The Future of the DSC system??? Atlas wrote on its Website:

You may be reading too much into this.  It says that Atlas has the option to sell DCS components.  It does not say that Atlas has the option to manufacture and sell DCS components.  I interpret the statement to mean that Atlas could be a sales outlet for the new DCS company coming out of MTH's closure, if they so choose.

Bob...that's the way I understand it...FWIW.

@John C. posted:

The Future of the DSC system???  Atlas wrote on its Website:  The Future of the DSC system???  Atlas wrote on its Website:

Atlas has also acquired a license for the MTH Proto-Sound 3 Sound & Control Electronics Boards, which adds realistic sounds to locomotives and also allows control via DCS (Digital Command System). Part of the license will give Atlas the option to sell DCS components as well.

I hope, no check that, I pray that this means ultimately ATLAS O manufactures a TIU that has the capability to being operated via hand-held remotes or wireless.

There are numerous people, including me, who prefer the remote over a telephone or tablet.

I'm sick and tired of the outlandish prices for DCS being asked on Ebay.

I have a fleet of nothing but DCS locos.  Fortunately, I have multiple TIUs and Remotes.  HOWEVER, I will buying Legacy Command in the future if I don't receive confirmation from Atlas O that they indeed will produce DCS Components--a TIU that can be "reached" by a hand-held remote.

Hasn't MTH ended production of TIU's that are "Handheld Remote" compatible? I think the catalog only shows WiFi compatible TIU's. As mentioned above I read it that Atlas will have the ability to use/and or sell DCS products, not manufacture them.

Curious, do any of the large DCC manufacturers such as NCE or Digitrax use WiFi versus remotes? (I'm not sure Lenz ever made a remote, didn’t you have to use an adapter in conjunction with a cordless phone which only allowed really limited features?)

@BobbyD posted:

I'm not sure Lenz ever made a remote

Lenz made two different remotes, one with a large knob to adjust speed and one with push buttons to increase and decrease speed.  Lenz was a wired plug-in system only, the throttles did not have radio capability.

IMO, Atlas will have access to DCS locomotive modules, like Sunset 3rd rail does ERR (TMCC). That is, they can install DCS in their locomotives and sell kits for retrofit. Sunset 3rd rail doesn't sell control equipment and nor will Atlas.

It will be great to finally actually know versus speculation.  I wish Atlas would stop being so secretive and announce their plan in regard to DCS.  I may have purchased my last DCS anything.

Perhaps Atlas will have some news at the "Virtual York" being hosted this week by Trainworld?

@John C. posted:

It will be great to finally actually know versus speculation.  I wish Atlas would stop being so secretive and announce their plan in regard to DCS.  I may have purchased my last DCS anything.

No secret. Keith summed it up. Atlas is using DCS made by the MTH spinoff. Any new products will come from there, not Atlas itself.

Pete

@John C. posted:

It will be great to finally actually know versus speculation.  I wish Atlas would stop being so secretive and announce their plan in regard to DCS.  I may have purchased my last DCS anything.

I suspect the reason is to encourage threads like this.  The more people talk about what might happen and speculate, the more "advertising" they get.

Also, maybe the plans are still "in the works", my sense is the DCS house is being constructed on a beach with a sand foundation.  If the tide comes in too far, things could change in a hurry.

It's interesting to note how speculation of short supply is driving prices of DCS equipment sky high. Not a vote of confidence within the market for a future steady supply of DCS components.

I haven't bought any MTH engines or electronics since the announcement.  The exception being I still am buying boards for repairs.

It's pretty silly to avoid MTH products just because they have DCS.  If they offer a model that Lionel doesn't, you can usually buy it + ERR components and retrofit for TMCC operation for the same price as what Lionel charges for their equivalent models.

@Bob posted:

Lenz made two different remotes, one with a large knob to adjust speed and one with push buttons to increase and decrease speed.  Lenz was a wired plug-in system only, the throttles did not have radio capability.

I meant wireless remotes Bob. Many friends went with NCE when converting from DC because of that. They didn't like being corded all the time to control the locomotives.

@rplst8 posted:

It's pretty silly to avoid MTH products just because they have DCS.  If they offer a model that Lionel doesn't, you can usually buy it + ERR components and retrofit for TMCC operation for the same price as what Lionel charges for their equivalent models.

I only run TMCC but have quite a few MTH Diesel locomotives on my railroad.  For years I've been gutting the DCS components and replacing with ERR stuff.  Usually the DCS boards, couplers, speaker, lights, etc. can be sold for about what the ERR replacements cost.

@rplst8 posted:

It's pretty silly to avoid MTH products just because they have DCS.  If they offer a model that Lionel doesn't, you can usually buy it + ERR components and retrofit for TMCC operation for the same price as what Lionel charges for their equivalent models.

That has nothing to do with me avoiding them, I'm simply waiting out the absurd prices until sanity returns to the market.

I don't do DCC, but simply from reading model railroader wireless remotes and now wifi based apps on phones are being offered by a number of the manufacturers. I suspect tethered operation, if they still offer it (and I really don't know) is an anachronism at this point.

@rplst8 posted:

It's pretty silly to avoid MTH products just because they have DCS.  If they offer a model that Lionel doesn't, you can usually buy it + ERR components and retrofit for TMCC operation for the same price as what Lionel charges for their equivalent models.

In principle, I am not opposed to buying locomotives from other brands. However, I really don’t want to have the hassle of having two different operating systems on my layout. So for me, it’s Legacy, the Lionchief, then TMCC.  I like simple.
So for me to buy an MTH locomotive at this point:

- Got to meet minimum curve, O-36

- Road name needs to be a line that runs in Canada or New England

- Lionel didn’t make one

- must weigh the extra cost of installing TMCC system in the locomotive on top of the cost of buying it versus just waiting for Lionel to do one.

I am willing to buy an Atlas locomotive that meets the above criteria as long as they offer it in TMCC. If they discontinue to offer TMCC locomotives and only offer DCS, I will pass and wait for Lionel. There are plenty of other locomotives out there for me to purchase in the meantime as I  have a list of locomotives that have already been made with Legacy that I am looking for.

This is rapidly becoming a moot point anyway with MTH ending production very soon.

Okay, my take on this:

1)For whatever reasons, Atlas is doing what it did with TMCC, it is licensing the right to use DCS in its engines (the board set), the way it does TMCC. Along with that, it looks like they will have the right to sell boards for repair (I don't know if Atlas will also sell proto 3 upgrade kits). They didn't get a license to manufacturer the boards, controllers, etc.

2)Will Atlas stop TMCC support? I suspect that will be answered by how offering DCS on their engines is received. If it looks like it boosts their overall sales ie people who run DCS now will buy Atlas, then they may support both, but it for example it looks like they are selling a lot of dcs and few TMCC, they may drop TMCC. They also could phase out TMCC, new engines will have DCS. Given that DCS is much more advanced then TMCC, I suspect that is the future, but that is just me.

3)If you really want to speculate, could Atlas also possibly have negotiated with MTH (trains) to manufacture some of their catalog? Yes, I know, there is the issue of tooling, but I seem to recall MTH owned their factory in China, which meant the tooling would be theirs, so in theory they could sell the tooling to Atlas. I make no claims for this, it is pure speculation.

In a wild world Atlas would buy MTH's factory and continue production. Doing that Atlas could consolidate building their own line and MTH in the same factory they now own, they wouldn't be at the mercy of a contract manufacturer the way they are today. This is unlikely, given the costs involved would Atlas have the capital or desire to do this?

@bigkid posted:

Okay, my take on this:

1)For whatever reasons, Atlas is doing what it did with TMCC, it is licensing the right to use DCS in its engines (the board set), the way it does TMCC. Along with that, it looks like they will have the right to sell boards for repair (I don't know if Atlas will also sell proto 3 upgrade kits). They didn't get a license to manufacturer the boards, controllers, etc.

2)Will Atlas stop TMCC support? I suspect that will be answered by how offering DCS on their engines is received. If it looks like it boosts their overall sales ie people who run DCS now will buy Atlas, then they may support both, but it for example it looks like they are selling a lot of dcs and few TMCC, they may drop TMCC. They also could phase out TMCC, new engines will have DCS. Given that DCS is much more advanced then TMCC, I suspect that is the future, but that is just me.

3)If you really want to speculate, could Atlas also possibly have negotiated with MTH (trains) to manufacture some of their catalog? Yes, I know, there is the issue of tooling, but I seem to recall MTH owned their factory in China, which meant the tooling would be theirs, so in theory they could sell the tooling to Atlas. I make no claims for this, it is pure speculation.

In a wild world Atlas would buy MTH's factory and continue production. Doing that Atlas could consolidate building their own line and MTH in the same factory they now own, they wouldn't be at the mercy of a contract manufacturer the way they are today. This is unlikely, given the costs involved would Atlas have the capital or desire to do this?

Actually just saw where our esteemed publisher posted on this back in March, that Atlas had bought the rights to some of MTH's rolling stock, engines and accessories.....