MTH Railking with Lionel System

[rivesm]

Need some help.  I have researched past forum discussions and can not find any recent information.  

I have a vintage Lionel set-up.  KW transformer and tubular track.  I bought a Lionel Lionchief (Polar Express for my grandson) and found it easy to use.... works great. Now looking at a MTH Rail King with ProtoSound 3.  

My question(s) are - 1) Is this a good idea to begin with considering my current set up. 2) If purchased how difficult is it to use the Railking.  

I have done some research or at least tried to and what I found was dated.  And I cannot figure out the MTH website, which to me seems to be poorly designed. 

As always .... thanks in advance for your assistance.....

Tucker

[sir james I]

When just getting started staying with one brand is probably a good idea. However that said yes your MTH engine will run with the transformer you have. The only no would be Lionel's CW-80 transformer. MTH engines will not play nice with them.

[rtraincollector]

See you don't seem to have any command type equipment yet. It will run fine as stated above in conventional. Now with that said if you plan to get into Command I would think which way do I want to go first. as a beginner Do you want MTH Digital system Or lionel Legacy system. There is a difference. I can not comment on MTH Digital system as never had it but have heard less problems with legacy. also legacy I believe ( please someone jump in and correct me if wrong ) you can not run MTH proto 2/3 system with it. you still can run the engine in conventional just not all the bells and whistles as the saying goes. Now there is a way from what I heard to get most of Lionel TMCC and Legacy engines to work with the MTH system but again not 100% if I'm correct. 

Hope I didn't confuse you to much there 

[sir james I]

Lionchief engines come with a remote controller. If you bump up to TMCC or Legacy and want MTH DCS you must buy their system as well. One will not do both. The two companies could make a system to run both but there would be lawsuits galore.

[rivesm]

Ok...suppose I am confused but appreciate all the responses.

My system is postwar Lionel with a KW transformer.  I want to continue to keep things simple.  

With the Lionchief ... I can use the present system to run the Lionchief with the KW and all the bells and whistles (figuratively and literally) work well and my grandson loves the remote.  I would love to add a diesel locomotive to the layout and I can go with another Lionchief if needed and to keep it simple.

That said, the locomotive he likes best is a MTH Railking.  So my question,  'Is there a simple way to get a Railking to work with present layout and get all the bells and whistles that this locomotive offers?'  If it is too complicated for him or me....I will not do it

Does this make sense?

 

 

[sir james I]

Yes you can MTH sells a remote commander set #50-1033. $59.95. you just add it to your Lionel system and it will run Proto 2 and 3 MTH engines.   Important note. The engine(s) must be in their original factory settings. you will not get every feature but all the main ones.

[rivesm]

Sir James,

Thanks so very much.  Is there anywhere I can get information of what features will not work.  Most interested in the quality of the Proto Sound.

Again...I do appreciate your help.

[sir james I]

You get engine, whistle, bell, station sounds and I think uncoupling.

[phillyreading]

You can run any command control engine in conventional mode but you won't have all the sounds or features of command control. MTH PS-2 engine WON'T work with a Lionel CW-80 transformer, any post war Lionel transformer should work well.

With command control, each system is for each company's engine; example is Legacy & TMCC for Lionel. DCS is used with MTH engines; PS-2 and PS-3. PS-1 by MTH is just a glorifed sound system with remote control uncoupling on the engines.

Lee F.

[rtraincollector]

Proto 1 or just plain Proto Sound you may want to advoid. or at least make sure you put a new battery in it before powering it up. as you can mess it up if the battery isn't charged when you give it power. 

[rivesm]

This is the engine I am looking at;

MTH Rail King O 30-20313-1 GE ES44AC Imperial Diesel Engine, Union Pacific #7964 (Proto Sound 3)

[The Godfather]

Thanks for your information. I have acquired an MTH PS-2 subway set and I have been researching if I need to get MTH transformer or use my existing transformers. MTH instructions state to connect it to an MTH transformer (which I do not have). If I understand your post correctly, there should be no problem using the MTH DCS remote commander as an interface between a post war 275 Watt ZW and the track. This loop would also be dedicated to just the MTH train. Thanks in advance.