What is the best decoder to use?
Any of the inexpensive non-sound decoders should work OK. I used an NCE HO decoder.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
The Atlas site says the car is not self-propelled. Is a decoder needed to run this on a DCC layout? I was thinking you could get by with a diode bridge rectifier and maybe a resistor.
How noisy is the unit when it is operating? I was thinking that a sound decoder might be kind of fun, especially if you replaced the engine sounds with the Mr. Clean jingle.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
The decoder is used to run on the dcc layout. It also allows you to change the speed of the cleaning motor inside the car.
Springfield PA
How well does this Atlas unit clean versus the CMX?
I only used mine once then shelved it. It's Gimmicky to me.
The cleaning part probably isn't as good but the Atlas does have sanding pads that can buff the rails and get heavy grime off. This could be very useful if you have a lot of hard to reach areas or tunnels.