I have been looking to step up to a walk around style controller for my layout and have decided I am not in the market for DCC at this time due to expense and the time involved in converting my locos. I operate alone and have a limited amount of time to dedicate to the hobby.
The Train Engineer Basic seems to fit my requirements but I have never seen one in person. I am looking for comments from people who have experience with this throttle. I am interested in both good and bad. I would like to order relatively soon so if you have used one, did you like it? Would you buy one for use on a DC layout? Is there anything about this unit I need to know?
I use an Aristo Craft DC train engineer (Crest bought their product) and it works great! I use the one with the capability of running two receivers and accessories. Since I don’t have DCC, I wired the remote accessories controller into a MRC sound system. Now I can walk along with my trains, ring the bell, and blow the horn, too!
I used block wiring and wired the layout for two train control. I can run one train on the main line while I switch the yard. The single controller has a small switch (upper left) which allows me to jump back and forth between trains.
I’m very happy with the rapid response of this throttle and the fine control. There’s nothing like following your train from town to town and doing all the switching along the way!
Astro craft makesan excellent out door system for out door trains (larger scales and I have never used the above setup that dragonrider used and I m sure its great.
However inn my personal openion, beware of the Train engineer HOTE for HO. This system uses your dc or a clean transformer, recievers in each unit that fits some locomotive (one size fits all) not into small swichers or some very narrow hood units. The track voltage is set to approx 13 volts and the transmitter (hand held) sends a signal to the reciever in the unit, as like radio DCC. We bought this system and it has never worked, including sending it bact to the MGF a few times. We even bought the transformer the Company suggested, used an oscilliscope to check it, followed the instructions to a T, even checked for other frequencys that cold interfear with it. Never got it to work
There are several people on this forum that have had the same problems and none had any success with the product. So in my personal openion if it says HOTE on its package I would drop it like a hot Potato, several have been burned on this system, and I really wonder why they make it.
Dragonrider if your system is HOTE email me and tell me and others how you got it to work.
Thanks Dragen, that helps. The unit I am looking at is the Basic which I don’t think has the two channel capability of the TE. I will be ordering one today or tomorrow and will post a review when I have it installed and working.
I have one works good, but theres always a but right,on my engines that have sound the engine sound works but you can not blow the horn or work the bell. Witch i can live with,to have the freedom to move around without a cord getting in the way.
Our modular club uses a pair of the Aristocraft throttles, and they work great for our purpose - our operators can be outside the modular loop intermingling with spectators.
One of our members has a basement filling layout, and for years many of us have operated trains there using the same units. He recently switched to DCC, so we are currently using tethered cabs which is a step backwards and difficult at times. He’s going to add DCC radio throttles shortly so the problem wil be going away.
I bought two of Crest’s units since I usually run 2 trains on my layout. I too am not ready for DCC. These units are GREAT. Loco spped can be varied from a crawl to full throttle. You can reverse direction even if you are at full throttle (altho I don’t recommend it) and you can press a button for emergency stop (in case you have a derailment or something). My grandkids (Brian’s 13, April’s 11 and Rachel’s 9) can run the trains like a seasoned ‘piker’. Best investment I ever made. Shop around…you can get the units for much less than list price.
I totally agree with jehu817, I’ve had one of these units for a while now and find it very good and quite reasonably priced. I’m the only operator on my layout and the Train Engineer Basic meets every need I have. In fact, it totally turned me off from any idea of going to tethered DCC control.
I am glad to read this input as I am contemplating a wired throttle, or the train engineer I was looking at also. I am not in any big hurry to jump into dcc either.
