Hi John,
I have no electronic background at all, but I am adding in some to my layout being a MERG member I like to learn new stuff, it does keep your mind exercised. I prefer electro-mechanical items as normally you can see a fault quickly and hopefully rectify it at exhibitions if necessary. If something packs in electronically it cannot always be seen, or if programming is lost for some reason I do not want to be having to re-program when at a show, different perhaps if your layout is up in the house somewhere. Interestingly most of our local MERG members have layouts permanently set up in the house.
Exhibition layouts have to be robust enough to travel distances being banged about in a van. I was once put in the back of a truck on the short distance of a few miles to see just how much things moved around even at 30 mph. (Not something I would wish to repeat.) It was amazing just how much movement there was in what we thought was a well packed vehicle and how even heavy sections could bounce up and down when a pothole was hit.
Since my son will probably inherit my railways I have deliberately kept things simple to operate and repair as he has only basic electrical knowledge and ideas on how to maintain the layout. With other layouts which were fitted with servo 4 boards we have lost the programming for example and they needed reprogramming - in one case the computer had been left at home. I am using the simpler servo units for the new layout I am working on just now as an alternative to tortoises. There is no perfect solution, if using electro-mechanical means they all seem to have some flaw. At least with the servos the flaw seems to be servo creep, which with the simpler MERG system can be adjusted at exhibitions if it goes out over the show. I am putting my adjusters in easy to reach places from above the board, just in case.
I have no objections at all and am often impressed with what some others can achieve, but it is often the case that they have had proper training in this field. My friend Mike who has a magnificent model of Preston which he has been building with a couple of friends over the last 25 years has amazing talents this way as anyone who has been to his layout will testify, but that was his job in real life in the Preston area. My own training was as an artist so my leanings are more that way - so my own aim is to get things to look and feel right and operate simply, but well.
Allan