Graffen,
Marklin is known for going their own way, thus trying to put a fence around their market. That "sinus-drive" is just a costly marketing gimmick and has not shown any advantage over a conventional core-less motor, justifying the horrendous expense.
I doubt that this will be the future!
Btw, ESU is providing sound decoders for that system.
Hi!
I've resisted replying to this post but can't do that any longer.........
I've been a diehard DC modeler since the early 1960s, but converted to DCC over a year ago for my new layout - still under construction. I really like operating with DCC, and appreciate what you can do. However, I also realize the cost of my system (2k plus) too. And, electronics (not electricity) is a challenge for a lot of folks as well.
Anyway, as the popularity of DCC grows, the cost factor is coming down. And, manufacturers are certainly well aware of this and are gearing their offerings to the DCC crowd. Yes, a lot of it is high tech, but the young folks of today eat that up.
Sooooo, I believe that DC will certainly be around for some time, but gradually - over say 20 years - it will be phased out. Or, it will only be offered by a handfull of your lower end manufacturers.
I'm not wishing that will happen, just projecting it to turn out that way..........
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Cheap dual decoders are here and will get even cheaper so that is the way alot will probably go in the future.