# kid-friendly cab/throttle?



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

So as many of you may know I use the NCE DCC system with radio and the "proCab" wireless throttle. It's great. I also have a few trains that run using aristo's 75 mhz. train engineer. I keep those for the kids who often come over. I've ven painted the buttons on the TE transmitter to make it easy. 

Is there a really simple DCC cab/throttle I could use, and get rid of the 75 mhz system? I mean simpe--"gofast" and "goslow" buttons, whistle and horn, change direction. Ideally I could use it wirelessly, but I could maybe stand pluggin it in. 


Does anyone know of such a cab?


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

Does this cab have to plug into your NCE system? There is nothing better for kids than the rotary throttle with central neutral position that LGB uses on their loco remotes, or Massoth on their Navigator. You can hand any of them to a 3 year old and they can figure it out in seconds because it is intuitive--that's the main reason I went with MTSiii & the navigators. If you're looking for something that plugs into your system you might be SOL though. 

Keith


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

What locos do you have the 75s in? As you know the 75 are DC and not DCC. So I think you may be sol of what you are trying to do. I'd just convert the 75 to your new system. That what I did. Later RJD


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

The 75's are in three LGB locos--they work just fine under DCC, just as well as they did under DC. It's just that the TX's are starting to wear out and I'd rather go to QSI or some other DCC decoder so I could run it all with one handheld. If I could have a separate "kids" cab that would run the more toy-like trains under DCC.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, NCE makes simpler cabs, with speed buttons or knobs, and the knobs are available as rotary encoders or a pot... with or without radio...











Regards, Greg 


p.s. you can also lock out functions so that they cannot select another loco, or change things...


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

That looks like exactly what he needs Greg!


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Funny thing, I have had kids as young as 4 use my pro cabs, and they were not my kids. Even with all the buttons on it, and I did not set the system to limit control on the throttle, it's very infrequent that the kids hit the other buttons. They learn which ones they want and go for it, throttle, direction, and horn and whistle. 

On the pro cabs, one "fun" thing is actually the more complex display. I tell them they are an engineer, and tell them what "speed" to run the loco, and then they check the display and tell me when they get there... by giving them "assignments", not only am I able to keep tabs on stuff, but sub-light-speed operation is not impossible to achieve, ha ha! 

Regards, Greg


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

We're talking pre-k here--kids who can't read yet

I often give the procab to bigger kids 


Our layout is in a very public place--it's on a pathway people use to walk to a park and to the grocery store /hardware store/town center. Families with kids pass by all day long. I will often give little kids the aristo 75 mhz tx with the painted buttons, and it's fine, but range is balky, they are wearing out, and the long antenna's are problematic. I covered the channels select buttons so they could not inadvertently control another train.


The NCE Cab4 would work, it's just a pricey solution. I may just stick with what I've got.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sorry Mike, yeah, get them one with the knob, and I think the knob, not the rotary one... then program the system to not allow that cab to change locos... then all you should have is that one loco... I need to look at the manual at what you can "lock out".. 

Regards, Greg


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

My experience with very little kids is similar to Gregs, in that if you show them which button blows the whistle and rings the bell, they very rarely stray. The older kids and parents, on the other hand.... 

Keith


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