jameshilton
Registered
Wow the Youtube vid is awesome!
New LGB KoF - anyone actually got one yet?
- Thread starter Zerogee
- Start date
stockers
Trains, aircraft, models, walking, beer, travel
I have just been thinking - steady on there lad!
This is a decoder fitted loco. Thats about 60 or 70 quid (OK, agreed - if you need it)
That puts the price in the £260 market. This is very similar to recent releases from other manufacturers who have been acknowledged as using more basic motors, dont chrome plate wheels, etc.
Its beginning to look very attractive - might have to jump in with both feet.
This is a decoder fitted loco. Thats about 60 or 70 quid (OK, agreed - if you need it)
That puts the price in the £260 market. This is very similar to recent releases from other manufacturers who have been acknowledged as using more basic motors, dont chrome plate wheels, etc.
Its beginning to look very attractive - might have to jump in with both feet.
whatlep
Registered
Hmmmm. Not sure I agree. A Massoth XL costs GBP56.10 retail from Dragon G-Scale: slightly less after GSC discount and postage are both applied. BUT, Deutsche Reichsbahn has noted in an earlier post that the chip being provided is something rather older, with only 28 speed steps. If that's correct, the decoder's value is much less and LGB/Marklin are being a little cheeky in my view. Older G scalers may remember that something similar was done for some of the 99201 Mallets a few years back. A batch was sold as "MTS fitted", but the chip used was the 55020, already obsolete and tricky to sell retail.stockers said:
jameshilton
Registered
I'm with Stockers, price wise this seems very very reasonable!
whatlep
Registered
Yep, can't argue with that. Mind you, I remember LGB announcing way back (2002?) that they intended to fit all new production with DCC decoders as standard, as the cost of providing chips was little different to that of preparing bespoke electrical boards for each loco. That seems to have got lost in the mists of time.stockers said:
not to up on all this chip stuff (speed things), all I know is my kof won't be here on tuesday it's been delayed ,........so it can have a m/s sound chip put in
Wife thinks I am mad £500 on a train and £300 on a led zep boot leg , but I don't smoke or drink ...maybe I should.
Wife thinks I am mad £500 on a train and £300 on a led zep boot leg , but I don't smoke or drink ...maybe I should.
Willem WDLS
Registered
At the end of last year, they announced more analogue locos would be released from now on.whatlep said:
In my opinion it's ridiculous they released factory-chipped locos :thumbdown: Okay, I'm running digital now, but I understand the frustration from analogue drivers about spending 50+ on a piece of electronics you don't need...
You should be able to choose between analogue and digital (factory installed Massoth), but it seems Märklin understands this at the moment. Let's hope so.
stockers
Trains, aircraft, models, walking, beer, travel
Deutsche Reichsbahn said:
Valid point but as Whatlep aluded to above - there are already quite quite complicated circuit boards in analogue locos and each one is different. A common digital board will serve the same functions. Volume is very important in electronics to bring the price down.
Deutsche Reichsbahn said:
sorry, no.. as i see it, it would mean setting up 2 productoin runs, traders holdin g on to 2 sets off locos ,plus a anolog loco would possably cost as much as a digical one to make, as they would have to fit a electronic bord to control the lights/smoke ect.. form a manufactures point off veiw, one sizes fits all is cheaper to do..
As a confirmed anologue user, it doesn't really bother me paying a bit extra for a chipped loco (within reason) as I find they often run better on my railway. Plus it means I can run them on mate's digital railways. I know you can run analogue on digital, but it's not something I'm very keen on doing.
Having converted nearly all of my 0-4-0 locos to battery, most of my remaining track powered larger locos have chips fitted.
Having converted nearly all of my 0-4-0 locos to battery, most of my remaining track powered larger locos have chips fitted.
Willem WDLS
Registered
@Alan & Mike: You certainly got a point there.. 
BUT, there's a decoder in the Kö now, but if I want sound, I have to plug in another one.. Doesn't seem very logical to me..&:
Anyway, I'm still tempted to buy it, maybe later this year..
BUT, there's a decoder in the Kö now, but if I want sound, I have to plug in another one.. Doesn't seem very logical to me..&:
Anyway, I'm still tempted to buy it, maybe later this year..
themole
tramways
With slight thread drift, I like the fact that LGB now have the DCC option, rather than fit the chip at the factory. I know that some people would prefer to buy a loco, ready chipped, but with this trend LGB do to allow customers to fit the chip (and that may include sound etc) of their own choice. Alyn
whatlep
Registered
themole said:
Understand your point, but bearing in mind that the factory-fit chips that LGB would use are Massoth ones with a sound interface, how likely is it really that they would be replaced? It just seems bonkers to me to design and fit a rather basic voltage regulation/ power-distribution board which is specific to each loco when the same, compact DCC board (which already exists) could be used for every loco, reducing spares inventory and production costs. No impact on analogue users and instant sales advantage for LGB.
themole
tramways
That's a valid point, I do not use DCC for my tramway layout, and when I bought some 0-6-0 chassis (HF 130 diesel) in Germany, when LGB went pop in 2006. I removed the chip/ PCB and hard wired the motor for analogue;- the motors is far more responsive on pure DC. (The chassis is being built into an electric shunter). All good fun and horses for courses. Alyn
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
spurs123 said:not to up on all this chip stuff (speed things), all I know is my kof won't be here on tuesday it's been delayed ,........so it can have a m/s sound chip put in
Wife thinks I am mad £500 on a train and £300 on a led zep boot leg , but I don't smoke or drink ...maybe I should.
So, what are you having done to yours? Is Jeremy taking out the onboard decoder for you and putting an LS or XLS in its place, or just adding an S module while leaving the onboard decoder in place (which is what I plan to do with mine)?
Absolutely agree on the money thing - I don't smoke, drink, play golf etc, and Garden Railwaying is quite reasonable compared with the cost of those evil vices....
Jon.