switch outputs on out to my 3 concentric loop wiring buses as they are currently wired. I use the 4th MTH Z4000 transformer output to set up 18 volts to my 20 Gilbert 720A remote control switches. I do not want to include 720A switch control to either my Legacy or a new DCS control system; will continue to trigger the switches via their remote control toggles.
Regards,
Tom
