Trying to characterize the main O manufacturers

3rd Rail  makes some top end locomotives and a few selected "special" cars. They have offered various different control options. Also, offer 2-rail options on all their locomotives.

I'm not familiar with those two (thanks for mentioning them). It looks like 3rd Rails/sunset is a brass loco company (conventional operation). I don't see them in TrainWorld and ModeltrainStuff etc. They must sell direct perhaps?  And it looks like GGD does brass passenger cars. Thanks.

Lionel first had TMCC command control system and licensed it for sale to Atlas, K-Line and one or two others. Legacy will run most of TMCC commands from what I understand. Legacy is a Lionel only item for now.

MTH's DCS and Lionel's TMCC & Legacy are not directly user friendly, you must have both systems(TMCC or Legacy and DCS)to run both systems and a connector cable to hook-up the 2 systems. MTH has wifi with their newest DCS command control system, version 5.0

Williams and Williams Bachmann are conventional with one exception; they have a remote controlled operating car that has a Williams remote and only Williams and Williams/Bachmann remote will work with it. No command control works with any Williams operating cars, you must upgrade the Williams operating car to command control of your choice.

Bachmann/Williams might extend their blue tooth technology to O scale but that is yet to be seen. So far only H.O. or N scale with Bachmann line has blue tooth technology.

Atlas is a medium to large player in O scale trains, not as large as Lionel or MTH but they are a good competitor with a quality product. Atlas uses TMCC by agreement with Lionel, so far no agreement for Legacy being used with Atlas Trains.

Then there is 3rd Rail Brass, a custom manufacturer in O scale items, a bit expensive for most people.

Another company that is smaller and trying to get a decent share of the market is Menard's. Menard's makes freight cars and buildings in O scale, and O gauge tubular track.

O-Line Reproductions seems to have taken over for RMT in O scale trains, so none of their equipment has TMCC or any other command control.

DCC is mainly used for; H.O., N scale, and G gauge trains. DCC might have some use in 2 rail O scale engines, not 100% sure.

Lee Fritz

3RaylFan posted:

I'm not familiar with those two (thanks for mentioning them). It looks like 3rd Rails/sunset is a brass loco company (conventional operation).

No, Sunset/3rd Rail/Golden Gate Depot are all essentially one company, and their powered 3-Rail products come equipped with TMCC by ERR.

I don't see them in TrainWorld and ModeltrainStuff etc. They must sell direct perhaps? 

There are many hobby shops that do carry the Sunset/3rd Rail/Golden Gate Depot products. Lots of their sales are also direct.

And it looks like GGD does brass passenger cars.

No. GGD offer many different types of SCALE (3-Rail AND 2-Rail) passenger equipment, with the streamlined equipment made of extruded aluminum, while the heavyweight equipment is ABS.

Thanks.