Command only engines?

I doubt the coding for conventional is that sophisticated that removing it will save manufacturers much if any money.   Regardless of what command system is used, the signal still has to be converted to DC to operate the various motors and lights or LEDs.

Rusty

@rplst8 posted:

....do you think there will come a time when locomotives are only able to controlled via an expensive command system or smart device?  Removing conventional control would probably simplify the electronics and any computer code required to operate the locomotives and save the manufacturers bottom line.

That's what happened with the original Lion Chief, before they added the +.

Original Lion Chief would only run with the remote, similar to the Menards engine. There was enough push back that Lionel added conventional control to Lion Chief, making it Lion Chief PLUS.

Since day one, all command controlled engines have been capable of running in conventional mode - except for the original Lion Chief before the plus - and now the Menards engine.

The only comparison I can point out is hard wired telephones vs cellphones. Cellphones can't switch to hard wired and it doesn't seem to be an issue.

@Rusty Traque posted:

I doubt the coding for conventional is that sophisticated that removing it will save manufacturers much if any money.   Regardless of what command system is used, the signal still has to be converted to DC to operate the various motors and lights or LEDs.

I don’t know specifically how it all works in the code that is on the Legacy boards.  But I have done my fair share of embedded programming, and on occasion when talent leaves and another young buck comes in, management insists on a redo.  If the down in the weeds hardware types aren’t around, I could see that sort of feature getting the axe.

I guess I didn’t know that about LionChief non plus engines.  Maybe they were ahead of their time.

@BOB WALKER posted:

The only comparison I can point out is hard wired telephones vs cellphones. Cellphones can't switch to hard wired and it doesn't seem to be an issue.

And phone calls ever since haven’t even come close to the reliability and intelligibility of the old Western Electric Model 500!

I think there's still enough conventional operators that run these it should give a manufacturer pause before they eliminate conventional control.  You'll note that Lionel actually enhanced conventional control a few years back for Legacy locomotives.