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Hi, I am new to trains, but my 7 year old son loves them.  For Christmas he is looking for a remote control to control his trains instead of the CW-80 transformer.  We have the basic train set : Polar Express, Yankees, Sante Fe, Fire Engine.  Someone said the 37147 will allow him to control them remotely.  Can someone let me know if that is correct or does the train need to be compliant?  Like I said I have the standard CW-80 transformer, will this work?  If yes, do I need cables?  I tried to read the manual on line, but that is not definitive.  Please help.  Thank you

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The simple answer is no for direct control like a Legacy engine would.  But yes if you add a Legacy Powermaster to the,setup. The PowerMaster raises and lower track voltage like the CW80 would, but remotely.

 

You could also see about adding a Electric Rail Road (ERR) board to the Polar Express, but that might be cost prohibitive

Last edited by cbojanower

kjmkjm,

    Sense my Grandfather & Father started teaching me how to run trains and build O gauge layouts beginning when I was about 5 years old, and it led to both engineering & law careers, I look at your sons interest in O gauge trains in a manner different than most people might.  To me you have the opportunity of a life time to spur your sons interest in engineering and modern technology at just the right time.  If your son was my boy, I would do as my Grandfather & Father did for me, and spur the boys interest in running & building his O gauge train layouts.  When I was a boy his age, I also dreamed of running my trains by remote control, you as a Father today have the ability to make that dream happen, by investing in his future with todays technology.  Yes the technology is not inexpensive, however most times it leads to careers that can help change the world in a positive manner.  If your boy was my son I would make the investment into a full Lionel Legacy 990 and the Legacy Powermaster this Christmas, as his major Christmas present, upgrade to a bigger better transformer at Thanksgiving time, to get ready for the most important Christmas present of his young life.  I would invest in my sons life, the same way my Grandfather & Father invested in mine, for you see I am living proof that O gauge trains & building layouts, are a lot more than just a little boys toy to play with, they are the stuff that dreams and NASA type careers, are made of. 

PCRR/Dave

 

Yep I still build and run them even today, especially at Christmas time.

 

Last edited by Pine Creek Railroad

The 37146 & 37147 is the correct combo to run conventional trains remotely. It is the new equipment that will work with any future equipment additions.

 

Unfortunately, the CW-80 is not recommended for use with the system. Read p.8 of the PowerMaster Manual.(attached) So, add a 6-22983

 

non-surge protected power strip to plug everything in at one location plugged into a receptacle with a good earth ground.(standard in most homes)

 

Yes, a bit of an investment. Shop around. Check our forum sponsors.

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Last edited by Moonman

Advise please.  im going to take  the plunge to command control. presently run conventional. i run 4 independent tracks, 2 pw zw's  have  [mth] one ps1 and one ps2. the rest is conv. i probably wont ever get a legacy engine, but will go tmcc.  im thinking,, 37147 command set, 37146 powermaster & 12893 cable for zw.  [ what else would i need ?] can this setup  also control the mth stuff or will i need the leg.990 . can i run track one conv. and still control other tracks at the same time with the 37147 ?  OR if i go dcs , can IT control lionel tmcc ? the legacy scares me as i see so many problems related with it.  thanks for any input and happy thanksgiving to all.  Paul.

kjmkjm -

 

Not an answer to your question, and perhaps not what your son is asking for, but have you considered a LionChief Plus engine?

 

Open one package, put it on the track, power up the transformer and away you go.  Can't run any of the other engines at the same time, but I don't believe the Cab-1L will let your run more than one engine either.

 

I have one and it's a good value that provides the many of the Command Control features with less money and wiring.  There is difference between LionChief and LionChief Plus.

http://lionelllc.wordpress.com/tag/lionchief-plus/

Last edited by Kelunaboy

ogfan,

   1st the TMCC will not control your P2 engines except in conventional mode, with the Legacy Powermaster.  If you want to run your P2 engines with all the different control options you must have a full DCS, with TIU & hand held remote control.  If you want to run both the TMCC/Legacy engines and your P2 engines you will need to use the DCS in combination with the TMCC/Legacy and the Legacy Powermaster.  I am just getting into Legacy myself but see no problems with it when set up correctly, as Moonman said in a prior post, the CW-80 is not a recommended transformer for running DCS or TMCC Legacy.  IMO the CW-80 is a introductory throw away transformer, that can cause more problems than it's worth, except for running street cars on their own separate line. 

Hope this helps you out a little,

PCRR/Dave

 

 

 

Guns,

  Using DCS & Legacy that is absolutely true, using the DCS hand held Remote Control, however if he wants to run Conventional engines from his Legacy Cab2 he must have the Legacy Powermaster, unless I am mistaken, or will the Legacy Cab2 Remote control, run conventional engines without the Powermaster simply because of the DCS hook up?  If this Cab2 conventional control works thru the DCS in some way, now that would be way cool!

PCRR/Dave

 

 

Last edited by Pine Creek Railroad

True Dave, but if you have the full DCS, you have a remote that will run the conventional stuff, so adding the PowerMaster is not necessary for remote control of conventional equipment.  I was just addressing this comment of yours that seemed to say the PowerMaster was mandatory.  If you have the DCS, you already have the functionality of the PowerMaster on the two variable channels.

 

If you want to run both the TMCC/Legacy engines and your P2 engines you will need to use the DCS in combination with the TMCC/Legacy and the Legacy Powermaster.

Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

True Dave, but if you have the full DCS, you have a remote that will run the conventional stuff, so adding the PowerMaster is not necessary for remote control of conventional equipment.  I was just addressing this comment of yours that seemed to say the PowerMaster was mandatory.  If you have the DCS, you already have the functionality of the PowerMaster on the two variable channels.

 

Yep, thats what I do now, works great too since the 4.3 upgrade. I ran my two loops with TMCC remote/ base set-up and two TPC's. But I wanted to upgrade since I wanted full command of my PS2 loco's and tmcc, so I got the MTH/ DCS set up and that's all I needed. Just got the cable to plug the TMCC Command Base into the TIU and wired it up. I don't use the tpc's anymore just hooked my 180 powerhouse bricks into the variable channels on the tiu's. DCS runs the conventional as well as command loco's, and since I don't have any legacy engines as of yet, this does nicely for me.

Last edited by Penn-Pacific

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