Trains.com

Lionel TMCC2 vs. MTH DCS

1225 views
8 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Savannah, Georgia
  • 1,279 posts
Lionel TMCC2 vs. MTH DCS
Posted by magicman710 on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 2:22 PM

Does anybody think thats Lionel's Tmcc legacy is a responce to MTH's dcs? The controllers look A LOT alike and the new tmcc will have a lot more features, which makes me think, did lionel come up with this as a direct reponce to MTH's DCS? I'm just curious.

 

 

Grayson

"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Rolesville, NC
  • 15,416 posts
Posted by ChiefEagles on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 8:38 PM
 magicman710 wrote:

Does anybody think thats Lionel's Tmcc legacy is a responce to MTH's dcs? The controllers look A LOT alike and the new tmcc will have a lot more features, which makes me think, did lionel come up with this as a direct reponce to MTH's DCS? I'm just curious.

 

 

Grayson

Grayson, this can start an arguement  TMCC is great and so is DCS.  I remember when there was nothing but conventional and everyone was "longing" for remote control.  TMCC2 is an improvement over TMCC and, I'll bet, ther will be a newer vesion of DCS.  The electronics field is advancing so fast, upgardes to everything happens daily.     

 God bless TCA 05-58541   Benefactor Member of the NRA,  Member of the American Legion,   Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville Laugh,   KC&D QualifiedCowboy       

              

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • 210 posts
Posted by Dave Connolly on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 9:19 PM
 I run both systems. As far as a direct response to DCS.  Yes the remotes are a little more similar with Legacy featuring a screen. The big change is not that the remotes are now more similar.  It's the speed steps in the engines. 200 speed steps versus the present 32. Each speed step will increase the engines speed 1/2 scale mile per hour. If I'm understanding this right top speed would be 100 smph. What all this means is that those running lashups with the newer Legacy engines will no longer have engines fighting one another with speed control. Each and every engine will accelerate exactly the same. This I feel is the biggest improvement. The Proto 2' s have always had this feature in SMPH. What all this means is that the MTH DCS system only presently supports 32 speed steps. Train America developed a workaround using the brake and boost button to be able to run in 132 step mode with the DCS remote. So it looks like if you buy a new TMCC legacy and plan to run it with the DCS system as many opperators presently do. You will have a top speed of 16 SMPH. You can still run with your present Cab 1 with a lot of knob turning but you are pretty much out of luck at the present time to run the new Lionel releases with the DCS system from what I'm reading. Until these are actually on the market a lot of my post is speculation from what I've read. An upgrade in the DCS software may solve the issue. It wasn't done when K-Line entered the cruise field with 128 steps nor was it for EOB. I guess we will have to wait and see how it all pans out when the Legacy system gets into the opperators hands.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, June 21, 2007 4:16 AM
 ChiefEagles wrote:
 magicman710 wrote:

Does anybody think thats Lionel's Tmcc legacy is a responce to MTH's dcs? The controllers look A LOT alike and the new tmcc will have a lot more features, which makes me think, did lionel come up with this as a direct reponce to MTH's DCS? I'm just curious.

Grayson, this can start an arguement  TMCC is great and so is DCS.  I remember when there was nothing but conventional and everyone was "longing" for remote control.  TMCC2 is an improvement over TMCC and, I'll bet, ther will be a newer vesion of DCS.  The electronics field is advancing so fast, upgardes to everything happens daily.     

 

is this one of them ford vs chevy things?

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Southwest of Houston. TX
  • 1,082 posts
Posted by jimhaleyscomet on Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:57 AM
 zeke wrote:
 ChiefEagles wrote:
 magicman710 wrote:

Does anybody think thats Lionel's Tmcc legacy is a responce to MTH's dcs? The controllers look A LOT alike and the new tmcc will have a lot more features, which makes me think, did lionel come up with this as a direct reponce to MTH's DCS? I'm just curious.

Grayson, this can start an arguement  TMCC is great and so is DCS.  I remember when there was nothing but conventional and everyone was "longing" for remote control.  TMCC2 is an improvement over TMCC and, I'll bet, ther will be a newer vesion of DCS.  The electronics field is advancing so fast, upgardes to everything happens daily.     

 

is this one of them ford vs chevy things?

 

Yep...big time!

Jim H

 

  • Member since
    November 2006
  • From: Southington, CT
  • 1,326 posts
Posted by DMUinCT on Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:09 AM

32 Speed steps? 

    DCS, I love it, it has 120 steps, 0 to 120 scale miles per hour. The menu will allow you to limit the top speed, rate of Accel and Decel for each locomotive and then store it in memory.  The "end shaft encoder" on the motor shaft of your locomotive counts 24 times per motor rev. Software then converts it to true speed based on driver size and gear ratio.  The "Lashup" command sends the same commands to all locomotives you list for "double heading".

   Yes, MTH has announced an upgrade to PS-2 due this fall.  Version 3.1 is now about a year old.  Looks like a lot on Lionel functions were added.  Maybe the two are talking to each other for the good of the hobby?

   PS-2 upgrades, being software based, can be uploaded off the Internet to your existing PS-2 TIU and Remote.  No new hardware to buy.  A new version of the "PS-2 Loader" is on-line.

 

Don U. TCA 73-5735

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: south east PA
  • 695 posts
Posted by alexweiihman on Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:12 AM

I was going to ask Mike, if a new DCS was in the works, but I relized he probably wouldn't say anything for product devolopment reasond.

K-Line The Difference is in the Details
  • Member since
    April 2007
  • From: Galena, Ohio
  • 149 posts
Posted by Big Walnut Railroader on Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:21 PM
are there any other differences besides the speed steps and vibration feature? the system looks good and hopefully works just as well. but i guess we'll have to wait until it comes out.
Craig Tomastik (Big Walnut Railroader)
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Savannah, Georgia
  • 1,279 posts
Posted by magicman710 on Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:23 PM

Lionel said it is coming out in october. Its not that expensive, only like $250 for the controller and charger.

 

Grayson

"Lionel trains are the standard of the world" - Jousha Lionel Cowen

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

FREE EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month