I really don't want to wade into the detailed discussion as I have no experience with S-Cab. I'll definitely be interested in seeing Peter's demo at Steamtown. Quite frankly control system discussions seem to be a very personal decision based on experience. As many have noted, this is a hobby and IMHO you should do what gives you enjoyment.
But I do want to emphasize one point made earlier (by Bill Lane I think). One of the key drivers behind the development of NMRA DCC was the proprietary nature of all the systems that came before it. You needed to purchase from a single manufacturer, were at the beck & call of their development & manufacturing schedule, no competition to drive down pricing (if that is important to you) and if they went out of business, you were often left holding the bag so to speak. So my advice to anyone going into any proprietary command control solution whether is is S-Cab or one of the others on the market, please do so with your eyes wide open to the risks that may be down the road... Regards Michael Greene Sent from my iPad On Mar 27, 2013, at 9:12 AM, Michael Byers <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Butch, I couldn't agree more and fit the bill pretty much the same as you. > I'm excited about battery technology without the problems of wiring. DCC has > seemingly simplified things emensely but even still, this will be even > better. It will be the way to go for me as I'm just getting everything > together now for the transformation as I too will be essentially starting > from ground zero after brief DC & DCC experience. Bring on the battery > components! > > Mike Byers > > To: [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:49:14 +0000 > Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Battery Power Thoughts.......... > > For someone (me) who hasn't committed to any form of layout control and > doesn't have an operational layout to modify, this battery technology is a > very interesting option. If I had a fleet of existing DCC locos and a layout > wired for the same I might not be as excited about it...but I don't. > > So, I don't have to deal with this conversion issue as I'm just erecting > benchwork and anything that can save me time and get me running trains sooner > is good. Sure, I'll still have a buss running the full length of the layout > for any electrical needs, but not dropping feeders every 3ft (the way I would > do it if I was going DC or DCC) should be a real time saver. > > I've been following battery power for many years, but only recently has it > become small enough to be completely self contained in most locos. And like a > snowball rolling down hill it seems to be gaining momentum with technology > advancements every day. Will it ever replace DC and DCC...probably not...but > who thought DCC, cellphones, computers and the internet would be where they > are today. > > I've been operating (playing) trains since the very early 50's and a > technology that allows the locomotive to operate almost anywhere without > dependence on clean rails, a tethered power pack or a ton of special wiring > is appealing to me. > > And, just think, if tinsel falls on the rails I won't have that snap, > crackle, pop and a whiff of ozone to contend with. Wasn't that great! VBG. > > Butch Holtgrieve > > > > >
