My favorite of all the train manufacturers is MTH. I feel they have the most features, comparable detail, and the best performance. A modular train club I belong to has found that MTH products seem to hold up best. Our club was used as a test track for MTH prototypes before they were released. We ran them to extremes to find out the weaknesses before they were mass produced. If you want no frills, Williams locomotives seem to be almost bullet-proof.
Ah, Thanx guys,
,Colin
(LOCATION: NJ)
Snell: What if…?
What if you could set up your favorite track plan and have it operate flawlessly with ALL the different control systems available? What if you chose your favorite train from each of the different suppliers and they ALL operate perfectly?
Betcha’ you would have a “favorite” DEPENDING ON THE MOOD AND A BUNCH OF OTHER FACTORS at any particular moment, and this is an ever changing dynamic which complicates things. When the kids come over, maybe simple conventional control and an indestructable train wins. When you’re trying to impress your neighbors, maybe lots of smoke, a varied and high fidelity sound system, and exquisitely detailed equipment would fill that best. And just maybe, during the Holidays, a pre or post war Lionel with it’s redolent aroma and the flood of memories it evokes would be the most pleasing.
Bottom line: it’s a moving target and perhaps the only way to meet your expectations is to have one of each…I know I would hate to be strapped to just one system or one brand of train. Hell, just choose anything that suits your fancy and go from there. Competition has forced 'em all to be good…
Buy old Marx trains. They’re cheap, they’re fast and they run well!
Thor,
You missed one thing about Marx trains (I am surprised too). They last FOREVER!!!
Happy New Year Thor!!!
Jim,
Happy New Year to you too!!!
Lionel.
Any brand using high frequency remote control (DCS, TMCC, Maerklin Digital, Roco Uhlenbrock systems etc) have one thing in common. If you have a large layout signals alter frequency because of the length of the track. They NEED a lifewire under your layout to keep signals true. The high frequency is used to transfer the messages through track into the train which converts the signal into a function to switch on or off. The frequency of the signal HAS TO BE exact!! If it misses a part, or the amplitude changes because of track resistance the signal won’t trigger it’s function!!
That’s one big problem because I stopped with Uhlenbrock digital on my h0 layout. The only thing to get it fixed was complete rewiring, in this case build a continouos loop under the layout where the signal and power would be tapped from to various points of the layout.
There has been another thing on the market, only for multiple train control, no functions… I’ve had that and tried it. (only DC) and it works perfect. It’s an analog multitrain system where wavelength is used to filter out it’s signal, other to the digital systems where a set of high frequency waves is used to code a message. It featured continouos interior lights and 5 loco’s at once could be used on 1 track. It was made by Jouef and a few other brands.
Because it used wavelength it was not depending on a code before a signal, and had the weak part filtered out; missing a part of the code is the problem with digital control.
The bad thing is that it was only suited for DC and has left the market since the 80’s…
That was the first multitrain control.
If you make sure that you have a few parallel connections to your track on a big layout, a strong healthy transformer keeping base voltage upright and clear track, you should be ok with digital systems.
Interferring signals (causing it to miss its code): Sparking (wheels, rollers), bad connections, Huge coils connected to the track other than the transformer (the transformer is
Being relatively new to the hobby, I like postwar Lionel. I am not a big fan of “realistic station sounds” or something that makes trains seem like a computer generated experience. I’d rather have a smelly, noisy old engine pulling Rolling Stock with some tried and true accessories like a watertower, windmill, pumping station, etc., creating a throwback environment. I’m 37 and grew up with enough computer sounds to last a lifetime. I’d rather just have some good old fashioned fun!