Poll: Who still runs pure Conventional?

I was pure conventional, until the advent of LionChief Plus.  Now, it's 80% conventional, 20% LionChief Plus.   Bob S.

I have no interest in anything more "advanced" than whistle relays / controls, and perhaps the 1946-49 electronic set.

As far as I am concerned, there is nothing newly made that is of interest to me. But there is plenty of older equipment on the secondary market, plenty of it being new, old stock. I think the last locomotives Lionel made with mechanical e-units date back to around 1993-94. 

I cannot run my trains anymore, however, I ran conventional since 1947. I must confess that I ran 100% prewar.

Well since I've started running WbB engines with DCS, I guess I'm now in the 0% conventional column.

Gilly

I have been 100% conventional since putting my Legacy system in the closet about eight years ago.  I now run about 25 - 30% LC+ and antiticapte more in the future, as Lionel adds more variety to LC+ availability. 

Conventional only here..........

I was a computer system analyst for 25+ years......no fear of tech....

just don't want it in my train room. 

I was conventional, but once I started running dcs and Legacy, I left the conventional world behind.  I still love my post war, but they have become shelve queens. 

I run only conventional.  I have TMCC, but don't use it.

Jeff Davis

I run completely conventional all the time whether it’s under a Christmas tree, on the carpet or on a layout.  I love that there are no computer chips, circuit boards, LED lights, etc.  Complete prewar goodness.  I am very tech savy, but prefer for that medium to not be in my trains.    

Well, I understood the question: I run conventional only and am totally happy with it.

If the question had been a grumble about a command sort of problem, and people answered "why don't you go conventional," they'd get shouted down by folks saying "that wasn't the question." If the question had been concerning fragile details on scale products, or the lack of parts for these items, and someone answered "go traditional... no fragile details and no shortage of parts," again you'd get shouted down. I say this because it HAS happened.

Well, like the poster asked, I run conventional only. And have no problems, have never once in over 25 years had a single defective product that needed warranty repairs, I have never once in 25 years NOT been able to EASILY find any part I needed. No unexplainable quirks, no programming glitches AND yet somehow amazingly, I still enjoy my trains!!

I'm happy with conventional. I like the ability to be running my newest from last year and my oldest from the late 1920's on the same track.

Conventional DC (S Scale) with occasional gusts of DCC.

Rusty

100% Conventional and no compliants.   

hello guys and gals.....

I was a mechanical quality control inspector for D.O.D working for aerospace companies making F-16 ,F-18 fuel tanks but forced retired. I like SIMPLE trains and 100% conventional.

Tiffany

Guess I am an Odd - Old guy here. I run 80% TMCC/Legacy and 20% Conventional. I am somewhat of a Techno Geek.

TMCC/Legacy 40%, DCS 40% Conventional 20%

I am happy when people are content with what they are doing.  Many are very happy doing so and others do not have what it takes to step up to modern operations.  One good thing about the trains today is they can still run in conventional mode if desired.  Remember guys, if you are running modern trains with old transformers, get some protection in place to protect your locomotives.  Today it is great for conventional operators to use a modern ZW-L or Z4000 transformer.  Now the older trains can get some good power to operate them.  Most of us grew up in the conventional era and it was great.

Whatever you do, enjoy and have fun.  I feel Williams has been great for the conventional guy.  

Conventional here.  I do own DCS and Legacy systems, but rarely hook them up.  Will eventually be full command, but for now, I enjoy working the transformer throttles and flipping switches by hand.

Conventional only. Love to work on my own stuff. Not that I don't appreciate some of the new things, just not my bag.

All conventional for me. I hate it when complicated electronics break or give problems.

I own several Legacy locomotives in my fleet of ~60, but only run conventional; pretty much no interest in going command, although I do have a CAB1/PM I occasionally pull out for the kids to use on temporary carpet layouts.

Years ago I purchased a wireless guitar system which quickly ended up in a closet, then a garage sale.  I can't do without the confidence of the physical connection to the circuit.  Likewise, the throttle control on a transformer is my "umbilical" to the track.  For me it's not discomfort with cost or technology (former programmer here), but a difference in the part of the experience I enjoy and an appreciation for the beautiful simplicity of an electric circuit running a train.  

I do dislike the fact I usually don't have the option of purchasing conventional versions of modern trains at a reduced cost, but that discussion has been beaten into the ground--it is what it is.

The club is 30+ years old and the wiring doesn't support DCS. We run 100% conventional now but we are rewiring a little at a time so we can run DCS. Members run primarily MTH Engines. We probably will add Legacy after we get DCS working.

Two reailer here: 60% DC.   40% DCS.  Switchable power source throughout the various branch lines.  Either can be run anywhere.

Only run conventional here.

All DCS/Legacy/TMCC operators are able to run conventional but choose not to do so very often.  A matter of what makes a person happy.  We are all train guys and try to help each other when we can.

Mostly conventional AC and DC, with some homemade wireless (Bluetooth and improvised commercial RC).

Other than one Lion Chief + loco, all conventional controlled by a PW ZW. And even the LC+ can be run conventionally.

All conventional although most have reverse boards and DC motors, no engines with command control. Love the looks of my ZWs.

Everyone needs to find what is best for them and interact with the "others" with humanity and understanding.

Scotie

I own precisely one engine manufactured this century, so 100% conventional.

SJS

Post-war conventional. The newer locos that I have are 'broken' so they have been converted to run off of a DC transformer.

I run conventional...I do have 1 LC+ hudson and will add more LC+ if the durability and reliability proves itself over time... but isn't LC+  on demand conventional and part time RC rather than CC....so wouldn't LC+ be more in the conventional camp than in the command control camp?

Command Control on my layout

Conventional around the Christmas tree

Never run conventional.

I tested my new (and still conventional...for now) WBB 44T the other day and kept

wondering why it wanted to just sit after I hit DIR of the Cab-1 (w/Powermaster), no

matter how much juice I gave it.

Stupid Neutral.

Nuff said!

Jerry

100% conventional and very happy with it.

I'm with you, Dave.  Retired computer professional, no CC for me.

AXP889,

   I still have one inner loop of conventional set up, but I can run it from the DCS hand held via the TR mode also.  Powered by a ZW, the younger kids still love to use the ZW handles to make the conventional big Williams and Lionel Engines run.  Jims new diodes in the older 250 ZW makes the Williams True Blast II horn activate perfectly all the time.  I still have at least on conventional loop on the Christmas layouts, that operates more than a few real nice conventional engines.

PCRR/Dave

Conventional for my Postwar/MPC and Conventional Classics Items, and TMCC for all the Postwar Celebration Series Items and other LTI Items I have. Not interested in Legacy...I like to keep it simple..

I think Marty hit it on the head, just run it the way you like it.  I was all conventional, and got an old TMCC command set.  Played with it and put it back away, figuring that I'd just stay conventional.  But then Lionel just had to do that Vision Line Big Boy.  With as much as I love the BB, there was no way I could not get it.  So I went ahead and got a Legacy command set too.  I've run the BB both conventionally and in command, and was sold on Legacy.  Now I'm looking at converting most of my locomotives to TMCC with ERR upgrades.  I say most because I'll be keeping some of my locomotives conventional because there is just something about running trains that way.  I find both fun to do and enjoy both equally.  I'll operate in conventional mode when just running trains and command when operating trains.