Originally Posted by poniaj:
And Rusty, I do indeed look at, and buy American Models motive power. They run great and smoothly. I have an AM GG1 that is one of the first issues, and it still runs great. The new RS-11s are on my list. If some day I'll go with some sort of system, it will probably by DCC, which is more universal (and cheaper... I think)
Jerry, I too have a pretty good fleet of AM stuff. I can run straight DC or DCC with the selection of my block toggles. I've converted only two of my AM locomotives to DCC and am not in any hurry to convert the rest of the fleet. Most of the time I run straight DC.
When I buy a locomotive, it's for the locomotive, not the whiz-bang electronics inside. As long as it looks good and runs well, that's all I'm worried about. If it's got the electronics, so be it.
The only exception I made was for my PBL Shay where I went full tilt on, only because I have a history with the prototype. If it wasn't for that history, I wouldn't have even bought the model.
Originally Posted by daveb:
It would make the most sense to build the locos with the proprietary control systems for the hi-rail crowd and with a DCC plug for the scale crowd. It's a simple matter to install one's own decoder either sound or no sound as desired. That's the way most locos in every other scale are offered. If they are making us buy the proprietary parts just to make more bucks then it won't work because we'll just buy less of their product. These manufacturers have a hard time understanding that the customer is their boss not the other way around.......DaveB
That's the way SHS sold their stuff, but MTH (or Lionel) is not SHS. That is the current reality. Plus, if MTH didn't buy SHS, the tooling would most likely be sitting in a warehouse gathering rust or have been disposed of for scrap.
SHS was probably the most flexible of any train manufacturer, but that train has left the depot and isn't coming back. At least MTH is apparently now going to catalog cars with scale wheels and couplers installed.
AM seems to have no interest in electronics, save for the 3-position reverse board. I don't recall even seeing a DCC plug in any of my AM loco's.
Originally Posted by NotInWI:
DaveB
Both MTH and Lionel have spent decades now building a support base of sales in loyal customers based of off their proprietary systems. Lionel vs MTH. That's what they both know and it works for them. That's why they keep selling it, I don't think you (S scale straight DCC compatable) are going to get these two to change their stratigies. These are two companies that are historically heavily invested in technologies other than DCC.
They are not interested in spending money on pleasing 1 of 10 people, when they have already spent money to please 9 of 10 people for many years. It's what they know.
Ben
Agreed, Ben.
Lionel went trough a surprising (at least to me) amount of effort to install (and get it into the SD70's before they shipped) DCC code into Legacy. Is it for the techno-folks who like to tweak a myriad of CV's for ultimate performance? No. But, it suits the basic DCC user.
They could have just as easily said "we can't be bothered." Of course, the whole landscape with Lionel's approach to Flyer's changed for now, but at the time it was a good faith effort.
Rusty