Can i put TMCC in an engine that has early railsounds?

I wonder if you could assign the same engine number and have it appear seamless?

Well, that's an excellent point Ray!   I guess that takes care of that option.

Cool, I didn't think about using the Powermaster.

I would be running these with DCS. This sounds like it could work. I don't really care about not being able to activate the sounds from the dcs remote. I'll get used to it (once I install it.)

This is the early 1.0.  Trying to run it this way really negates the whole reason to have command engines.  If you are only going to run it by itself, you can just get a Power Master and CAB-1 and you don't need TMCC.  This gives you remote control of the Mohawk from the CAB-1 and all conventional features.

If you upgrade the engine to TMCC, but try to trigger sounds via a programed PM or buttons, every conventional engine on the track will respond together.

If you like this engine may be best to do the full upgrade.

The next phase of Lionel Engines with RS but not command were the 2.0.  These had all the features of early RS 2.5 just not command operated.  You can transfer those chips into a RS 2.5 hardware board and gain Command Control of the RS features.  I did this for the Lionel 18040 N&W J.  It had electronic reverse unit and RS 2.0.  It now has TMCC and RS2.5 and is full command controlled with the original sounds retained and command controlled.  G

I believe you would have to have RS 2.5 before you have the TMCC possibility.  Even later, there are conventional only chipsets, but I seriously doubt that RS 1.0 has any idea to look for serial data as it didn't exist at the time.

Darn!!! O well. So the Mohawk sound chip can't go into tmcc boards. I want my software based controls. (ps2-3) Will have to wait though.

I'm afraid we can't time-warp 20 years to make that board work in the later versions of the sound cards with TMCC.

I disagree with GGG.  Why would you have any conventional engines running in a TMCC enviroment?  I do plan to use the AC commander with my early board.  It doesn't bother me to use a button for that one engine.  Also, if the rest of the engines on the circuit are TMCC command with the newer sound boards, they will not react to the DC pulse button.  I've already checked that.

Correct, if a RailSounds board is receiving serial data from the TMCC receiver, it doesn't look at DC track offsets.

John,  Actually you said you disagreed with me.  You/we are talking apples and oranges.

First, I do run TMCC Command with conventional occasionally on my layout.  I just lower track voltage to an intermediate level that both the command engine and the conventional engine can operate on.  I have a modern ZW and Power Masters so I can Command lower TR voltage in this composite set up.

Otherwise, again, I was recommending just using PM and CAB-1.  That is not a command set up, but allows track voltage to be adjusted remotely with the CAB-1?

I do agree that modifying an Engine to get command, but keeping the tender conventional is not ideal.  Unfortunately for the RS 1 engines there is no easy solution to get the tender upgraded with original sounds.  Electronic whistle or bell could be modified easier to get the offset sent over.

For those with RS 2.0 you can keep your sounds.  You just have to swap your hardware to RS 2.5 and move the chips into it.   G

GGG, do the 2.0 chips work with TMCC in command mode?  I don't know that I've ever tried those.  I have moved RS 2.5 chips to a RS 4 board successfully.

Okay, gotcha.   I thought it wouldn't be feasible to run both types on one line at the same time.  Still seems like it would be a bit difficult, as would be using the RS 1 with command motor control.  I still plan to try it using an AC commander for my T-1, I do like its whistle.

John,  Yes.  The engine I swapped from was a 18040 with Electronic reverse (same shape as the eventual LCRU) and the 2.0 RS.  The one generic chip had 2.5 markings, the sounds specific had Liontech markings.  I swapped them and wire up the RS 2.5 package, added an LCRU and had full command control of the RS sounds.  Start up, shutdown, even coupler sounds where present.  I also added the remote coupler to the tender.  The nice thing about this method, was the LCRU mounted exactly where the SSRU was, and the RS 2.5 is a nice fit in the same spot as the RS 2.0 board (which is wider).  The hard part was routing the antenna in the engine as both engine and tender were cast.  Took me 2 days plus to modify the engines handrail to act as the antenna.  G

That is useful info, I have a custom painted set of F-3's with RS 2.0 that I'd like to put a TMCC board into.  Question on it though, the sound board is in the B unit.  Would I need to move it?

GGG, I think I'd have floated the shell, some of the older Lionel stuff did that.

I looked at that, but the way the steam chest connected there was going to be contact between shell and frame.  G

No as long as you can get the serial data to the B unit via a single line.  I assume the diesel ramp up is driven off the B unit trucks?  G

Correct, axle cam.  A connecting wire should not be much of a problem. 

So I would need to find a 2.5 board and a LCRU to do this?

I was thinking about getting a Lionel 6-18064 (number correct this time) Mohawk that has tmcc in it until I saw that the cheapest one on ebay was $700. I'll most likely get a RK ps2 Mohawk and get an early railsound engine that I don't like as much and preform this operation.

Yes, What is the model number of this?  G

I'm not sure, it was a custom painted unit (Soo Line maroon & gold).  I think it was orginally a Northern Pacific engine.