Does anyone know why is the Command 2000 went out of production but is still available?
I’ve seen them for sale various places at dirt cheap prices. What’s the problem with them? Would it be a useable starter DCC for a medium sized 5 engine layout?
The 2000 is very limited in many respects but if you can get a really good deal and it fits your budget it may be a good entry into DCC. Remember “Any DCC is better than no DCC!”
Try these links for more info in the capabilities of the MRC Command 2000:
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/c2k-mods/c2k-mods-index.html
I found a used MRC2000 for $25 on e-Bay to send to a friend just getting started in model railroading. The instruction book that came with it (downloaded and copied from their web site) was difficult to read. I e-mailed MRC a request for a clean copy and I received one via U.S.P.S.
I tested it out and yes it is very limited, and it can be tricky if you want to run ten locos at the same time (but not more complicated as a big DC block system). It will run eight locos as is out of the box, but if you want to run ten then you need the handheld throttle too. However it will operate any NMRA standard decoder so you don’t need to change decoders if or when you upgrade to a more flexible system.