Yes Gary! Although I did find it useful for pushing the last horse in the corral up the ramp!
Jon 
The Cab 1L is safe! It is featured prominently in the catalog next to the new CAB3 base!
"And if you don't already have a base.A remote base combo will run upwards of $600."
True. Then again, if you have only recent Lionel locos, you can use the free app/Bluetooth and forego the whole command base/remote features. Or spend about 40-50 dollars on the universal remote. Command control on the cheap so to speak.
And look at it this way, at least they are moving forward. According to Dave Olson, producing the cab2 handheld and base is no longer feasible without redesign due to component obsolescence.
And at least Lionel is still around to develop new products. Try buying a TIU and DCS handheld new. There are none, and there is no pathway for using a handheld remote wirelessly with the new TIU/WIU.
So to my way of thinking, the cab3 setup shows Lionel is still in business, still innovating, and trying to unify their command systems, all of which is good for the hobby. Not to mention they are now the only option unless some sort of resurrection happens with MTH. One option is better than none.
@Landsteiner posted:And look at it this way, at least they are moving forward. ...And at least Lionel is still around to develop new products...
So to my way of thinking, the cab3 setup shows Lionel is still in business, still innovating, and trying to unify their command systems, all of which is good for the hobby...
That's all very encouraging, and, very positive.
@Dave Olson posted:The Cab-1L is in production. By time it gets on the boat and gets over here, it'll likely be April.
Dave, this was obviously very encouraging, and it was thoughtful of you to post it.
All good points Landsteiner. Post deleted. My favorite being the acquisition of MTH tooling.
I assume this is much cheaper than creating all new tooling, and at the same time. MTH tooling is not sitting in the back of an overseas warehouse collecting dust.
@Gerald Marafioti posted:OK ,If they do away with the cab-2 ,what happens to people like me who are not tech savvy & don't have a smart phone how do i run my trains if my cab-2 is broke & can't be repaired ?,do i buy a spare cab-2 now if there is one available ,or do i just take my layout down & put my trains back into the attic forever ?
@feet posted:Very valid point. I have no desire to run trains with a phone or a tablet. I guess they think everybody has these devices. I finally broke down and got a smart phone. It sits on a shelf 99% of the time as it's hard to figure out.
I find my smart phone a lot easier to figure out than a Cab 2! 
Keith L's advice above is right on for the small minority of people who can't use a phone - your solution is to just get a Cab 1L.
@breezinup posted:I find my smart phone a lot easier to figure out than a Cab 2!
Keith L's advice above is right on for the small minority of people who can't use a phone - your solution is to just get a Cab 1L.
Pardon me in advance for being a luddite and critic on this topic. In general I'm a gadget hound and have had always embraced the latest technology for all of my 63 years, especially when it comes to computers and smartphones. They have given me a wonderful career that I'm most thankful for.
But not here.
The "small minority" that you refer to doesn't have a problem using a phone, as a phone. And in addition there are thousands of other applications that make excellent use of the smartphone platform.
However a smartphone makes a lousy train control device, or a controller for anything that moves for that matter. Having to take your eyes off the target to execute your next command is not real-world. For industrial equipment, and in particular, remotely controlled locomotives, doing so is verifiably unsafe.
In spite of this your comments are interesting though. "Figuring it out" is also part of using it safely. Fair enough.
Are you going to hurt somebody with your smartphone? No? Could you end up with a costly wreck on your layout? Definitely possible.
I guess I'm a rivet counter on this one. I prefer doing things as with the prototype.
Maybe the CAB-4 should look like this:
Mike
BTW -- We are not a small minority, although probably not a majority either, and the CAB-1L suits me just fine.
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@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:Pardon me in advance for being a luddite and critic on this topic. In general I'm a gadget hound and have had always embraced the latest technology for all of my 63 years, especially when it comes to computers and smartphones. They have given me a wonderful career that I'm most thankful for.
But not here.
The "small minority" that you refer to doesn't have a problem using a phone, as a phone. And in addition there are thousands of other applications that make excellent use of the smartphone platform.
However a smartphone makes a lousy train control device, or a controller for anything that moves for that matter. Having to take your eyes off the target to execute your next command is not real-world. For industrial equipment, and in particular, remotely controlled locomotives, doing so is verifiably unsafe.
In spite of this your comments are interesting though. "Figuring it out" is also part of using it safely. Fair enough.
Are you going to hurt somebody with your smartphone? No? Could you end up with a costly wreck on your layout? Definitely possible.
I guess I'm a rivet counter on this one. I prefer doing things as with the prototype.
Maybe the CAB-4 should look like this:
Mike
BTW -- We are not a small minority, although probably not a majority either, and the CAB-1L suits me just fine.
So how about adapting the smartphone / tablet app to work like a remote with buttons:
I was waiting for a Cab unit that resembles a bridge.
How did they know??
So ,my question is if my cab-2 breaks & can't be fixed ,can i use the the cab-1l to power up the track & operate my tmcc & legacy engines ?,right now i use the cab-1 to power up the track ,then i switch to the cab-2 ,if i can get away with just the cab 1l ,then i wood think it would be less expensive than getting another cab-2 if i could find one .
@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:Pardon me in advance for being a luddite and critic on this topic. In general I'm a gadget hound and have had always embraced the latest technology for all of my 63 years, especially when it comes to computers and smartphones. They have given me a wonderful career that I'm most thankful for.
But not here.
The "small minority" that you refer to doesn't have a problem using a phone, as a phone. And in addition there are thousands of other applications that make excellent use of the smartphone platform.
However a smartphone makes a lousy train control device, or a controller for anything that moves for that matter. Having to take your eyes off the target to execute your next command is not real-world. For industrial equipment, and in particular, remotely controlled locomotives, doing so is verifiably unsafe.
In spite of this your comments are interesting though. "Figuring it out" is also part of using it safely. Fair enough.
Are you going to hurt somebody with your smartphone? No? Could you end up with a costly wreck on your layout? Definitely possible.
I guess I'm a rivet counter on this one. I prefer doing things as with the prototype.
Maybe the CAB-4 should look like this:
Mike
BTW -- We are not a small minority, although probably not a majority either, and the CAB-1L suits me just fine.
Your right. I can make calls on my phone and take pictures with it. But I want a remote to run trains. I don't think the cab1L remote will do all that the Legacy remote does.
@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:For industrial equipment, and in particular, remotely controlled locomotives, doing so is verifiably unsafe.
Mike I'd disagree with you on that. My second job is our family farm, and we have considerable amounts automation and remote control equipment from a smart phone. In fact we can run our grain leg using an MTH DCS system with AIUs to operate the operation panel in the control room. Now when I am 120+ feet in the air and servicing an auger I can stop and start right from my phone vs climbing all the way down or communicating to someone on the ground. When I'm miles away in the field and truck driver shows up to drop grain, I can start the facility remotely vs. trying to talk a newb through it over the phone.
We also use smart apps to control and operate our center pivot irrigation systems and save us a lot of time when it comes to troubleshooting. We are also looking at new autonomous tractors that we can control with our phones and also sprayer drones that we'll fly over our fields to use for spot spraying weeds. While some of this stuff does have autonomy built in all of it still runs our phone.
One of my portable layouts has three main line tracks and I run anywhere from 6 to 8 consists on it with them chasing each other in some way or another. It is mind boggling easy with the DCS app and modern cruise control on each locomotive. The DCS remote was a little harder as I couldn't change engines quite as fast when getting everything started.
OK so i have read all of the posts above so am i right that with a cab 1l i will be able to run all of my tmcc & legacy engines & power up & shut power down to the track ? ,right know i use the cab 1 to power up the track & then i use the cab 2 to move the engines ,i understand that i won't be able to use all of the legacy features ,also i use the 180 watt power house to each loop on my layout ,i just want to be sure i know what to do . Thanks for your help.
Cab 1L can't modulate the whistle or horn sound. That's my favorite feature. Hopefully my Cab 2 won't die. I'm okay with smart phone operation, but prefer a handheld remote.
@Oman posted:Cab 1L can't modulate the whistle or horn sound. That's my favorite feature. Hopefully my Cab 2 won't die. I'm okay with smart phone operation, but prefer a handheld remote.
Cab1L can quill the whistle or horn on Legacy engines but not the bell.
@Landsteiner posted:"And if you don't already have a base.A remote base combo will run upwards of $600."
True. Then again, if you have only recent Lionel locos, you can use the free app/Bluetooth and forego the whole command base/remote features. Or spend about 40-50 dollars on the universal remote. Command control on the cheap so to speak.
And look at it this way, at least they are moving forward. According to Dave Olson, producing the cab2 handheld and base is no longer feasible without redesign due to component obsolescence.
And at least Lionel is still around to develop new products. Try buying a TIU and DCS handheld new. There are none, and there is no pathway for using a handheld remote wirelessly with the new TIU/WIU.
So to my way of thinking, the cab3 setup shows Lionel is still in business, still innovating, and trying to unify their command systems, all of which is good for the hobby. Not to mention they are now the only option unless some sort of resurrection happens with MTH. One option is better than none.
Frankly - they should have redesigned the cab 2 first !
@shawn posted:Frankly - they should have redesigned the cab 2 first !
I get it. I'd much rather have a dedicated remote but Lionel doesn't have the resources to redesign a Cab whatever over and over again. The App is a effective way to not have to deal with hardware. Hardware that the smart device folks change almost yearly. Unfortunately this is the way most things are going...let the phone companies make the hardware and we just worry about software.
If money is an issue, then buy a $40.00 Universal Remote. You can run up to three Legacy locomotives at the same time with the Universal Remote. Very easy and simple to do.
The Lionel Universal Remote is a great product. In addition to being able to control all [EDIT: most (see reply below for details )] varieties of LionChief locos it will also control Bluetooth enabled Legacy locomotives.
It will not control TMCC and pre-Bluetooth Legacy locos.
@SteveH posted:The Lionel Universal Remote is a great product. In addition to being able to control all varieties of LionChief locos it will also control Bluetooth enabled Legacy locomotives.
It will not control TMCC and pre-Bluetooth Legacy locos.
The Universal Remote is a great way for a person to test drive Legacy without having to invest in a full Legacy system first
@MartyE posted:I get it. I'd much rather have a dedicated remote but Lionel doesn't have the resources to redesign a Cab whatever over and over again. The App is a effective way to not have to deal with hardware. Hardware that the smart device folks change almost yearly. Unfortunately this is the way most things are going...let the phone companies make the hardware and we just worry about software.
And, on a bright note, we can likely now buy a phone in various sizes close size to the size of an iPad mini. (...On a jocular note, if the cell phones keep getting bigger, they'll approach the size of the ancient cell phones from the late 1980's that were enclosed in a suitcase for "portability". 
I tested one, and when rush hour traffic stopped suddenly on I-75, I almost took out my dashboard!)
Clearly the size choices in phones and pads does add an element of desirability. And, as my son told me, I can put my old cell phone to use -- rather than periodically just recharging it. That way, I'll have a "dedicated remote", and I won't have to worry about blowing the whistle while I'm on the phone...
@SteveH posted:The Lionel Universal Remote is a great product. In addition to being able to control all varieties of LionChief locos it will also control Bluetooth enabled Legacy locomotives.
It will not control TMCC and pre-Bluetooth Legacy locos.
Steve, does the same hold true for the earliest Universal Remotes? I was an early adopter, but abandoned the effort when an article that I read said that switching from locomotives was a bit complicated. Since only "early" Lion Chief+ locomotives used the universal remote at the time, I figured that I would just stick to the dedicated remotes for simplicity. Also, children love the simplicity of the dedicated remotes, even for multiple children/trains. Thanks as always!
@Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611 posted:Steve, does the same hold true for the earliest Universal Remotes? I was an early adopter, but abandoned the effort when an article that I read said that switching from locomotives was a bit complicated. Since only "early" Lion Chief+ locomotives used the universal remote at the time, I figured that I would just stick to the dedicated remotes for simplicity. Also, children love the simplicity of the dedicated remotes, even for multiple children/trains. Thanks as always!
The universal remote is updatable check out the most recent 1.3 version here
@zhubl Thank you for the very informative and well done video. I also noted the link you provided on your YouTube to Lionel's Universal Remote Compatibility web page that lists all of the early LionChief which may be incompatible with the Universal Remote. Here's the link to this information.
someone dropped my cab II about 6 months ago. I then bit the bullet and bought the new 990. Glad I did now, but I plan to buy the new cab III so as not to get left in the cold when the next S... happens.
@wb47 posted:someone dropped my cab II about 6 months ago. I then bit the bullet and bought the new 990. Glad I did now, but I plan to buy the new cab III so as not to get left in the cold when the next S... happens.
This is why I have several CAB1L remotes for visitors. First off, it's easier to teach newbies how to run with it, and it also usually survives a drop to the carpeted floor. 
great idea John, I might even have an old cab I stowed away.
I guess the Cab 2 remote seems large to some folks, but it fits great in my hands, it fun to use, my second choice is the Cab1L, it’s smaller but works very nicely, but, I sold my Cab1 Remotes as the antennas were issues. If you set the cab1 remote on the track it can short out the track. Therefore, my wife took me to the T-Mobile store, near our home and traded our apple XR10 iPhones for the new apple 13 models. This model really runs the Blue Tooth engines very easily, all features and voice control to. So, let the Games Begin. I have one cab 2 set, 2 expansion sets, all up to date. Happy Railroading Everyone
Can the cab 1l be used to power up & shut down power to the track ,can it also be used to operate the smoke feature on legacy loco's ? sorry for these questions as i no nothing about the cab 1l ,as i have said previously i currently use the cab 1 to power up the track,i then switch to the cab 2 to operate my command loco's & back to the cab 1 to shut down power .
Yes, the cab 1L will turn the smoke on, off, work the couplers, and the sounds, it just doesn’t do all of the Start up features like the cab 2 does. It will turn on the track power and turn off the track power. It’s a very good remote to operate your TMCC/Legacy trains. Happy Railroading Everyone
LEAPINLARRY ,Thanks for responding i wanted to be shore what it can & can't do before i order one to have on hand incase my cab-2 stops working & can't be fixed ,i will be ordering one shortly .
These days I could do with a cab1L very easily. I can count one one hand how many TMCC or Lionel engines for that matter. Most of the fleet is MTH and a couple of conventional engines here and there. I think when the cab 1L is available again I may just sell my cab-2 which is almost new since Lionel replaced my original a while back. The cab-2 is just way more overkill than I need.
I'm sure there will be a market for your CAB2 Chris, since it will work with the BASE3, it'll be in demand for some time.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I'm sure there will be a market for your CAB2 Chris, since it will work with the BASE3, it'll be in demand for some time.
A #990 just sold on Ebay for $2600.00. There will defiantly be a market for those and the remotes.
@feet posted:A #990 just sold on Ebay for $2600.00. There will defiantly be a market for those and the remotes.
The seller probably has at least three more ready to sell next week. I feel bad for the buyer though. Sounds like he made a panicked decision based a poor understanding of Lionel’s Base 3 and CAB3
@Madockawando posted:The seller probably has at least three more ready to sell next week. I feel bad for the buyer though. Sounds like he made a panicked decision based a poor understanding of Lionel’s Base 3 and CAB3
And the other thing I'd be concerned about is I doubt Lionel will be able to repair it if it goes bad.
@feet posted:And the other thing I'd be concerned about is I doubt Lionel will be able to repair it if it goes bad.
And that is another risk. The truth is we will be fine with the Base3.
@feet posted:A #990 just sold on Ebay for $2600.00. There will defiantly be a market for those and the remotes.
And so begins the fleecing of (desperate) Lionel customers.... 😬.
@feet posted:A #990 just sold on Ebay for $2600.00. There will defiantly be a market for those and the remotes.
I seriously doubt that was a legitimate sale.
The bargain recently was clearly this one! The remote had a problem, but they could send that to Lionel for repair.
