Cruise Commander Lite Beta Test, Part Deux

Sounds pretty good too. How does the sound get out? And where is the antenna?

Ditto and how hard to add electro-couplers as I want to use them as a switching engines?

That turned out very nice. Really added a lot to the little RMT Beep. Sounds pretty good too.  If RMT sees this they might just want you to start doing conversions for them so they can offer them for sale this way.

The couplers on the BEEP are a different mount than standard electrocouplers, so it would take significant surgery I believe.  I just looked at an old BEEP chassis and tried to match an electrocoupler to it.  The real issue would be having a spring loaded return to center that worked properly.

I don't think a $50 BEEP would sell as fast with $200 worth of electronics and a bunch of labor costs as well!

That's pretty amazing. Great job.

Sounds great and nice work John. 

Thanks guys.  

I wanted to put this CC Lite into something small, that was the smallest thing I could find that it had any chance of fitting into.  I like the fact that I could get good sounds into it as well.

Nice job John. Good to know both motor driver and sound can fit together in this engine. I have a couple of Beeps. One has an early Beep Commander with no serial data and the other has a Beep sound commander.

As for couplers, Lionel has some 1.5" couplers with "A" mounts. I think these would work if you filed off the cams. I have some with "B" mounts but these would result in the couplers set too low. 

Pete

You might have a point there.  Maybe they will need to have a 'slight' price increase and add a 'small' fee for the conversions.  They will be right up there with MTH and Lionel then.   On second thought...it was a nice thought for a moment anyway. Still looks and sounds good!

I have a BEEP with the BEEP Sound Commander, I do like the extra BEEP-BEEP sound, it gets it a few looks.

Mounting the couplers isn't the major issue, you'd have to work out a centering spring as well, that looked a bit more difficult, at least with what I have.  I could mount a coupler at the right height, but it would just flop around without some additional work.  In any case, I used the coupler outputs for my cab light control.

Terrific job. It really compliments the BEEP and your talents.

Thanks guys, I was pleased with the results.

Jon, I did note that the motors were pretty close, I did consider that might be an issue, so I'll keep an eye out for it.  Since the motors are magnetic, I can see how they could attract bits of metal. 

I did note that the motor shell also doesn't have continuity to the wheels, but that may have been a fluke.  Since the ends are plastic, I suspect that maybe the steel shell just floats, I wonder if they've always used this design motor?  I checked the continuity between the motor shell and the weight and it was not connected, at least currently.

Nice work GRJ.

gunrunnerjohn,

Next potential installation. Weaver, PRR, A-5, 0-4-0 Switch engine.

I have ERR cruise control in mine but can,t fit sound. Vastly improved low speed operation-- but no room for sound board with this version.

Maybe you can do some magic on this great little engine.

The K-Line A5 has room in the engine for a cruise and radio board, leaving the tender free for audio boards and speaker. You should have room in the engine for one of new cruise lite boards.

Pete

I have the K-Line A-5, no problem having sound and cruise with that one.  I haven't seen the Weaver, is it that much smaller than the K-Line?

gunrunnerjohn,

The Weaver A-5 is a brass engine with a scale size tender. Probably smaller than the K-Line tender. And there is a boiler weight that fills the front half of the boiler. The can motor fills the rest of the boiler and firebox. So everything needs to fit in the small slope back tender. I had to do some judicious surgery on the inside of the tender to get the Cruise Commander in there.  

If you check my original thread on the Cruise Commander Lite, you'll see that it's a smaller package in most dimensions, and may allow the addition of sound.  Also, the new RailSounds Commander is a single board, so it's very thin and fits in many places it would have been impossible to put the old RS Commander.

Of course, if someone want's to donate one of those Weaver engines, I'll see what I can do.

Yes, The Brass engines present problems unless your willing to give up the weight and lose traction.  Additionally, the Williams/Weaver drive mechanism takes up more real-estate than the Lio/MTH angled drive shaft.

I am working on my own Brass Williams right now and the only real room is for the fan driven smoke unit.   G

Hmm...  I have a couple of 3rd Rail brass engines, and even with the big weight, there is tons of room in the boiler.  I can see the small models might present an issue.  I have a Weaver brass K4 in the closet, but since I got my Legacy K4, I may just sell that one and not convert it.  I have a Williams brass M1A that will get a conversion, so I'll get to look at one, but given the size, I don't see it being a big issue.

There is no problem in the tender and that is typically how the TAS sets ups or ERR are installed.  Can't speak to 3rd rail, but having done several Williams brass including the Big Boy, the issue is useable space in the engine.  G 

GR John,

I decided it might be fun to try this in a Beep.  I go to the ERR site and under Ordering Info, there is nothing listed as CC Lite.  "Lite" is not on the list.

Could you provide the specific item you used please?  I want cruise, slow speed and TMCC  - no sound (right now)

Thanks,

Ed

When I did the beta testing, there was one small issue with the lighting circuit, so they are apparently re-spinning the boards to correct it.  I was told that they had a few of the beta versions in stock and they'll give you a bit of a pricing break on them as well.  The only issue is you need a load resistor on the lighting outputs if you use LED lighting.

Call Ken at ERR and ask about the boards.

I presume the order for production is still in the pipeline, I presume they'll be available when they receive the new updated ones.  That's another good question for ERR, they are the ones that really know what's going on there.

When will these mini cruise commanders become available?

I can't say, I was under the impression that they'd be available very soon.  I'd call ERR and ask, best way to get an accurate answer.