Hi Chris- I don't have either, but there has been a lot of negative comments on the Forum of late re the new CS3....maybe the bugs are ironed out by now?!?
A friend with a fairly large and complex layout has the ESU Command station- and raves about it! A very impressive unit I must say👌 He runs only Marklin at this stage....if I was in the market I would get the ESU
Joe M

Many thanks for input

Many thanks

ESU Ecos. Has proven itself over time. Very reliable & easy to use. My two cents worth.

I would go for the Ecos.
They have Railcom and Railcom + too.
ESU can plan for an new Ecos too with more intelligence design and faster process.

someone once said I'm bias because of ........ but needed to change from the Motorola system it took me 3 years to decide and I bought an ECoS and don't look back. I looked at the whole parcel and not just the control unit and at the time Märklin was still under a cloud of secrecy, sound decoders weren't that great, changing particular CV's on decoders was a no no.

sending faulty sound decoders back to Märklin was also a hassle you had to send the whole loco back regardless and the guarantee was worthless.

regards.,

John

Edited by user 20 May 2018 12:35:03(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Which Märklin locomotives do not, so you don't really win anything with Railcom unless you change the decoder in the locomotives. I think it is important to mention this. It is not a trivial amount of money to change the decoders (especially the sound ones). You can only truly benefit from Railcom if all your locomotives support it. They do not...

Railcom is future which you see what there is in the decoder today.
Märklin follows own track by use mfx and mfx+.
But ESU do it too by use M4.
ESU decoder support Railcom.
I´m pretty sure if ESU do also present (?) "World of Operation" like Märklin do.
Only software and hardware are difference between Ecos and CS3.

The saying that I am aware of is "Good is the Enemy of Great".

And you try to say what?

Railcom is one future, mfx is another future. It does not matter, you should not use Railcom as a benefit knowing that many of the locomotives that are going to run on the system does not support it. Most people don't use Railcom at all meaning that they will never benefit from buying a station that support it.

DCC support and Railcom is not the same thing, which you are very well aware of. DCC is a third future. My point was: There is no ONE AND ONLY future as Goofy indicates.


Exactly. To most people Railcom support does not matter. So it should not be used as a big advantage, changes are you will never use it. Changes are that you would use mfx a lot more because Märklin pushes it hard. To most people mfx works just fine.

I agree with you, although I do not have any experience with an ECos. But I think that for Märklin the mfx format will be used far beyond a loco decoder controlling a loco. In my opinion Märklin will use the mfx technology to make a digital railroad as easy again as the analogue one has been. But with all advantages and comfort of a digital railroad. A digital MRR we enjoy already, even sometimes in an often not easy ways.

Goofy with all due respect I have never understood why on a Marklin site you promote anything that is not made by Marklin.
I have no idea what Railcom is but for me it is certainly not the future. ESU may have some good stuff but I cant see why if you buy Locos and track etc from Marklin you would not consider buying their control system which should match their locos etc.
Others have to watch what Marklin are doing and adjust to match them.
Anyway I just support Marklin.

Giving them 10+ years of experience with CS3 and CS2. Which is quite a lot.

To be fair, I suspect that if Marklin were as open with information as ESU are with their V4 decoders then they would get a following as widespread as ESU has. The major problem is the way they lock the OEM fitted decoders and the limited information available.

From the advertising blurb available I do get the impression they are otherwise as capable as ESU V4 ones.

I more than agree with David

I´m not alone in having problems with Märklins decoder and their system.
The work itself is where other members of the forum are also struggling with problems presented by Märklin.
If you use ESU decoders, it is best to use ESU digital system to be able to use decoder resources significantly better than Märklins system.
Märklinist do verified that ESU and D&H decoders work better than Märklins.
I have seen and tested byself with difference result.
I´m disappointed to have Märklin/Trix locomotive.
I would go for the Ecos and i know ESU will change Ecos to more advance system.

Oh interesting - but how are you doing your hobby without Märklin? All the other suppliers are more or less feeders for an open, not or bad covered niche by Märklin.

I stopped my hobby MRR 1972, just before finishing my Gymnasium and I restarted MRR as a hobby again in 2013/2014, after it was obvious and clear Märklin will furthermore exist. The insolvency will be superseded by a new owner, a private family owner. This is the new situation and in my opinion almost always forgotten in all these discussions. These new owners are thinking different as all the other owners and managements before. You realize it at the moment in the lack of offering cheap starter sets, which were till 2015 quite common. They are building a new Märklin. This we have to keep in mind.

When I bought my starter set package (29040) - [by the way - hello - can we get a relaunch of this topic from Bigdaddynz?]

https://www.marklin-user...ega-Premium-Starter-Sets

post #40

in 2013/2014, I suddenly started into the new world of a digital MRR. Very different to the old analogue one. I had and still I have to learn the differences. But at my starting days, after I had my first 2 trains running around, I made a fundamental decision. I only go with mfx and as far as possible with mfx+. Yes I was aware that this means I have to stay with Märklin, because nobody else can offer mfx in a variety as Märklin does and mfx+ even nobody else as Märklin has an offer. But mfx makes the digital MRR life much, much easier. And mfx does not come only for locos, it comes for the coach decoders, signals and I am waiting for more as turnouts, etc.. Mfx is already a decoder address management system.

At the moment I get punished for this decision by incredible price rises of the Märklin products. This changes definitely my shopping behaviour for Märklin and I look more and more to other suppliers. Also they starting offering mfx too, like PIKO with its new E 18.

https://www.marklin-user...s/t40684-piko-new-ho-E18

Unfortunately these models in my opinion are really not cheaper as the Märklin's once. Anyhow - do I have a real and better choice of MRR suppliers now?

Agree with that. Any CS2 is great value but I am keeping mine even when I get the CS3.

Very wise, because then you always have a redundancy controller, always already a booster, if you need one and with a CS 3 you have the best and most functional and capable model railroad controller you may get at the moment.

I don´t understand why you provocation with false information.
I did used MS2 and did also tested CS2 and CS3.
The fact is the problem with the Märklins decoder and theirs system do often failure.
Yes i mix but i have no problem by use ESU,Zimo and D&H decoder by use MS2 or Lenz system.
Today i use Lenz but i plan to buy Ecos but decides to wait until ESU do present new design and faster process in the Ecos.
TS can choice to buy what ever system he likes.
Märklin and ESU are not alone in the market.
Have you ever seen the new Z21 app in the market to download if you use Rocos Z21?
Go to the youtube and just learn the new system.

I suggest you stop with your undocumented utterings and go with what ever digital system you use this week. I am sure you will be a happier man. Märklin is clearly too complicated for you.

The latest update i did had on the Trix MS2 was 2.5 for 3 years ago.
Yes i use Lenz today.
No i did really testing both CS2 and CS3.
I did cleaned Märklin tracks with chemical gasoline 5 times and still Märklins track oxid while you have digital power remain on.


I suggest TS to buy both CS3 and Ecos if TS feel unsure so why not both of it?