I agree this is a great way to go for a lot of people. For example, I have 15-20 Postwar and MPC locos from when I was a kid, and I recently built a pretty basic floor layout in my attic.
Last month I bought the Lionchief Plus GP-38 to try it out, and the fun factor for me is far beyond the PW gear. Ability to run slow, steady speeds and pull a long train up a grade without slipping, and then all the great features: smoke, sounds, remote couplers, and the kids are always excited to run it using my phone.
If you search on “Lionel Lionchief FT AA”, there is the 6-82296 Erie set advertised at Walmart for $325. Or, Trainz has the same units on eBay for $350.
