# Fleischmann Digital Freight Starter Set



## silvermansteve (May 4, 2011)

hello. for my start in this hobby i think i have settled on the fleischmann digital freight starter set, sold by reynaulds, among others. here is a link -- http://www.reynaulds.com/products/Fleischmann/931181.aspx

i have NOT seen this brand recommended on this site. i gather from reading the forums that the rap on fleischmann is that they are pricey. but the price for this set seems good to me and i'm not averse to spending that sum for a starter set. especially digital.

so price aside, is there any reason NOT to get this set, as oppposed to a starter set from the always-recommended Kato or Atlas, which by the way, do not seem to include digital options in their starter set offerings....

also, my tenuous and feeble understanding at this point is that you can use any dcc board with anybody's controller. is this correct?

thank you.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I just wanted to make you aware that the set you are getting is a euro version, If i am correct the couplings on the cars will not match up to any made by US based companies. The track is also different. and will not easily cross to kato or atlas so you will be stuck buying their track at the higher price. Product support or replacement will also be slower because it's out of Europe. The DCC control is not supported by any of the US equipment add on. Yes the DCC control will work with 99% of the DCC decoders but your limitation comes when you want sound.
Just my 2 cents worth.


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## cabledawg (Nov 30, 2010)

WOW for that price, you can get yourself a good US starter set and buy a high end DCC setup like the Zephyr or Powercab and convert the DC loco to DCC. Comes out to about the same price, is fully supported here in the US, and is expandable with just about any other US brand (in regards to rolling stock, locos, and track).

Dont get me wrong, my little bit of knowledge is that Fleischmann stuff is really, really nice, but very limiting. Like owning a Lambo; it's a sweet car to drive, but good luck finding parts either for upgrade or repair here in the US.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Also that is a digital system which is actually different from a DCC system and most DCC engines may not work with it because of the difference. I have run into this problem with wanting to buy German engines because they have a different type of system installed then a standard DCC system.


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## silvermansteve (May 4, 2011)

Thanks to all of you for the substantive information, it is what I was looking for. 

I did not mention that I plan on setting up a Noch layout. The Terrain For Trains ones did not look as nice to me. (To my knowledge those are the two choices for pre-painted, pre-finished layouts.) Noch's all call for Fleischmann or other Euro track, except for one small layout I saw, made for Kato. 

Based on the comments I got: How would I be limited when it comes to sound, if I still go for Fleischmann? And, I assume the Fleischmann set is 110v, even being the euro version. Is this correct?

Thanks again! I am sure I will learn a lot here.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

The Fleischman set is a completely diferent type of system then DCC so a DCC engine ussually won't run on it especially sound ones. I don't think DC engines will run on them either as the DC engines are DC powered and the Flieschmans are AC and I am not talking as if DCC isn't AC its just how the Flieschman uses it which means you would have to get special decoders and special sound decoders.


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## silvermansteve (May 4, 2011)

wow i have been reading more; this digital command control gets a bit daunting for a newcomer, with the different products and systems and questions of compatability on top of all that. 

i do see, however, that the initlal cost of the fleischmann set is insignificant, compared to the cost of *collecting *fleischmann locomotives and expanding on their track layout. at least double. then, i hear now, comes the issue of programming u.s. style locomotives with the multimaus.

so i guess most here would recommend that i just buy a kato or atlas starter set, and a digitrax zephyr control system? is this right? 

anyway, i'm going to try to compare an atlas or kato with a fleischmann locomotive, to see whatever i can see from that ... even if i don't exactly know what to look for.

thanks for the information.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Honestly I would say just get over the sets. They are generally always a lower quality and a less wanted model then if you buy the engine buy itself and a DCC system by itself and then rollingstock by itself. This way you get top nitch quality and not the lowest grade they can get people to buy which is what almost all starter sets are.


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## silvermansteve (May 4, 2011)

thanks for the advice. if i go component by component, i surely will not be going with fleischmann!

i'll stop with the questions now, and if i feel i have anything worthwhile to say about this, i'll post later.

steve


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