Conventional or Digial engines

I prefer conventional  and it bothers me I have to pay for the electronics I don't need or want. I try to buy engines with bad electronics and turn them into conventional with a bridge rectifier or a Dallee reversing unit. 

I only run conventional. I admit, I know precious little about digital control systems, but I don't see me shelving the equipment I already have, or rewiring my layout for a different type control. So far, I have avoided buying the newer locomotives because I also do not want to pay for tech that I may never use. I have picked up some post war equipment, and will probably continue down that path. I'll also grab later locos that are conventional, such as my Polar Express FT set, as long as the subject and the price both work for me.

Conventional for the most part, I do have 5-6 legacy or command control engine's.  I honestly don't run them though because I don't have current protection on my track right now and I don't want to risk frying them.

I enjoy the sounds on the newer engines, but I don't really like wireless control systems, and I actively dislike the systems which automatically control the train's speed. I end up feeling like I am watching the train, not running the train.

That being said... it is actually nice, once in a while, to step back and watch the train make the circuit of the layout. So I did add a Power Master, so I can get away from the transformer while I run conventional engines.

Only conventional now. I sold off 300+ full scale command control locomotives I had collected since 2000. I had both of the leading systems. I spent more time fussing with the overly complicated command control engines (I call them "toasters") and the finicky control systems than running trains. I got to the point where I didn't enjoy operating trains any longer and didn't go down to the train room for weeks. I sold just about everything newer than 1990 and kept a dozen big scale steam favorites and only run those conventionally now. 

I have mainly conventional engines; Lionel and Williams. Have about 4 MTH command control engines with the MTH PS-2 and 1 MTH PS-3 engine control system. I like the conventional engines better because you don't have to look for them on the remote control.

Have looked at adding PS-2 to my Williams engines and it is a bit expensive to add the electronics to 10 engines, so I won't be adding it.

Lee 

Grampstrains posted:

I am also hooked on Lionchief Plus.  I like simple and easy and LC+ fills the bill.

Exactly! And quite germane to this thread. Lion Chief Plus allows you to run trains with the supplied remote (and now with Blue Tooth) or conventionally by flipping a switch.

It’s all about choices, folks.

TMCC only, single wire hookup, got to eliminate most of the blocks I had greatly simplifying the wiring.  Given the linear nature of my space I enjoy walking with the train.  I could not do that with conventional controls.  A few more conversions and everything will be TMCC.

Depends on the size of the layout. If I running a small layout say around the Christmas tree. Conventional is fine.

However, a moderate or large layout, command control, or digital control is a must, especially with multiple operators on the same loop of track.

Personally, I am command control all the way. However, there are several folks that I see fairly regularly at my LHS that run conventional only and always say there are no new 'conventional only' engines available anymore that are priced as though there were no electronics in them. Then WbB always comes up and they say those priced up there close to the low end Lionel and MTH engines so they don't really save all that much. I don't know what the the street prices are, but I have seen some WbB MSRPs in magazines that I had to do a double take on and wonder how they could possibly be more than MTH Premier PS3 or Lionel Legacy engines. Can't say that I blame those folks I see at my LHS about that, but it's still all digital, command control only for me.

Strange, I was just thinking about this last night. I have TMCC, but only have one TMCC engine, and one Proto-2 engine. The rest are conventional. 

I was running an engine Lionel produced years ago. A scale Santa Fe f3 AB conventional. The engine has all the details of the Lionel scale f3 (not the postwar style version) without the TMCC electronics. Think it may even have smoke. If Lionel or MTH would make a few of their scale engines in conventional I would purchase. Right now I usually pass because I feel like I'm paying an extra $100.00-$150.00 for command features and sound that I'm not going to use. 

All-conventional for me.  And I have no plans to change.

I started into 3-rail because I wasn't sure I could find 2-rail at a price I could afford.  After I bought Lionel FasTrack and several engines I didn't like the way the locos ran.  One ran fine, one ran fast, a couple didn't run at all.  I pulled all the electronics out of them and wired them for DC.  Then I hooked up an MRC DC powerpack to the FasTrack.  3-rail DC!  Now they all run great!  But I have an AC powerpack and I can throw a switch or two and run the layout on AC conventional (just in case I find a loco I like and that I don't have the courage to redesign its innards).

I run both conventional and command control engines but seem to do so in cycles.  Right now I'm in the conventional cycle and am running the heck out of all my post-war stuff and loving every breath of ozone I inhale.  I really do enjoy the simplicity and reliability of conventional engines and the great feeling of nostalgia I experience as I operate them on my layout along with my postwar accessories.  

I would say about 85% of what I own is either post-war or pre-war while about 15% is digital.  I enjoy running the modern engines if for no other reason to listen to the sounds but also fully admit they do provide the operator with a lot more versatility and options while running them.  Unfortunately, it has been my experience they are a bit to fragile for my tastes and when a board goes bad I've got to send the engine out for repair while when one of my conventional engines goes south I can usually repair it myself.   Interestingly enough, I have found the original/older Lionel TMCC engines to be a lot more reliable then their recent Legacy offerings and that is why I stopped buying them.  I really get upset when a very expensive engine goes belly up on me.  The bottom line is that when I'm running my old conventional engines I have fewer concerns and am having a lot more fun and that's why I  got into the hobby in the first place. 

I have conventional Postwar, MPC, and LTI with some K-Line (not the newer one) and WBB, with the exception of one Lionchief Plus Pacific I just picked up last month.  LC+ has really given me a change of heart because I really like the speed control.  One of my peeves about conventional was the variable brightness of headlights and car lamps, but I was able to overcome it by upgrading to constant brightness LED lighting.

Conventional only, and preferably with a mechanical e-unit (nothing to fry). I really hated paying for something that I not only didn't want, but something that I couldn't repair easily and cheaply.

Conventional- I'm running all post-war and MPC locos. Seems everyday there is another member posting about issues with DCS, TMCC, ABCD, LMNOP,... OK you get it.

I always thought I would want digital control for the added realism it brings to model railroading. After seeing so may posts about problems with the various systems, I'm not so sure. Doesn't mean that I am anti- digital, just not for me right now.

I'm pretty much a 100% command guy.  I confess, they probably do have more issues than conventional, but then I can fix them when they do. 

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'm pretty much a 100% command guy.  I confess, they probably do have more issues than conventional, but then I can fix them when they do. 

A have several conventional engines (PW Lionel and Pre- and PW Marx) I inherited from my brother and father-in-law, and they have not been out of their boxes in over a decade (maybe two).  All the engines I run now were either purchased with or converted to command control.  And just like all of the electronics I use, from phones to TVs to the avionics in the planes I fly, my digital engines have more issues than those from the 50s/60s (well, maybe not as bad as those old avionics).  However, I cannot imagine going back to what was to me the boring pre-command days of just loop running.

When one of my engines fail, I just get it fixed or have the electronics replaced with the newest boards with all the bells and whistles.  That's why I hope gunrunnerjohn and Alex_M  keep repairing engines for at least another 20 or so years

Command only from about 1995 forward.

Would have preferred not to pay for the handicapped “features” that backward compatible, conventional operation brings. I really hate paying for something that I not only didn't want, but something that brings absolutely zero interest to the layout.

Charlie

I started out with an MTH conventional Ski Train Set, but now all of my locomotives and trolley cars have DCS. There is one exception however. I have a Lionel 153 with a string of 602, 603, 607 & 608 passenger cars that I run in conventional mode on rare occasions.

I have both, I run both.

I got rid of command control after 6 months of BS trying to get it to work. I gave up. I run trains now instead reading "Check track".............

While the modern stuff is cool, I like Postwar just as much. Thankfully I have several local options on getting the modern stuff repaired when needed. I wonder what that situation will be like in 20 years or more.

SJC posted:

Thankfully I have several local options on getting the modern stuff repaired when needed. I wonder what that situation will be like in 20 years or more.

I'm figuring in 20 years, I won't really care.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

SJC posted:

Thankfully I have several local options on getting the modern stuff repaired when needed. I wonder what that situation will be like in 20 years or more.

I'm figuring in 20 years, I won't really care.

I hope I'm around 20 yrs from now to find out!!

Surprised to find so many other people prefer conventional, and are not buying engines because of digital problems. Two systems is just stupid!  Beyond that, my digital TV, and digital electronics in recent automobiles, some with high mileage, have been trouble free.  I think those who buy these weak, complicated, frequently updated and obsoleted systems are getting short-sheeted.  How come they don't work as well as your TV?  Get the bugs out, make it simple, reliable, and standardized, and l might be converted.

Conventional now and always