@Nick12DMC posted:I converted a Darstaed A4 Mallard to TMCC. As my son asked Santa for a Lionel Mallard.
It was relatively straightforward after some help from Guns, Jon Z. and the Forum.
The loco has a DC motor so was converted to a ERR Cruise Commander which fitted in the tender. Use Guns top tip of a MTH tether for the wiring between the tender and loco.
I added Railsounds small engine sound board and speaker in the tender with a reed switch and magnet on a tender wheel for the chuff. You could use Guns chuff generator.
The Darstead front lights were fine when powered via the Cruise Commander board. I added a Lionel fan driven smoke unit controlled by Guns Super Chuffer.
The Darstaed Fire box glow bulb was replaced with a direct screw in 24v LED bulb normally used in industrial control panels.
To complete the Set, Mason has a set of Darstaed Thompson teak coaches. The LEDs in these worked perfectly on 18VAC and required no modification. However I disconnected the table lamps in the dining car as these did not like AC. A bridge rectifier would sort this but I’ve not gotten round to that yet.
Nick
Nice! I just received my first ACE locomotive from an auction! Its impressive for a "course scale" locomotive..from working buffers to the tender bridge plate [Mind the Gap!]
