@Tom Stoltz posted:Rusty, my question with the F-unit and space isl doesn't MTH suffer from the same problem that Lionel does? That is, way more electronics than is really needed because of all the compatibility problems. If you took out the MTH boards and just had DCC, and I guess sound boards, would there be more room than the unit you show?
It might be hard enough to fit the DCC in there. I have zero experience in this area though.
I just hope they don't go a scale route only... get rid of 80% of the market for some market that might be there in 20 years???
Tom Stoltz
in Maine
Yep. DCS is bulky by comparison to DCC.
I recall SHS used Soundtraxx Tsunami or Tsunami 2's for their DCC w/Sound locomotives.
Image: Tsunami 2, Soundtraxx 1.4"x 0.7"x 0.24"
I haven't done any DCC/sound conversions on my locomotives, just added Lenz JST Gold DCC decoders, (Lenz has since left the US market.) which are about 5/8" square. They were HO decoders but handle the load OK.
I've actually gotten pretty blasé about all this tech they're shoving into trains nowadays. I'm not going to rip it out if it's factory installed, but I'm also not going to go out of my way installing it either. The hi-tech stuff is neat, but not all that important to me.
My former railroad could run conventional DC or DCC at the flip of the block switches and I found myself operating my conventional stuff more than anything else. I expect to do the same when I eventually get around to building a new railroad.
As far as how Scale Trains is going to market the SHS/MTH S products, we'll just have to wait and see. I agree they would ignore the 80%-85% at their peril, I don't see swarms of shiny new S Scalers rushing in for essentially rebranded Showcase Line rolling stock.
Rusty
