Are these old control systems still useful?

[Maletrain]

My train club gets donations from deceased members and non-members which we use when they fit our needs, and we sell at train shows whatever we don't need.  Since the club runs Digitrax, the other stuff usually gets sold.  At this point, I have been asked to evaluate a bunch of electronic stuff, some of which I have never heard of before.

One donation is a box full of circuit boards and some papers listing "Train Brain" components.  I don't know if the box contains a workable complete system or not, nor if there are any other components that provide enhanced features. 

Another box contains a lot of components in plastic cases marked "On Board", and cables to connect them.  The writing on the plastic cases seems to indicate that these components control sounds, and possibly other functions like speed, and direction.

Instead of launching into a couple of Internet searches and clicking on a bunch of links, I am asking here what others know about those two systems.

[mu26aeh]

They may be useful to people who have those systems installed on their layouts and don't want to or have the means to upgrade to newer technology.  One layout I operate on has a Lenz system and he says it will be too much work and cost to upgrade it to something else

[Maletrain]

I have seen a lot of other old systems still in use, but neither of these. 

So, my thinking is that if somebody here at least has heard of them before, the hardware might still be useful to somebody.  But, frankly, I have too many other projects on my plate to waste time learning about old stuff that nobody is going to want, anyway.  If we can sell the stuff, or even "give it to a good home", then it might be worth some effort.  But, I am already checking out a Wangrow System One and an early NCE Power Pro system (plus looking for the Power Cab that was in the box with all of its parts, but now is the only part missing from that system).  So, I already have plenty to do, without wasting more time on anything that turns out to be junk.

[MK]

Some general pictures might be helpful.

[Maletrain]

I doubt pictures are going to be more recognizable than the names, especially for the "Train Brain" circuit boards.

But, I will look in the boxes again on Wednesday and see if anything looks photogenic.

[mmagliaro]

The "On  Board" sounds like the wireless control system Aristocraft used to sell for large scale trains.  Maybe a picture or two in the "HO And Larger Scale" forum would score some hits.

No idea about the "Train Brain"

[Point353]

No idea about the "Train Brain"

https://www.cti-electronics.com/index.htm
https://www.cti-electronics.com/hardware.htm

[ryan_wilkerson]

Not sure if I misread your post but if you have a Wangrow or NCE, my fellow N scaler knows those older systems well and has been working on adding capacity for larger Free-Mon setups if you want to find a home for them.

[Maletrain]

I do have some Wangrow and NCE stuff in the donations to the club.  But I am familiar with that because I use NCE stuff myself at home.  So that stuff I just need to check for missing components and that it is in working condition.

With the Train Brain and On Board stuff, I don't even know what components are needed to make a complete system, and would have to do a lot of research to figure out how to put a working system together and test it to see if the components all still function. 

The problem with donated equipment is that it may include (or may only be) stuff that was shoved into a box by the previous owner because it doesn't work or isn't needed for a complete system that was not donated along with the stuff we get. 

When I get to the club again, I will check with the O scale guys to see if they know anything about the On Board stuff.  It apparently got to us with a lot of HO stuff.  But, some donations are from folks who had activities in several scales.  W even got a lot of old TT scale stuff, recently (which came with the Train Brain stuff).

[peteski]

I do have some Wangrow and NCE stuff in the donations to the club.  But I am familiar with that because I use NCE stuff myself at home.  So that stuff I just need to check for missing components and that it is in working condition.

With the Train Brain and On Board stuff, I don't even know what components are needed to make a complete system, and would have to do a lot of research to figure out how to put a working system together and test it to see if the components all still function. 

The problem with donated equipment is that it may include (or may only be) stuff that was shoved into a box by the previous owner because it doesn't work or isn't needed for a complete system that was not donated along with the stuff we get. 

When I get to the club again, I will check with the O scale guys to see if they know anything about the On Board stuff.  It apparently got to us with a lot of HO stuff.  But, some donations are from folks who had activities in several scales.  W even got a lot of old TT scale stuff, recently (which came with the Train Brain stuff).

Is the TT stuff American or European prototype?

[Maletrain]

I'll check on Wednesday.  From disinterested memory, it may be a mixture of American and European TT stuff. 

There is a guy in the club who is considering whether he wants to use at least some of the TT donation for one more display for the club.  It is going to depend on what sort of control system is in the locos that came in the donation.  That is not yet so clear.  If it is DC, we will probably use some of it.  If it is "Train Brain" then most likely we will not, unless somebody besides him and me is interested in replacing it with DCC or reverting it to DC.

So far, the club only has Standard Gauge, G gauge, O gauge (Lionel) and O scale, S gauge, HO scale, N scale and Z scale to show folks at open house events.  (I use "gauge" to indicate tinplate/toy and "scale" for more realistic displays.)  There is also a dedicated Thomas layout that is O scale, and some Thomas stuff that runs on scale layouts only during open house events to please the younger kids. It's sort of a "something for everybody" type show, 8 days per year.  And there are op sessions on the HO layout once per month.  Still working on ops for N scale.  So, we are all busy enough without taking on new control systems or making a lot of effort to add one more scale.

[Rivet Miscounter]

OnBoard was a command control system made by a company called Keller Engineering (Bob Keller) that predated DCC.   They used to advertise in Model Railroader, and many of MR's project layouts would at least show operators holding the OnBoard throttles.   I think the Seaboard Central layout showcased OnBoard with an article.    As a teen computer geek and train nut, I was fascinated by the system and even asked for a starter set for Christmas one year.   It was pricey though, and my parents (probably wisely, even if they did have the money) directed me to other possibilities that Santa would see as more reasonable.

As far as usefulness....probably not unless you're just into vintage electronics.  Maybe the power supply.

[peteski]

I have heard of Dynatrol predating DCC, but OnBoard is a new one on me.

Dynatrol is mentioned in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_model_railway_control_systems  but OnBoard is  not. 
Some info about OnBoard is available at https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/69094.aspx

[Maletrain]

Thanks Peteski.

[Maletrain]

And thanks to Point353 for the Train Brain links, which I clicked on now that I have my confidence back following that bad button experience with that link in my thread about water in propane.