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First, let me offer you a hearty "Welcome" to the world of model railroading! 1st rule of thumb: It's YOUR layout, so whatever you decide is always correct. 2nd rule: if anybody ever questions your decisions, refer to rule 1. The bottom line here is, there are no wrong answers. Pick which ever system you are comfortable with. I have experience with, and can highly recommend the Digitrax "Genesis" system. It's main advantage is it's easy to get started, and it's the easiest to expand later. Any of the systems you mentioned will work fine with your locos. The older Athern locos will require you to hard-wire in the decoder, as opposed to newer models which allow swapping-out of circuit boards. It's not easy, but it's not rocket science either. Take your time, ask a lot of questions, and if you'd like help, I can walk you through it. The best way is to wire-in the NMRA plug into the loco, then you can easily swap decoders any time you wish. Before you purchase a DCC system, I recommend you do your homework. Don't just look for stuff on the web, as you'll always get somebody else's opinion, and as in rule 1 above, your's is the only one that counts. I recommend going to either your local hobby shop, or local club. Get in touch with several different people who already have systems at home or at the Club. Get invited over, and try actually running on the differents systems. This is the only way to get the "feel" of the controller in your hand (some are small and light, others are bigger and heavier). You can see how easy/difficult it is to acquire different locos, and make/break consists. Then pick the system that's just right for YOU. Good Luck! If you have any questions, feel free to E-mail me. MOPAC 1
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