so i have been talking to my son & he is diving headlong into railpro
starter set & we both have looked at it for 3 years or better .
seems to be the next control system .
any opinions or experience with this .
im deep into dcc so im standing back seeing were he goes with this.
I have been exploring Railpro myself. I have Digitrax and I'm not entirely fond of their system and manuals. I think the concept of DCC is awespome and running trains without sound is not fun any longer. I looked into Railpro as they seem to have the simplest system for users especially running multiple locomotives. Their sound system seems very good.
My issue with them is they seem to have very little, if any, interest in steam locomotives which is my primary interest area. I contacted them and that was the feeling I got from them so I'll stray with Digitrax.
Price wise it looks like starter systems in RP and DCC are close enough not to be an issue.
Many will tell you Railpro is a "new" company and they might not be around in the future but it seems to me they have really been in the hobby market long enough to kill that common myth.
oldline1
It's not so much the company might be gone, it's that they have a proprietary system. As do 3 or 4 other companies making systems that work in a similar way. This is pretty much the same as command control was before DCC. Multiple systems, none compatible. Once the NMRA standardized DCC, those were pretty much all instnatly orphan systems. None of them were compatible with DCC. Those companies either switched to making DCC systems, or basically went out of business. People using the older systems either converted, or soldiered on until there were no more spares left to keep their system running and then converted.
Without some sort of industry standard being established, this possibility remains. Will Ring give up their patents like Lenz did so their system becomes the standard? Or will one of the other manufacturers be the one? At least two of the other systems actually use the standard DCC packet format for the data they transmit, they just transmit it wirelessly to the loco instead of through the rails. That's both a plus and a minus, it's a known standard signal, but it's not a two-way system like Ring's.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
thomas81z so i have been talking to my son & he is diving headlong into railpro starter set & we both have looked at it for 3 years or better . seems to be the next control system . any opinions or experience with this . im deep into dcc so im standing back seeing were he goes with this.
OK, here is the thing - how many locos do you have now? How many do you think you would ever have? How big is your layout? How big of a layout might you build?
Converting them to RailPro will add up fast at $60 to $100 a pop.
Personally, I really like the concept of direct radio.
I don't like the concept of little locomotive pictures on a screen.......I have 140 locos and many look exactly the same, example - 8 ALCO FA units, 10 GP7's......
Disclaimer - While I have lots of experiance running DCC on other peoples layouts, I still use DC at home and have no interest in sound.
Given the size of my next layout (just moved) and the size of my loco fleet, converting to DCC even without sound is an expense and a task I'm not interested in. 140 locos x $35 = $4,900 for decoders, 8 x $225 to replace my existing Aristo wireless thorttles = $1,800, plus command station, boosters, radio recievers, etc, would quickly put me in the $8,000 range to go DCC.
I use an Advanced DC Cab Control system with wireless throttles, CTC, signals, and NO BLOCK TOGGLES....but that is another story......
I would stay away from Railpro if you have any plans for big layout. Simply too much investment to possibly end up with a dead end system down the road.
If you like sound - stay with DCC.
If you want better DCC, check out CVP Products EASY DCC.
I looked long and hard at DCC several times, CVP always looked good to me.
I strongly dislike the ergonomics of the Digitrax and NCE throttles.
Sheldon
I know a few Railpro users, and have used the system to operate a number of times. I haven't seen anything about Railpro that would convince me to invest any money in it, but that's my own bias.
I find the throttle ergonomics clunky (both the touch screen, and the control knob that lacks knurled edges and doesn't protrude far enough from the case for my liking), and the throttles are heavy and fatiguing to hold. Thanks to the orientation of the touch screen, the throttle is very wide, so it doesn't fit nicely in my hands. It's easy to accidentally turn off the throttle, or to send unintended commands via the screen, if you happen to touch it inadvertently as you're managing paperwork, uncoupling cars, or whatever.
The automatic load/speed matching between locomotives doesn't always deliver smooth performance, especially on grades, and I'm not aware if there is a way to manually defeat it. The system is proprietary, so you're dependent on one manufacturer for eveything unless they decide to make it open source.
If you prefer using a touch screen to physical buttons, like having a system that doesn't require a centralized command station, or find some other aspect of the technology appealing, it may be worth a try for you. At worst, a Railpro locomotive will work on a DCC layout because all it requires is voltage to the track and a Railpro throttle to deliver commands. To that extent it's at least portable, so you won't have to dispose of it if you stay with DCC.
It still seems to be at an early stage of development compared to the more established DCC systems, and the manufacturer has been receptive to making a few changes based on user input. I think it's far too soon to tell if Railpro will be a serious challenge to DCC or just another dead end.
Rob Spangler
I have been using RailPro for a number of years now. I don't think I will ever buy another DCC decoder.
RailPro works in steam engines. Why wouldn't they? They use the standard 9-pin connector and fit in most tenders. There are sound files available for steam engines too.
RailPro will run on a DCC layout. I have an NCE DCC system and about half my engines are DCC. Most of them are collecting dust. I have read that the newest RailPro decoders will accept commands from a DCC controller. Never tried it.
The handheld controller is configurable. Buttons can be added or moved. Buttons can be programmed for different outputs. Using a small glass relay I interfaced the RailPro controller to operate my DCC switch controllers. I programmed a button on the RailPro controller to operate the relay which operated the switch controller. I even used a first-generation RailPro decoder to operate a DCC switch controller. Can a DCC hand controller change the headlight intensity on the fly? RailPro can. Can you set the accel, deceleration, and top speed on the fly? RailPro can. Do you get voltage, current, and motor temperature feedback from DCC? RailPro does.
Decoders can be upgraded by downloading the files from the net and installed from the handheld controller. Even the handheld controller is upgradable, at home and free.
You can add labels to the engine pictures. You can load your own engine pictures too.
I had some problems with consisting at first. Dirty wheels, dirty track, and switches not wired properly will cause problems. ( it does on DCC too ) Now that I have fixed my track, replaced some switches ( all the switches that I replaced were very old and used when I got them ), and coated the rails with graphite everything runs fine. Even the DCC engines are running better.
A problem with DCC controllers is their small buttons and screens. The cryptic abbreviations that show up on the screen are baffling and confusing at times. Want to upgrade your DCC controller or decoder? Send it to the factory and pay to have it upgraded.
RailPro is radio-controlled out of the box. It's not an extra-cost option.
And there no addresses to program into an engine. It's automatic.
Running a train for a short time with With RailPro doesn't come close to showing all the features it has.
Something I agree with Rob about - the ergonomics are horrible. The knob is at the bottom and the whole thing is too wide to be comfortable. The knob should be at the top. I operate my DCC system holding my throttle in one hand down at my side, using my thumb to turn the speed knob up and down, and clicking it changes direction. I can do the same, less the click to reverse, with an NCE throttle as well. Leaving one hand free for cards, or uncoupling, or whatever.
Headlight intensity ont he fly? DCC does that. Along with directional lighting, it's usually the (unprototypical) default, as well. Set top, mod, and starting speed on the fly? Yup, DCC does that. Change acceleration and deceleration momentum? Yup.
OK, you got me, you can read motor volts, current, and temp on the fly. But I'm still trying to think why I need that. Overall current draw to the track is easily measured, if one loco goes nots, it's not too hard to spot that. Outside of testing a new loco, I don't see much use - and testing should be done before installing any sort of controller in the loco, Ring or DCC.
Is there a way to jump directly to a loco to select it? Say you have 50 locos, do you have to scroll through 50 pictures, instead of worst case press 6 buttons (4 of those being numbers) on a DCC controller? Yes, I know all about loading custom pictures. That's fine. But can I select loco 621 by somehow entering 621, or must I scroll through my pictures until I see a picture of 621? The latter reminds me of the interface for the mobile version of the MR Archive. It might be fine for a magazine where the archive consists of 30 issues, but when the archive is over 1000 issues, scrolling through in order is the absolute most idiotic user interface you could use for that. I'm not sure you could make something worse. Even scrolling through 80+ years to first select a year starts to border on tedious. So, 5 or 10 locos - no big deal. A large fleet? there needs to be direct access. DCC's been like that almost since the start. No scrolling through choice after choice. See that number helfully printed on the side of the loco? Key that in - done.
There are certainly some advantages to not using the track, although this idea that DCC looses signal easily, not sure where that comes from. The track power is the signal, so the full amplitude is there to read, not some weak signal superimposed on a larger fixed voltage.
My DCC system won't do any of those things. I have to change the CVs.
And who runs 50 engines at a time?
SouthPenn My DCC system won't do any of those things. I have to change the CVs. And who runs 50 engines at a time?
"Who runs 50 engines at one time?"
Well, my old layout, and the new one I am about to start on in our new retirement digs, will have approximately 30 trains pre-staged for operating sessions. Most of those trains are 30 to 40 cars long and require 2-3 steam locos or 3-4 diesel units.
The layout design supports 10 operators, 4-6 mainline trains on the double track main line, with CTC and signals, as well as yards, industrial areas, and branch lines with separate operations.
Average 3 powered units per train, 10 operators = 30 powered units at play, and 60 more waiting for their timetable call, as well as other loco sets available for power changes as the timetable might require.
I do all this with DC, with an Advanced Cab Control system and Aristo wireless radio throttles.....no block toggles......
Even by myself, I can put 4 trains on display loops and work the yard or industrial belt line with a 5th train.
Touch screens are not for me........
SouthPennAnd who runs 50 engines at a time?
I know of a couple layouts in my area that operate 50-75 engines over the course of an operating session (with a couple more of those size layouts coming on line over the new decade or two.)
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
rrinkerBut can I select loco 621 by somehow entering 621, or must I scroll through my pictures until I see a picture of 621?
It's not whether you have that many running at once, but how many you have on the layout. There are maybe 40 locomotives on my layout; at most perhaps 10 would be running at once.
With Railpro, all of those would have to be in the throttle for it to be capable of working with them, and you have to scroll through a list to make a selection (you no longer have to go through the individual loco icons unless you want to). It's not a huge deterrent, but is kind of annoying. You can't just dial up a particular loco number on a keypad and run.
There's a layout near me that is pretty well known - started with NCE< ran into a problem with the limit on radio throttles, so he switched to Digitrax, and then ran into an issue with the limit of 120 loco address slots, so went back to NCE after they updated the radio system. 120 was not enough. And there's a market for it - the new Digitrax command station handles 240 addresses, so someone wants/needs that, or Digitrax wouldn't have made the product.
SouthPennCan a DCC hand controller change the headlight intensity on the fly? RailPro can. Can you set the accel, deceleration, and top speed on the fly? RailPro can. Do you get voltage, current, and motor temperature feedback from DCC? RailPro does.
SouthPennMy DCC system won't do any of those things. I have to change the CVs.
Actually a few of those I can set "on the fly" or change with my NCE Power Cab:
Voltage, motor temp, and headlight intensity - No...but are they that important to the operation of my layout? For me? - No.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
OP:
Have you investigated the Roco z21 wifi control system?
Unlike the Railpro (which looks like it requires its own dedicated handheld), the z21 systems works with ANY handheld device you ALREADY HAVE: Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, computer, even works on some music players that have wifi (like my old Samsung Galaxy Player).
Go to YouTube and spend a little time viewing how the z21 is set up and works.
But wait! There's more!
You can try out the z21 "in demo mode" RIGHT NOW. It's probably the only dcc control system that can do this before you spend the money to buy it.
Go to either the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android) and search "z21". There are actually 2 apps that can be used (older and newer). I prefer the older.
Granted, you can't actually control your locomotives with "demo mode", but you can poke around the app and see how it works. Even try configuring locomotives, etc.
I prefer the cheaper white "z21 Start" (little "z"). It has nearly all the functionality of the more expensive "Z21" black box (big "Z"). I'll never need the other stuff.
I've been using mine for about 18 months now. It was, hands down, the best model railroading money I've EVER spent. After looking at how other dcc controllers work, I wouldn't want to use anything else.
OldEngineman OP: Have you investigated the Roco z21 wifi control system? Unlike the Railpro (which looks like it requires its own dedicated handheld), the z21 systems works with ANY handheld device you ALREADY HAVE: Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, computer, even works on some music players that have wifi (like my old Samsung Galaxy Player). Go to YouTube and spend a little time viewing how the z21 is set up and works. But wait! There's more! You can try out the z21 "in demo mode" RIGHT NOW. It's probably the only dcc control system that can do this before you spend the money to buy it. Go to either the App Store (Apple) or Google Play (Android) and search "z21". There are actually 2 apps that can be used (older and newer). I prefer the older. Granted, you can't actually control your locomotives with "demo mode", but you can poke around the app and see how it works. Even try configuring locomotives, etc. I prefer the cheaper white "z21 Start" (little "z"). It has nearly all the functionality of the more expensive "Z21" black box (big "Z"). I'll never need the other stuff. I've been using mine for about 18 months now. It was, hands down, the best model railroading money I've EVER spent. After looking at how other dcc controllers work, I wouldn't want to use anything else.
The whole point of RailPro is more than just the ergonomics of the controller.
RailPro is not DCC. It does not control DCC decoders, you must use RailPro decoders/receivers.
BECAUSE RailPro is direct radio. The control signal does not travel thru the track, there is no command station, boosters, etc. The control signal reaches the locomotive directly by radio signal.
The track can have either DCC or DC voltage for the receiver to use, it cares not. Again, there is no control signal on the track.
As for the Roco Z21, glad you like it. It would be the last thing I would ever use, I hate touch screens.
Good place to purchase RailPro products if you are interested.
The new RalPro decoders will work with DCC hand controllers as well as RailPros. I never tried it.
Because the RailPro hand controller talks directly to the engines, it would be great for Deadrail.
You've been able to use the handheld device you already own with most any DCC system now for at least 7 years, if not more. If that's your thing. I've tried it, cell phones as throttles are not my thing. I may prefer DCC to DC< but I still like a knob to turn, not a touch screen, to control things. I'm glad my laptooop doesn;t have a touch screen. My color laser printer at home is annooying because it has a touch screen, and there are soome screens that you need to scroll for additional options - and it's anything but intuitive. You have to press like you are selecting an optioon but then HOLD and slide your finger - there's a scroll bar on the side but it's not a dedicate scroll area!
The ESU throttle comes close - it is an android device and works with the ESU system OR can run Engine Driver and work with pretty much any DCC system. It has a knob, as well as physical buttons you can program to so whatever you want, in addition to the touch screen. It's also rather pricey.
Tam Valley's direct radio system as well as the Stanton system, previously sold by NWSL but now independent, both transmit standard DCC protocol by direct radioo. So they too can run on track power or work with dead rail. You can use any DCC decooder in the loco, so whatever yoour favorite sound decoder is, it will work. Both systems are also compatible with CVP's AirWire throttles in addition to using the DCC throttles you already have.
I've had RailPro for several years. It answers all the questions that you have about DCC and does it much easier.
The downfall for me is that RP's website will not support downloads if you have a satellite internet connection. Otherwise it is a very good system and is much easier to learn than DCC.
They have also come out with many new engine sounds that are state of the art, BUT I can't access them.
SouthPenn The handheld controller is configurable. Buttons can be added or moved. Buttons can be programmed for different outputs. Using a small glass relay I interfaced the RailPro controller to operate my DCC switch controllers. I programmed a button on the RailPro controller to operate the relay which operated the switch controller. I even used a first-generation RailPro decoder to operate a DCC switch controller. Can a DCC hand controller change the headlight intensity on the fly? RailPro can. Can you set the accel, deceleration, and top speed on the fly? RailPro can. Do you get voltage, current, and motor temperature feedback from DCC? RailPro does.
As Tstage said, you actually CAN do all of that. You can change the NCE cab params to show track voltage, and if you want cute little pictures of your locomotives, you can just download engine driver or Withrottle and slap images on there.
I have had a chance to test the railpro system on someone's garden layout. Not overly impressed with the controller, however, I did like the concept of radio control. The touch screen isn't very good, it should behave more like phone and tablet touch screens. The throttle is too bulky. There are not many sound functions. The steam loco sounds are cheesy. You have to charge the controller as well as the locomotives. And the throttle knob was at the bottom, which I think is obnoxious. So bottom line, if you run large scale layouts and you don't want to change the steam loco sounds because you are happy with the stock ones, have a lot of money, and you have butter fingers that like bulky throttles, this system is probably the way to go.
Just my .
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
I am convinced RailPro is the ideal system!
It is very simple, easy to use, espesially when it comes to consisting locos. It's no more expensive than any basic DCC system. It allows for deadrail operations should you wish. And it can be used along side any DCC system.
I also really like the sound of the USB stick they sell that allows a computer to act as a throttle. That's a great way to get into RailPro for less!
It does have the disadvantages nothing comes ready to run with railpro, though any modelers with large fleets with need to spend alot of money and time to convert to it.
This summer I visited a friends layout at the same time as another friend who is a railpro user. We held something like an improptu operating sesion, I ran regular Digitrax DCC while he ran RailPro. There are a few things I noticed.
First the RailPro engines where equally affected by dirty track and shorts as DCC engines. The Ring Engineering promotional material gives the impresion that direct radio control is more resistant to poor conductivity, but that's not true. I noticed Keep Alive equiped locos ran best, so I recommend the OP use them.
Also when a lead engine stoped due to dirty track all the engines in the consist and stop due and don't push the lead engine past the dead spot. Again another reason to add keep-alives.
Final issue I have is the decoders are to big for n scale. I am in N so that means I will not be able to use RailPro till newer, smaller RailPro receivers are made, or I get enough space to do HO again.
For these reasons, and because I have small layouts, I personnally use plain DC in N and HO scales.
Nonetheless I still like the look of RailPro and intend to use it if possible in place of DCC should I ever wish to upgrade my fleets.
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
I run DCC and RailPro at the same time on my layout. And so far I have not retrofitted any DCC engines to RailPro. But that will probably change. It's only installed in engines that were DC only and never upgraded, or new purchases.
Here is a write up on installing Keep Alive on RailPro engines. Also, the [forum name and link removed by moderator] has lots of information on it.
RailPro is susceptible to dirty and bad track too. I replaced some very old switches that were used when I installed them. I went with Peco switches that have spring-loaded points and double-checked all switches to make sure they were wired properly. I also applied graphite to the rails.
AFter watching some of the videos that show an actual person holding the throttle - ok, it's not tooo big. But, the knob is still on the bottom, which makes one handed operation next to impossible, and since it DOES fit in your hand, the screen is rather tiny for a touch screen - watching the demo where they show pressing the buttons to start the bell and blow the horn, yeah, I'd be hitting two of those things at the same time.
I do give a chuckle that the icon for the slow speed boost option in the motor settings is a boot to the behind of a turtle.
I have no keep alives in any of my DCC locos, and they don;t stal - keep the track clean. That all locos in consist stop when one stalls means Railpro would be useless on our club modular layout. The older parts of it use short pieces of track to connect the modules (newer ones just butt right up to the edge) and despite replacing the joiners every few times, these cause dead spots between modules. Even short trains run with at least 2 locos, simply so that one can push the other past the dead spot, which usually happens without a hiccup other than the lead unit's headlight blinking. It's why I will never buy another MTH HO loco, they go totally silent after a stutter, and the trailing units ina consist usually do not lose power on these short sections, so now my A unit is quiet and the B unit is still making noise. Despite the function still being on that turns on the sound. Hitting it starts the sound in the A unit, but shits off the B unit. That's an MTH issue, not a DCC issues, they chose to respond to the state change of the function rather than the absolute state for some reason knowable only to MTH.
There are good things about Railpro. There are bad things aboit Railpro. I would say it's far from an ideal system, simply because everythign except speed is on a touch screen. The ergoonomics need some work, at least for anyone who wants to truly do operations, and there are MANY DCC systems you could buy, along with decoders for several locos, for the price of Railpro's starter set. And it remains a single vendor system, following no standards, so you are locked in - that is still the single biggest negative. While DCC throttles with only a few exceptions are a single vendor lock as well, there is already a defacto wireless standard used in JMRI, and by direct interface (no computer needed) devices from MRC, Digitrax, and ESU (maybe more), and the forthcoming TCS system throttles will also speak this protocol. So in addition to smart devices beiung used as throttles, those who are not fans of touch screens will also have choices in throttles that work with any DCC system. So now the loco side of DCC as well as the user interface side has choices, not single vendor lock in.
I don't have any Keep Alives in any of my engines. I fixed the track.
There is a speed indicator on the selected engine page. It's in the upper right corner and reads out in percentage. No scale MPH that I am aware of. Motor RPM can be calculated but the gear ratio and wheel size would be problematic.
I hold the RailPro in my left hand and turn the throttle knob with my thumb. It would be nice to have a serrated knob.
Again, I like the idea of direct radio.
And RailPro appears to do that as well or better than anyone.
I have long been a vocal supporter of the idea that one size does not fit all. DCC is perfect for many situations, well designed DC systems can rival most of the features of DCC, sometimes for less money, and RailPro has some features that should make it very attractive to many.
RailPro looks like a potential good fit for a lot modelers. It clearly appeals to small or medium layouts with a focus on "being the engineer", maybe even more so, or better than many DCC throttles.
But after watching a few videos myself, my original reaction years ago, and my recent reaction, stands - it would not be a good fit for my layout.
The cost of receivers alone is way more than DCC decoders would cost for my loco fleet - even without sound, 140 locos x $60 = $8,400. $60 is more than I paid for many of my locos, and trust me, they all run very nice and are well detailed stuff made in the last 20-25 years or so.
And any idea of partial or gradual conversion would not be compatible with my operational goals for the layout. As explained earlier, all 140 powered units are necessary for the operation of the layout.
The cost of throttles would be staggering as well. I currently use 10 Aristo wireless Train Engineer throttles purchased for about $120 each. 10 RailPro throttles = $3,000 - We have now reached the price of a good used car to convert my layout to RailPro, or DCC........
The simple task of finding one of my thirty pre-staged trains is more difficult with RailPro than with my DC system. All I have to do is know what track the train is on, and push one button that corresponds to the throttle in my hand. Yes, that button is on a control panel, a control panel that is right there where the train is parked......just one button, no list to scroll thru, no multi number sequence to enter......
I model the 50's, no ditch lights, etc. But my lights come on full brightness before my trains move with my Aristo wireless throttles - with no seperate action on my part.
Sound - RailPro or DCC, I'm just not interested. I get that others are, glad they are having fun. My HiFi trained ears identify locomotive sounds coming out of 1" speakers as white noise static.........
Touch screens - they don't like me, and I don't like them. I don't own a smart phone, I still have a flip phone - and a tablet, so the touch screen buttons are big enough......and I still have trouble.
I think my comments in my first post are valid - how big a layout do you want to have?, how many locos? - these factors will drive the effectiveness of RailPro on any given layout.
A room sized layout with 15-20 locos, it might well be better, easier and no more expensive than DCC. But bigger than that, the advantages start to fade.......
And as was explained by several people, lots of modelers/clubs/groups have 50, or 100, locos in play during a single operating session.
Sheldon, You always inflate the cost of DCC decoders to unrealistic levels.
DCC decoders, without sound, that don't do beacons, ditchlights, or anything other than headlights and motion, are $16 each not $35. That's $2660 more than what you stated for your 140 engines. Your reasons for not going DCC are your own (and you know that's fine with me), but let's keep the facts correct.
South Penn,Why would switches not being "wired properly" affect MU'ing?No, you don't have to send in your DCC throttle for software upgrades. Hardware upgrades, yes, send that in. But software is done through the computer at home.
My club runs more than 50 engines during a session, but then we're halfway into filling a 6300+ sq. ft. room. We currently run just over 30 trains in two hours (plus 8 local freights and 3 yards) with up to 20 people. Each mainline train can have 1 to 4 engines each, depending on the train. www.ssmrc.org
As for my opinion on RailPro, I think it makes a great addition to an existing DC or DCC layout. If I had some spare cash laying around, I'd probably get a throttle and equip a number of locos just to run them around my club's layout without having to rely on our DCC system's sometimes wonky command station.
rrinker That all locos in consist stop when one stalls means Railpro would be useless on our club modular layout.
That all locos in consist stop when one stalls means Railpro would be useless on our club modular layout.
I would disagree with Randy on this issue. All locos stop only if the lead loco stops. So only one loco in the consist in theory needs to be a really good runner (i.e. Keep-Alive installed) and that loco can be used as the lead unit.
I wouldn‘t decribe RailPro as useless for a club application, the beauty of RailPro is you can use it on a DCC system without changing anything with the DCC system.
Paul, admittedly I don't keep up with the ever falling/changing street prices of motor only DCC decoders.
Last time I did, drop in decoders for my older Proto2000 locos that make up almost half my fleet were in that $35 range.
And as you said, I have a number of reasons for not being interested in any change. The biggest being time and money. It would take a lot of time and a fair amount of money for very small gains in operational flexibility.
And it would add operational complexity I don't need or want for my operational style and goals.
And I do really dislike the ergonomics of most of the DCC throttles out there. I have used DCC a lot, some aspects of it are very nice at times, and some aspects can be annoying at times.
Call me a little OCD, but the idea of having two different throttle systems, like DCC and Railpro, on the same layout, is simply a non starter for me.
SPSOT fan rrinker That all locos in consist stop when one stalls means Railpro would be useless on our club modular layout. I would disagree with Randy on this issue. All locos stop only if the lead loco stops. So only one loco in the consist in theory needs to be a really good runner (i.e. Keep-Alive installed) and that loco can be used as the lead unit. I wouldn‘t decribe RailPro as useless for a club application, the beauty of RailPro is you can use it on a DCC system without changing anything with the DCC system.
I was specifically referring to the club I belong to, not any club. And I don;t have any keep alives now, don't need them, and don't plan to start needing them any time soon. My home layouts have always run just fine, no stalls.
Though - are any large clubs using RailPro? Or truly large home layouts, ones that host a lot of operators at a time, like Tony Koester's NKP or a really huge one like Ken McCorry's?
rrinker SPSOT fan rrinker That all locos in consist stop when one stalls means Railpro would be useless on our club modular layout. I would disagree with Randy on this issue. All locos stop only if the lead loco stops. So only one loco in the consist in theory needs to be a really good runner (i.e. Keep-Alive installed) and that loco can be used as the lead unit. I wouldn‘t decribe RailPro as useless for a club application, the beauty of RailPro is you can use it on a DCC system without changing anything with the DCC system. I was specifically referring to the club I belong to, not any club. And I don;t have any keep alives now, don't need them, and don't plan to start needing them any time soon. My home layouts have always run just fine, no stalls. Though - are any large clubs using RailPro? Or truly large home layouts, ones that host a lot of operators at a time, like Tony Koester's NKP or a really huge one like Ken McCorry's? --Randy
I've been to Ken's, RailPro does not have a shot........