Does anyone one know anything abotu the Crest Train Engineer. I saw it in the Walthers catalog and was wondering if it's easier than DCC. The only difference I can see is that instead of the info comming through the rails, it's radio controlled. Is it worth the time and money?
Crest Train Engineer
- Thread starter roenickrox
- Start date
I'm not an expert. The connection to the track is simple, it does not appear to require anything special in the way of trackwork, or super cleanliness. The basic unit (orange) has momentum, braking, and direction controls. It will control only one locomotive at a time. The 'Engineer', you may know, will control multiple engines. I'm sure your post will initiate an avalanche of responses.
The description in the catalog is.....not very informative. I get the impression that the "reciever" basicly replaces a DCC decoder, and the hand held unit has all the operating firmware, with the two connected by RF (wireless). Aristo has been in the radio control for trains business in O scale for quite a while, so should be a reliable product. There is no information about exactly what track power is used. This site should give you more information: http://www.aristocraft.com/
Thanks Sumpter,the site did work well. I noticed that you don't live to far from me, so by anychance would you know when the show is at the dupage county fairgrounds. I can't remember if its the first or second Sunday.
On the web site it says 27 & 75 mhz. If some kid is running a R/C car outside I'm thinking it will interfere, or am I just being paranoid.
I believe it is the first, but then I don't go there, unless I have a specific item I'm looking for, that can't be ordered through the (hobby) shop.
March 25-26 is the RR show in Rockford, I'll be there on Sunday, with the Lake County Society of Modular Engineers (I'll be working at the store on Saturday).
Pete
Aristrocraft Crest HO Train Engineer
Hi roenickrox,
The Crest HO train engineers come in two flavours.
The basic one is pretty much like a regular DC power pack. You have a radio transmitter that controls a transformer.
BASIC TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55480 (ART-5480)
I think that the one you are looking at is the HO TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55000 which will give you most of the same features as a basic DCC system. For about the same price as a basic DCC system.
Unfortunatly, the HO TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55000 does not support sound.
Hi roenickrox,
The Crest HO train engineers come in two flavours.
The basic one is pretty much like a regular DC power pack. You have a radio transmitter that controls a transformer.
BASIC TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55480 (ART-5480)
I think that the one you are looking at is the HO TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55000 which will give you most of the same features as a basic DCC system. For about the same price as a basic DCC system.
Unfortunatly, the HO TRAIN ENGINEER CRE-55000 does not support sound.
I'm going to use the basic system on my home layout when I build it, because it will be a switching layout with only one locomotive. If I were building something bigger with more trains running, I would not even consider their systems. I would go directly to dcc. I just don't see any market being sustained for the Aristo radio control system if it costs as much as a basic dcc system.