Adding TMCC to older K-Line F3s/F7s?

Sam, I believe K-Line was pretty consistent in using a single R2LC and single motor driver, either a non cruise Lionel DCDR or their own K-Line Cruise board to drive 4 motors.

It seems to work but I think its safer to use a separate motor driver in each powered engine. I was able to use a single radio board to drive a pair of ERR Cruise Ms in a pair of E8s. Worked great and there is no sign they are fighting each other. It required a new tether though and multiple connectors so took many more hours than using two identical radio and motor driver boards.

Pete

Sam, the nice thing with individual components in each engine is the ability to run them as a "lash up" and eliminate any tethers .  I recently upgraded a couple of older Williams Genesis units with ERR Cruise Commanders and they run flawlessly together. Since they have the same motors I have not even had to use the nudge function to sync them up.  Since I will always run them paired I only added RS to one unit.  I did upgrade all lighting to LED's and as with a legacy "Train build"  you have lighting options you can specify.  I also connected the cab light to the feature function on each board so as to darken the cab at night.  As Pete mentioned ease of installation is always a consideration.  Good luck!

Bruce

Thanks fellas - Will consider your sage advice here. These have smoke in the B unit as well. Will I be able to retain that feature?

A topic I am very interested in as I, also, have older K Line, Williams, Weaver I will be upgrading to TMCC.  I have put ERR boards into many MTH steam and diesel, repaired one in my K Line Berk with new can motor and ERR Cruise Commander, upgraded K Line scale Hudson to TMCC and RS.  I have also wondered about which is better, one ERR board and tethers, or to install individual and run as a lash up.........?  If I go to lash up, what do I do with the six to ten pin tethers I have acquired, other than to use getting signal to/from RS in tender for John's Chuff Gen/Super Chuff......

Jesse

c.sam posted:

Thanks fellas - Will consider your sage advice here. These have smoke in the B unit as well. Will I be able to retain that feature?

Assuming it works now you should have no problem hooking it up to the smoke feature on the ERR board.

Bruce

K-Line Cruise sets used 2 motor driver boards.  It was TMCC modular except K-lines cruise board.  Best bet is Cruise CDR and you can go with a tether if you like, or create 2 command engines.  As stated, tether to B unit for smoke.   G

Norton posted:

Sam, I believe K-Line was pretty consistent in using a single R2LC and single motor driver, either a non cruise Lionel DCDR or their own K-Line Cruise board to drive 4 motors.

It seems to work but I think its safer to use a separate motor driver in each powered engine. I was able to use a single radio board to drive a pair of ERR Cruise Ms in a pair of E8s. Worked great and there is no sign they are fighting each other. It required a new tether though and multiple connectors so took many more hours than using two identical radio and motor driver boards.

Pete

Pete-

Do you know how the odyssey system works in a K Line locomotive?  Its true that you cannot use a Lionel motor driver board and have cruise on it because the sensor is different. Lionel's counter is at the motor... where is K-lines?

Thanks

J, I don't know the details but the sensor is similar to Lionel's legacy. It has a slotted wheel on the motor and uses a photo interrupter type optical sensor (as opposed to a reflective sensor that TAS and MTH uses). Its been rumored that Lionel adopted the K-Line type sensor when they designed Legacy, maybe to get rid of the broken magnet problem. The Lionel Odyssey board would not work in its place. K-Line's sensor puts out many more pulses per revolution and also has circuitry to drive the IR LED in the sensor. Thankfully the ERR Cruise M makes replacing the K-Line board easy.

G, good to know the K-Line Cruise engines use a separate cruise board for each engine. That would make replacing the system much easier.

Pete