Hello everyone! First post on here after visiting a number of times and reading many topics on this great forum. So let me get into the heart of my post.

My dad is building a "U" shaped fastrack layout with a passing loop and sideout, with the switches being remote turnouts. So far, so good. He is in the process of wiring, running a bus and feeders every 2-3 feet. Currently he has a few older post war conventional locomotives and one newer Lionel set; the Polar Express non-LionChief. Throughout the layout he has lights, a watchman station, the old horse corral (3356), the Lionel Barrel Loader (362), and a few other items. We are working on running these on isolated track sections and powered by other "toy" transformers.

I want to purchase a control system for his birthday/Christmas. Currently he is running his locomotives off the little transformer that came with the Polar Express kit. It works, but not very well, as it does not much power and some of the functions of his older locos do not work. He also has an old KW transformer, but it does not work with some of the functions for the Polar Express. I am looking at getting him a Legacy Commant Set, but not sure what else he might need. Or would something like a Legacy PowerMaster and CAB-1L be a better bet for his needs? Or would going all out on a new ZW be worth it? Like I mentioned, currently he does not have any Legacy Locomotives, but I know every time we go to a shop or Train show he is looking at them so it is only a mater of time before he has one.

Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated! Thank you in advance!