cab-1L vs TMCC

Hey Rich,

I'm a Flyer guy also.

I too was on the fence like you as to conv. vs. Command Control at one time.

I took the plunge and bought the TMCC system.

I would NEVER go back to conv. running.

If you decide to buy you should buy the Cab1L system as the original TMCC system will not be supported by Lionel as to parts, service, etc.

The Cab 1L system is sort of a poor man's Legacy system.

It costs less than the full Legacy system but will perform nearly all of the Legacy functions. I can't say exactly which Legacy functions it won't perform but that's the word I hear on the street.

I now use the original TMCC system and really like it but if it ever quits working I will upgrade to the Cab 1L

The Cab1L will operate ALL TMCC functions.

If you buy the system I would recommend you also buy the Legacy Powermaster

(6-37146). This unit allows you to put power to a track remotely from none to full power. Hence your conv. engines will go from stop to full speed with the remote.

By doing so you will then be able to run ALL of your conventional engines with the Cab1L remote along with your Command Engines. That is a nice perk to be not tied down to your transformer.

Remember that every new engine Lionel produces in S gauge that is command enabled will have the Legacy System installed and the Cab1L will operate it.

The Cab1L will operate the boards from Electric Railroad as they are basically a Lionel Company.

I'm sure others will jump in here offering corrections or additional info.

I for one recommend the Command Control system.

Try it...you'll like it.

Mark

The Cab1-L system is the same as the old TMCC except that you can quill the whistle/horn on Legacy locomotives with it and the handheld doesn't have the long antenna whip that you can break off.  Also, the frequency that the handheld and base talk to each other is different than that the old TMCC set used, but the Cab1-L and the old TMCC base talk to the locomotives at the same frequency.  Therefore it can control all TMCC equipped items.  If you don't care about all the extra bells and whistles, then the Cab1-L is the item for you.

ERR's products are all TMCC items, so the CAB1-L will operate them just fine.

Don't know much about this.  But I have heard that there was once an ERR product that worked on AC motors, but if it could do open frame ones, I don't know.

The ERR AC Commander is a current product that will control one or two open frame AC motors, aka Pulmore motors.

The one thing the CAB1-L can't do that the CAB1 can do is talk to older PowerMasters, they receive the 27mhz signal directly from the CAB1, and the new CAB1-L talks on 2.4ghz, the same as the Legacy CAB2.

Thanks all for the insights and information.  Regarding the Powermasters, the link to the Legacy Powermaster description says that it communicates with the Base-1L and not directly with the Cab-1L (the 'it' in this case is the 6-37146 model).  At the risk of asking a question whose answer is probably buried in one of the manuals - I assume that one would have one track loop hooked up to the Base-1L (37156) and one (electrically isolated from the first) hooked up to the Powermaster and in this way one can have two locos running under control of the same cab-1L - one operating via Legacy/TMCC at full transformer AC voltage on the track and one operating on variable AC voltage via the Powermaster - still controlled by the cab-1L remote??

No,  You assign track numbers to your Power Masters Like you do your engines.  Up to 10 Tracks. The CAB-1 and Power Master came out before the base.  That gave you remote control of track power with throttle, direction, bell, whistle, brake, and acceleration without needing a Command Base.  Later on the Base came out and Command control was established.  The feature is very useful with conventional engines so you don't need a command base for your conventional loop if you use the older TMCC stuff.   G

The Legacy Powermaster is a completely different product than the older TMCC PowerMasters.  Note that I specifically stated that the older PowerMaster was controlled directly from the CAB1.  The Legacy PowerMaster is indeed just another TMCC device and is controlled using the 455khz track signal.

There is a difference in control possibilities between Cab 1 and Cab 1-L. The fact that you are in S means you have less room in your engines for the driver boards. I have used the smallest motor driver boards that ERR makes, Mini Commander 2, in my single motored AF diesels, there is not room for much more than these. These engines such as the GPs or the Baldwins do have room for the Mini Commander 2 with a sound board. You can't even consider an AC or DC Commander for these engines and this is all fine if you do not want to do consists or lash-ups with Cab 1L. If this is what you are considering I would recommend Cab 1. I have a thread on the forum  "Cab 1L problem' that addresses this and it has to do with one of the ERR driver boards that are not compatible with Cab 1L.

Ray

Ray, things may be a changin' as far as the Cruise Commander is concerned.  The new Cruise Commander Lite will fit in a lot of places the older full sized unit fits.  It's 1/2" shorter horizontally, and 3/8" shorter vertically.

The Cruise Commander Lite has exactly the same capabilities as the original Cruise Commander.  If the CC works in the MU, so will the CC-Lite.  Since the CC-Lite uses the standard R2LC, if other TMCC locomotives work in the MU, so will this one.

I was trying to illustrate the difference in size above, it's 2.25" long and about 0.8" tall.  Obviously, the MiniCommander 2 is smaller, but not nearly as compatible it seems, not to mention it doesn't have cruise control!

How does the CAB1L address a product that receives a 455khz signal when it puts out 2.4ghz?

It address a command base that puts out the appropriate signal for the engine/accessory.  G

The command base is the item that sends the 455khz signal.  The CAB1-L only speaks to either the BASE1-L or the Legacy base directly.