DCC and Lights

[jwb]

I've opened a new MTH sound-equipped SD70ACe. The lights are interesting, but unlike the 6-function DCC decoder I discussed above: the headlight comes on dim at startup, can be turned on and off. Number board lights can be cycled on and off with F5 DCC. However, the headlight comes on bright and the ditch lights come on only when the loco starts moving. I don't believe this is how the prototype works -- I think the engineer turns the ditch lights on as a separate step. The positive is that the ditch lights do operate independently, and you don't need a separate F key to work them. The negative is that the function is automatic. Still, it's one less thing you have to think about for most prototype operation, and the loco does have a headlight lit on a siding or in a yard when stopped. I don't think, though, that you can have a headlight lit in reverse if this SD70ACe is running as a DPU -- I wish you could get this option.

Clearly there's no standardization among these features! However, I think the MTH loco is a better value than the Kato SD9043MAC due to the additional lighting control.