Hello again everybody,
Some of you may or may not know this but, recently. Mth has released The Ready To Run Catalog for 2017.
Link to it here: http://mthtrains.com/et-2017-rtr-catalog
While you are looking through it, you may notice something about the newest Ready To Run Sets and that is the fact they include no transformer. Instead, they include a "DCS Explorer Track Interface Unit" which from what I have seen, is basically a DCS Wifi Module but, that you hookup straight to your track. This means you will be required to have a Smartphone or Tablet that has the Mth App installed in order to operate the train. Now personally, I see this as probably not the best idea. This is mainly because not everyone who is in this hobby may have a Smart Phone or Tablet to install the app, and some people may just prefer to run a train traditionally by sitting down by a transformer. You're already paying more than likely $300 - $400 for the set alone and it seems unfair that you require to have an electronic device that is more than likely a couple more hundred dollars just to get it moving.
Now obviously, times are changing, and both Mth & Lionel are trying there best to stay up with today's modern technology which I will give them credit for but, I personally feel having it be required to have a Smart Phone or Tablet just to operate your train probably isn't the smartest move (Especially considering how much you're paying for the thing!). Of course you could go and buy a transformer by it's self separately but, the point of purchasing a Ready To Run Set is to have anything and everything you may need to get started!
What does everything else think about this? I would love to know.