I have a few thoughts about this subject that I would like to share and also welcome your comments. I used the PIKO DCC System with the wire-connected control unit with several Marklin/LGB digital locos with mixed results. Not all of the functions could be accessed in spite of the specific numeric commands, and this was very frustrating. It seemed like LGB's and/or PIKO's version of DCC was more proprietory than standard, and they did not mate well with each other's. A "close, but no cigar" situation. After that experience, I decided to stick with the reliable original analog LGB locos, and not deal with the DCC incompatability issues. At the time, my dealer recommended the PIKO system since the new Marklin/LGB Central Station was not yet available and that it had some issues that had to be resolved before its release. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that the DCC system is apparently not standardized across ALL the manufacturers. By putting their own proprietory "stamp" on their own particular DCC system, they encourage incompatability across brands, and the end user reaps the frustration.
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