all right lets restart your thread which I just scanned quickly. As I understood you want to buy this loco Maerklin 33185. Do you want to buy this loco because of its colour or because it is a S 3/6 or because of its price or because of its Delta-decoder inside to run it in analogue mode? ""I thought it looked really nice, but green is the color of my other Analog Engine.""
Then you are planning to build into the S 3/6 a new decoder with sound? ""I hadn't planned on anything per se, I was hoping there was a way to make the internal sound unit work.""
Do you have already a Maerklin layout with M-tracks (which is a always 3 L track) running in analogue mode? ""I do and like it very much.""
I can tell you a lot of people running their one and only layout in analogue mode (for Maerklin always means you are using AC), and they can switch the same layout into the digital mode. Running then their digital locos on the same layout as well with digital current. This is not AC and it is not DC. It is a mixture of both, the so called digital current. This is possible. But it is not possible to run any other decoder than a Delta one on a AC analogue mode layout, especially you cannot get the functions you are looking for like sound, etc. "I like the sound of this"
Why do you want to start with a 2 rail system when you got already a 3 rail system? "" I don't want to go to a 2 rail system. I am specifically looking to use my 3 rail and have the DC work on it. I chose that particular locomotive because it will run on the 3-rail system and it is a lovely train. I am not invested in the color."""
DCC you can be used on a digital 3 rail system too. I am struggling with DC and DCC is beyond my old brain to get into at this stage -maybe the future."""
You can use a analogue and digital layout parallel, but never at the same time. ""In other words on two separate tracks. On for the analog and one for the DC and they cannot be on the same set of tracks - I this correct?"""
After getting your answers of my questions, I think I can tell you what will be possible with the railway you already got and what are you planning for.
Last year I bought the Maerklin S 3/6 39436
https://www.maerklin.de/...s/details/article/39436/with a multifunctional decoder inside. It is a really gorgeous loco. But it is in green not brown. If you want it in brown buy the one at eBay and get a new high frequency motor and mSD/3 decoder inside. Then you got almost the same technical equipment inside your S 3/6 as my green one has.
ciao
P.S. The MS 1 (you set the link to eBay) is totally overpriced. Forget it (OK have forgotten it) to buy a MS 1 for a 120 $. And it is just the MS 1 you also need a track box and a power supply for it as well. At one of my Maerklin dealer in Germany you can buy a complete brand new digital set, means MS 2, track box, power supply for 90€ plus shipping costs to the US are 40 €. So alltogether it looks like 130 €, but you get a refund of the German VAT by about 15%. Think about this offer. ""So with this setup I don't have to replace anything in the locomotive itself just the pieces in this setup hooked to the track,and together, will work?"" And the total cost runs about $150 US.""
I am off to bed for now but will check in in the morning. Guten Abend, Steve