You can use "basic consisting", "old consisting" or "universal consisting". There are different name for it.
However, I use a simple trick which allows you to use advanced consist.
In advanced consist first you enter the address of the whole set when you add addresses of engines which you want in consist. If I want to consist MTH engine with other brand I just enter the address of MTH engine as a consist address and then I add all engines except MTH one to the consist. In result all engines run as a consist. MTH because it is its main address and other engines because it is their consist address.
PS There is a limitation. DCC systems usually don't allow for using long address (4 digits) for adressing a consist. Therefore you should addres your MTH engine with short number (2 digits).
There have been updates over the various releases of MTH locos to better support DCC. These updates can be applied to older locos, but you need a DCS system to do it. Or a LHS with MTH equipment to do it for you.
The rest depends on your DCC system. I've never had a consisting problem with Digitrax, because the default method of consisting doesn't require the loco to do anything but have an address, long or short. The command station keeps track of it. Other systems default to setting a consist address in CV19, and this is where there were problems with earlier MTH locos. Even so, you cna often change the type of consisting to use command station consisting, or mix and match the way locos are added to a consist. Again, this depends on the DCC system.
As a last resort, you can always use the guaranteed method - set all locos to the same address. This isn't really 'consisting' in DCC terms since there's no concept of a lead loco or consist address, but all locos witht he same address will respond together to speed, direction, and function settings. Normally I only do this for locos that always run together, like a drawbar coupled AB set, but we also do this at the club for most consists because there are a few less than attentive operators who sometimes select the wrong loco address, and ignore any prompts about stealing or consisting. The one time I built a normal consist, someone stole my second loco out from under me while I was running - suddenly the trailing unit was stopped and being dragged along by the lead unit.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi Jobfather,
The short answer is yes, you can consist with other engines. However, your options for consisting vary depending on the engine.
First, just for clarity, PS2 engines are not compatible with DCC. Only PS3 engines (which includes all MTH HO engines) support DCC.
As Arras88 mentioned, you can always use universal, aka old style, consisting. That works with any PS3 engine. However, if the MTH PS3 engine is a steamer it does not have the ability to adjust it's speed map. You would need to remap the non-MTH engines to match the MTH speed map. If your MTH engine(s) is an SD70ACe, SD70M, Bi-polar, Little Joe, or R-T-R set F3 it may support speed mapping and advanced consisting depending on when it was produced. Early release engines did not have the software to support these features. As Randy mentioned there is a software update to add these features, but it only applies to diesels and electrics. The steamers cannot be upgraded. Diesels and electrics produced in the last year and half came with the new software already installed.