Good Morning,

I'm new with Marklin, but old with DCC. I have experienced setting up a large layout with one of the top North American DCC manufactures using all of their related components to run RR&CO., TrainController. It was a huge undertaking and it worked but I will tell you it was not a pleasurable experience. One of the reasons for me switching to Marklin three rail / two-conductor track system was the ease of wiring and abundance of proven components from Marklin, ESU, Viessmann and others. I will say that Marklin makes beautiful trains and the C track system is a pleasure to use. I'm now at the stage of buying a "Digital System" to use. After everything I have read and seen I have come up with two possible choices. Marklin Digital or ESU digital control utilizing the ECoS 50200.

My question is directed to those who utilize computer control. If you can start over again which system would you invest in?

PLEASE NOTE: I'm starting over again from ZERO, your input will be greatly appreciated.

Michel

Edited by user 21 July 2012 21:46:54(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi,

With computer control, it is completely useless to buy expensive CS or ECOs. You may buy TAMs central, or just an interface like IB com, or from LDT.

Fred

Hi Michel,

if you start from zero and like easy wiring than you should consider the CAN-digital-Bahn project, too. On the CAN-bus there is bi-directional messaging possible with opportunities that are new and not available with s88 (e.g. real feedback from turnouts).

The Märklin control units CS2 and MS2 are compatible with the CAN-digital-Bahn system (ECoS instead is not) and if you like controlling your layout with a pc than it is sufficient to buy a MS2 (Trix or Märklin, it’s the same) with Gleisbox and a CC-Schnitte 2.0 plus StartPunkt from CAN-digital-Bahn.

If you are interested than you can find further informations about the CC-Schnitte 2.0 here

Michael,
I have a mixture.
An Ecos 50200 Controller, Marklin, and Viessmann s88s, Marklin and Viessman under track decoders for turnouts) and in locos a mixture of ESU and Marklin decoders. all wotk in Harmony.
I also have a couple of MS 1s . I am running Itrains Software.
No problems,

Nev

All very well, but a moot point - Michael has already said he has come down to a choice of either CS2 (Marklin Digital) or Ecos. Why are we throwing all this other stuff at him? You'll only confuse him.

Just to clarify; My selection is between either the Marklin Central Station 60215 or the ESU ECoS 50200.

What I'm asking is I'm used to changing CV's and setting up consisting with more than two or three locomotives. My layout room is large 45' X 12'. I have already used DCC for my layout and now I am starting over with Marklin. I am starting over from scratch, which means I do not presently own a digital system. I have no experience with Marklin and have not used either of the systems that I have selected.

The $64,000 questions are: Can Marklin Central Station 60215 or the ESU ECoS 50200 do the following;

Train detecting
Consisting
Interface with computer
Program decoder and change sound files
Computer control with software i.e.: TrainController

AND most importantly short protection on the layout. Let me explain:

Separate the layout utilizing boosters and electrical short management to prevent total layout shutdown when shorts occur in any given section. If a short happens in one section, only that section will shut down, the rest of my layout will keep working. The reason I want this is because I know from experience that electrical shorts happen all the time and with the boosters seperating the layout into sections the setup will work properly. With electrical short management I will have no worries with frying a locomotive or welding wheel sets to the tracks and with all of the boosters linked to the digital command system/station they will continue to receive the DCC signal and output it to their own section of track leaving the other trains running.

Michel

Since I have them both I'll give you my few thoughts of them:



Do you mean occupancy detection? Both of them can handle that!



Both will do this nicely



For changing sounds ESU has the LokProgrammer, whilst the CS2 at least will be able to do this. Other decoder programming is possible on both units. If the EcoS will be able to manage sound files - can't tell.



On the booster issue I know the ECoSBoosters can shut down their power districts only - which I think the CS2 boosters also can (haven't got that confirmed though).

There are som other issues that for me spoke for the ECoS, for instance the new implementation of (non-computerized) routes, the possibility to "lock-out" accessories (with computer control), as well as the possibility to run mfx-locos with "only" 28 speedsteps. Also the availability of RailCom+ gives an extra credit for the ECoS as do the more frequent updates.

Drawback on ECoS is the mfx-registration which takes much longer time - although the CS2 internally implements acceleration- and braking delay (which every now and then compromises the settings of the decoder - if not properly programmed) thus not initially reading all the decoder values.

I still keep the CS2 though - as a reserve as there is no way to wire for subsequent use of them both, maybe there will be a 2:nd layout utilizing the CS2 someday...

Yes it allows to set up routes too - yet the ECoS-version is now by far better! (my opinion)

They have a separate Lokprogrammer because at the time they developed the LokProgrammer, ESU had no central ! (they had sound decoders but no central-station) The lokprogrammer is now more than 10 years old. It's an old concept.

But that's the ESU way : pay 120 E more to get a separate lokprogrammer. why would you want them to integrate it into ECOS.

Same about I-things : ESU didn't developp any APPS for I-pad/I-phone , why ?....because they preferred to sell their own wireless Mobile : the Ecos-radio. ( completely outdated. They still ask 200 E for this !)

Edited by user 24 July 2012 01:47:28(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Yes, since the last update (3.5.0).

Better, again in my opinion, because one is allowed to specify up to 8 conditions that have to be true for the route to activate. Thus a route can be prevented from being activated should the track it leads to be occupied! That in my world is far better than always activate the route without regarding status of the target track.

I wrote about this to Märklin years ago - just provide 2 feedback contacts for the route, one activating it, and one preventing it if occupied (just like I now can with the ECoS), nothing happened yet! In addition I addition I can add several conditions of other contacts/accessories.

As for the LokProgrammer, I guess you already pay about €100-150 more for the CS2 - and to that you need a power source at another €70. A booster + power source is also somewhat €50-100 more expensive with Märklin...

But I do not think the CS2 is "bad" - I think it's a very nice piece of equipment, as I do with the ECoS, the latter however currently allows more of what I want. I could also add the RailCom-feedback of accessory-positions when using SwitchPilot decoders - but this is also possible by the CS2 when using CAN-Digital-Bahn WeichenChefs (with feedback).

Hi, Michel!

Which locos will you buy?
Neither of those controllers can change firmware or sound files of any pre-installed decoders.
ESU announced this feature for ESU decoders years ago, but it's not implemented yet.
CS2 can upgrade firmware on mLD and firmware/sound files on mSD decoders sold separately.

ECoS is better IMHO with respect to DCC programming - especially if you have ESU decoders (also used by Brawa, Liliput, Mehano, older locos from Fleischmann and Roco and others).

Both can handle mfx programming.

No - you can't use a MS2 in combination with the ECoS, they speak different "CAN-languages".