Is anyone going to use their Ipad to run their trains?

I am excited about this new way to Run Our Trains. My HOBBYSHOP in Evansville, Indiana is getting all the Products to make this Reality. Yes, I love Legacy, Cab 2 Very much, however, I am building a Switching Layout, separate from the actual Operating Layout, and hope to use I-Pad Operation....I am a Senior Kid, and Thank You J Daddy for Asking.

Nope....I like my legacy remote.  Easy to handle, simple to use, plus I like the vibration feature.

 

Rick

After watching the Legacy Meeting “LUG” and hearing first hand where the O gauge hobby is headed I had to ask myself if that’s what I want.??
I love Remote Control Trains, and a slick Remote to control them. Another nice feature is a Remote Switch Control, although I enjoy throwing the switch that comes with the turnout…conventional control?

The new sensor track sounds cool and I will enjoy all that it has to offer as long as it’s talking to my Legacy Remote.  I don’t think I’ll ever use a Computer/I-Pad to interface with running my Trains..,…not that there is anything wrong with that!
I have to admit it is exciting watching the Hobby Evolve. I guess I’m a Conventional Remote kind of guy.

With the  IR sensor track set to launch I just hope you will not need an I-Pad to exploit all the features of a track sensor equipped layout or sensor equipped Engine. Lets hope the hand held is up to the task and nothing else is needed except a piece of track.


K.C.

Can't wait for the MTH App! It will be great for the kids. The grandkids love DCS, but will be able to have more control with the iPad App.

Will both MTH and Legacy systems have signal control as well? This part of the hobby I have very little knowledge. I could see maybe a future for a dispatcher on the layout.

The Bellevue and Schenectady RR is going to have I pad layout control and automation using the Hikel system.

The I pad technology seems very cool but I'm not going to use it.My layout is Legacy  command environment but I still love to use my control panel to throw switches.Nick

I don't think I will be switching to the ipad for controlling trains.

I'm already operating my TMCC trains with my Android tablet and bluetooth adaptor. Together they cost less than the LCS wifi adaptor.

Seems way to cumbersom to walk around the layout with my Ipad to run my trains.

I'll definitely use it on my layout.  Having tried it, I find using an iPad isn't any more cumbersome than the DCS or Legacy remotes for operating trains.  And I love the layout control features.

 

i believe an iPad mini or similar device would handle even better than a full size tablet.

John, when you were over for the last meet I had the LCS app running.  Not much to see yet without the LCS WiFi box.  Looks good for layout control.  I too would rather use a hardware remote to run the engines.

I don't see any new/redesigned hardware remotes coming for Legacy or DCS.  Any new engine or accessory feature will be implemented on a software remote i.e. a tablet.  MTH has a problem, their hardware remote does not have a slide for a quilling whistle.  Their new iPad remote will have all the new DCS features.  Much cheaper than developing a new hardware remote.

My layout will use the LCS app for controlling switches and accessories.  It's about the right size for such an app, also your layout is too.

LCS operates along side the Cab 2, they talk to each other through the RS-232 port on the Cab 2 base.  There will probably not be any hardware mods to the Cab 2 and Base.

Dan

Nope I don't even own a smart phone. Still learning how to use TMCC and DCS which is just fine my me.

 

Not quite a Luddite, but it sure is looking good...

 

Gilly

I'll give it a shot. I may be old but I love technology.

can I use one hand to hold and operate the train?

What an Ipad? 

 

NO.  I have Legacy CAB-2 and it is a blast and I know how to use it, or at least know how to blow the whistle.  Can someone tell me what "texting" is.  It must have something to do with reading a school book.

 

Steve, Lady and Tex

Had to dig through the archives for this one... 

 

I'm very much looking forward to using my iPad for switch control.  I have a small switchyard on my new layout, and believe that control of the switches and a small switching engine via iPad will be much easier with touch control on the iPad.  I just wish they'd hurry up and manufacture and ship the LCS WiFi module and DB9 cable with power supply, so I can do it.

   Bob A.

James, now that's what I call remote control!!

 

Gilly

It'll be rather expensive and tricky, but I look forward to the day of getting a tablet to run my trains with, and everything else. It'll surely make playing with trains appealing to the youth and young adults of today.

 

Besides, it'll be fun to say "I'm listening to The Rolling Stones while getting current fuel info on my Legacy engine while I just checked my Email and updated my Facebook account."

Absolutely!  

 

Peter

I do operating sessions with a group of guys, one of the older retired gentlemen mentioned to me that he used his iPhone at a recent operating session and he said that he really enjoyed it.

I'm looking forward to using my iPhone.

Absolutely.  I hope they also expand the throttle control to show and control multiple locomotives at the same time. Switching back and forth between several trains is always confusing and I often enter the wrong engine number.  Multiple throttles would solve that problem.

No, my layout if full remote now, if I need to use my iPad I will make a control panel.

I doubt it as I like the present Legacy control and my custom control panels.

 

Art

I will try it and keep and open mind but it won't replace my remotes.

I will try it on Android. Like Chris, I will keep an open mind.

 

Gerry

Yes, I'm already using my iPad and my iPhone to run my trains and operate my layout, using Hikel's train control system.  In fact, after York last month a few friends visited the Hodgson Valley RR and we ran our first operating session using iPads.  In many ways it's a significant improvement over the existing handhelds and for those of whose eyes are not as good as they used to be, the large display of the iPad made train control much easier and more fun.  Having a track diagram and touch screen to throw switches made operation smoother and easier, too.  Of course, anyone that visits can still use the traditional remotes if they prefer, and Chris is right this is not likely to completely replace the existing remotes for a long time, but I have already come to prefer the ipad/iPhone throttle over Legacy's big red knob or DCS's thumbwheel.

 

From a practical standpoint, the ability to update and improve our control devices using software only will be a huge improvement.  Having no reason to pursue r & d on new hardware will save us all money and significantly shorten the cycle of product improvement.

 

 

I will definitely try the MTH app on my iPad when it becomes available.

I'm interested in the MTH App.

Probably / Maybe.

 

Being that I work in IT and love tech I tend to be an early adopter.  For train control however some key points for me stand out as concerns for iPad control.

 

1-  The interface.   It has to be fast and easy to use.   Neither Lionel or MTH has shown me a particularly intuitive remote yet.   The new Lionel Legacy remote is awful!    Finding things like disable smoke/enable smoke on a Lionel remote is a joke.   AUX1+2+5+DIR+stand on your hand + do the hookie pookie.   Who thought that crap up at Lionel?   Breaking out the Lionel Manual or the DCS Handbook every time you want to do something simple!   Anyway, both remotes today leave a lot to be desired.  Yes I get the fact that they are trying to pack a huge amount of functionality into something I can hold in my hand.   So now with an iPad interface it better be a huge improvement in ease of use and not just a way to pack more hard to use, impossible to find functions.  

 

2- Ease and speed are my biggest concerns with using an iPad.   Example:   I want to throw a switch for an approaching train.   I'm in the middle of going to select switch, find the switch, scroll, looking, looking, train is coming, oh crap I need to stop the train and I haven't found the switch yet, but I can't get back to the train in time, OH NO where is the emergency stop.   SIGH....  I just wanted to throw a switch.   That analog control panel is looking VERY good right now..  HAH!

 

As it is now I find myself always carrying 2 remotes.   1 for engine control and 1 for layout control.  That way I can always stop the train if I can flub through finding the switch fast enough.  Carrying and using an iPad is a 2 handed affair.  So it MUST have an agile interface.   

 

 

 

 

  Still keeping things simple. Turn up the transformer and watch the trains run. Want to turn on something just flick a switch.  It may be stone age operation to some but it works here.

I can't wait and my kids will love it to.

No, I will stick with the Legacy hand held.

I have the DCS and CAB-1 remotes. I don't have a tablet.

So, Not anytime soon in any case.

NOPE, I will stick to my Legacy CAB2 and "Flip Phone"!     LOL

 

FREDSTRAINS

     Yes when the MTH box comes out.

If Lionel had offered an option to forgo the Cab-2 base to control via a smart device, I would have controlled my switching layout by said device exclusively.

 

I have a 990 still on order from last June, and I'm still patiently waiting. Though I'm constantly wondering its utility for switching operations aside from the increase ability of slow speed operations.

 

 

YES