ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll – February 26, 2003

[Anonymous]

Locos with mandatory DCC and sound mean one thing -- higher prices. Plastic locos of medium or better quality are $125 to $175 now. Adding sound will take them over $200. Yes, even small layouts can benefit from DCC. Yes, it would be fun to have control over ditch lights, and to be able to blow long-long-short-long at the crossings. But not so much fun I'm willing to pay that kind of money.

[Anonymous]

I love operating with sound. That says it all. John.

[sully57]

Well, at 54, I am into the hobby less than 6 mos. BUT - I am on a budget, so started with DC, and a couple of locos. After most initial expenditures are complete, and I am humming along, I definitely want to get into DCC. There's no way of avoiding it guys - it's the new wave (for now). It's cool, and not going away. So, with that in mind, I will always make future loco expenditures, with DCC in mind. And, why not sound? Sure beats the single button generic 'blast' of a whistle I had as a kid. Back then the sound came from a billboard, always at the same end of the layout (no matter where the loco was steaming towards). And with DCC, sound is more realisitic to the loco it is eminating from. AND, the sound actually comes from the moving loco, and not from a static location on the layout! -Sully

[Anonymous]

You left one choice out of your poll. Keep the sound, drop the DCC.

[Eriediamond]

In answer to the poll, no. Locos with DCC preinstalled is not important to me as I'm not into DCC at the present. However, it does concern me, in that by offering motive power with DCC factory installed will eventually lead to phase out of standard DC. As it is now most of the products are coming to us DCC "ready", at least the higher end quality locos. This is fine for those who intend to go the way of DCC. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is an added expense for some of us for a feature we never intend to use. With this said, I would think it would be an asset to those who run DCC if the decoders are compatable with al the different DCC systems out there. Regards

[Anonymous]

Hi Guy's:

Being in N-scale we do not have any thing with sound installed. The more that comes in HO the sooner it will become available in N-scale.....so keep those engines a rolling.

To all those manufacturers that read this forum I would like to add that in the last 2 years I have not bought a loco that was not DCC ready and most of the ones that I did purchase had the decoders in.

Keep the wheels on the rails
STAN

[PistolPete]

Currently I have no DCC or sound equipped, however when my major building is complete I will next be upgrading the quality of my engines. Before I do that I will need to revisit theDCC use question.[?]

[Anonymous]

Sound is nice, as a novelty, but lets be realistic here. Once you get 2-4 engines running with sound, it starts to become noise. I was at a layout this week with about a dozen engines with sound, all on. [V]Trying to have a conversation or asking a question without yelling was impossible. It actually detracted from operation. Sound really needs to remain in the realm of an owner add-on, and not a standard factory function. Otherwise, we'll all go deaf!

[Anonymous]

I could almost care less about sound. DCC might be ok right now I don't have a need for it either but the option is nice.

RMax

[CP5415]

I have neither & I'm going to keep it that way for the time being.

Gordon

[mikebonellisr]

I have decoders and sound in all of my engines.Many times installed at different times.It 's a big help not having the engines and tenders handled too often ...It's hard on the super detailed equipment,and usually cheaper in the long run.

[dave9999]

I chose very important. I don't buy a lot of locos, so the ones I do buy, are of better quality.
I use DCC and would prefer them to come DCC equipped, not just DCC ready. And if they are availeable with sound, that's a bonus. Dave

[Bergie]

Recently, a few model railroad manufacturers have announced HO scale locomotives with preinstalled DCC decoders as well as sound systems. How important are these features to you?

Polls on Trains.com are not scientific and reflect only the opinions of the users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, the readers of our magazines, nor the public as a whole. Bottom line, our polls are meant for fun and to stimulate conversation amongst our forum users.