Dennis, you'd need the full Cruise Commander if you remove everything. You'll also need the RailSounds Commander if you want sound.
If you run TMCC and DCS, the DCS upgrade for steam ends up being cheaper than the TMCC if you want all the features of chuffing smoke, etc. The DCS upgrade kit for $200 or so has all of that. For TMCC, after you do the CC and RS Commander, you have to add the Super-Chuffer and Chuff-Generator (or equivalent). In either update possibility, you'll have to change out the mechanical for a fan driven unit if you want command controlled smoke and synchronized chuffing.
