Skip to main content

I currently operate MTH engines with the DCS.  I noticed some very fine Lionel engines featured on YouTube (Eric Siegel 76 does a great job reviewing engines) and thought it would be nice to add some Lionel engines to my collection.  I understand that if I connected my TIU with a TMCC base I could control all Lionel engines with TMCC completely and only TMCC features found in any Lionel Legacy engines.  Everywhere I look I read I would not be able to access "advanced features" of a Legacy engine such as quillable whistle by using my TIU connected to a TMCC base.  TMCC base is very inexpensive to buy compared to the Legacy base. Can someone tell me what other advanced features on a Legacy engine I would be missing out on if I bought a TMCC base and hooked it to my DCS system?  I can live without a quillable whistle...but what else might I miss out on?  Cab chatter? Direction control? Light control? Thanks!

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I run dcs, cab1 and legacy. Most of the features can be operated by the cab1, but it is more fun with the Cab2. I have problems remembering the numbers on the cab1 to control features. I run Legacy as a seperate system from the tiu and do not try to run my tmcc or legacy engines with my dcs remote.  I found that I ran into problem where the Legacy engines on the same track sometimes would block the engine recongition of the dcs remote of a mth engine.  If I removed the legacy engine from the track, the mth engine would be found.  I know alot of people seem to have no problems with this, but I am not one of them. 

A 22uH choke in series with the center rail pickup is the solution.  Obviously, you have to open them up to do the mod.  For many steamers, you'll have to do the mod on both the locomotive and the tender.  However, you can leave just one on the track and see which one is the problem piece and modify that one.

 

Some lighted passenger cars are also a problem, anything that steps on RF signals between the center rail and outside rails will affect the DCS signal.

Guys, thank you for your input but I do not think I did posed my question clearly.  Since my original post I located a TMCC base which I will eventually connect to my MTH TIU.  Now I am looking for Lionel engines with TMCC.  I know that such an arrangement will allow me to control a TMCC engine with my MTH remote.  But what if I want to buy a Legacy engine? I just want to know what Legacy features I would be missing out on by just using the TMCC base connected to the MTH TIU. When I research the subject some mention that using a TMCC base connected to a TIU and MTH remote, I would only be able to control the TMCC features in the Legacy engine...besides the quillable whistle what other features are "Legacy" features that I would not be able to access?  Thanks!   

Post
The DCS Forum is sponsored by

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×