ERR and Wireless Tether

You can reuse the wireless tether but realize all the electronics in the tender have to be replaced. Normally the wireless tether carries serial data. In that engine it only transmits the chuff switch turning the IR LED on and off which is read by the one off train sounds board in the tender.
You could replace the tender boards with those used in the TMCC version 28080 that includes an IR receiver board. If you choose a ERR Railsounds board it might be best to go with a wired tether.

I have one of these that I got what I thought was a deal but after having to jump through all the hoops to convert it to TMCC it turned out not to be such a deal. I had to set it aside many times. It works now though.

Pete

@Norton posted:

I have one of these that I got what I thought was a deal but after having to jump through all the hoops to convert it to TMCC it turned out not to be such a deal. I had to set it aside many times. It works now though.

Pete

I'm in the same boat. I thought it was a steal but the upgrade made it more like getting a regifted something. But it fits with what I'm modeling so here we are haha I do thinks it's a cool looking locomotive and it ran buttery smooth in conventional mode when I got it. I need a replacement smoke unit for it and some electrocouplers (which is the subject of an upcoming post if I can't find them myself).

I was planning to replace the electronics in the tender with a sound board from ERR anyway. Are you saying I would have had to do that because the stock board is unique? I had originally planned to go with the wired tether out of simplicity. The tether seems like overkill for carrying a change in signal haha thank you so much for your help!

Basically everything has to be replaced. The reason for the wired tether if you go with ERR or even Lionel Railsounds is you have to add an IR receiver board in the tender. You should be able to reuse the smoke unit. Should be repairable if its not working now. Here is mine today. Smoke does puff though hard to see here.

Pete

I don't want to add an IR receiver board. I can't believe I got the Commander board wired right on the first try so I don't want to push my luck haha I understand the wired tether so I'm going to stick with it.

It actually didn't have a smoke unit. That sucks because the stock unit isn't available so now I have to find a compatible replacement (any suggestions?). Same goes for the electrocouplers. I guess I technically could get by without them but it sure would be nice to have them. Do you know if they are a direct bolt on?

I think that engine looks great!! It sounds awesome too!

I was going to suggest the smoke unit from the TMCC version of this engine but its shown NLA. I have been using the Lionchief smoke units lately as they are about the most compact Lionel offers. You will have to make a bracket for it though.

The couplers for the 28080 tender should work or any coupler with a type B mount depending on desired length.

Pete

Brackets are no problem. I'm much more concerned with resistance values (don't want to burn anything up), performance, and fit inside the boiler. Do you have a number handy for those units?

I'll look up the couplers for the 28080 tenders. Hopefully that coupler works on the front too. I did see that ERR sells electrocouplers but it looks like they only come in one length. I'll have to do some measuring today to see what I need.

Looks like I'm looking at Lionel 6108274550 for the front and rear electrocouplers. I'm just looking for a smoke unit now.

Alright @Norton. I ran it half assembled last night and decided I would clean it up today. So I start tucking wires and and making it all neat only to realize the boiler won't go on because the Commander is too big. I flipped it, no good. I put it in the tender but now the railsounds board is a heck of a tight squeeze.

What arrangement did you go with? All boards in the tender and do a little grinding with the Dremel?

At this point, I'm about ready to see if I can get a LC Plus 2.0 board from an 0-6-0T Docksider to see if it will fit in here instead.

Pretty sure I put the Cruise M in the same place the old motor driver was and replaced the “E Unit” with an R2LC. Lionel used the same motherboard in the conventional and TMCC engines.

Pete

Maybe I didn't push it down far enough or maybe I should have turned it on it's side. I was trying to keep it away from the boiler shell.

Or is it because I used the DC Commander Kit?

Alright, after some more canoodling around, it looks like it's just going to be the Railsounds board in the boiler and DC commander in the tender. I think I might have been able to sneak the Commander board into the boiler if I had a dremel to do some carving. It looks like I'm going to need to drill a hole for the wired tether but we'll see. I'll post when I get it done.

You could have gotten the CC-M and the R2LC in the locomotive and used the wireless tether to run the sound in the tender.

Even though I had the version of the loco with Railsounds only? It only ran in conventional.

You could have kept the wireless tether but would have to replace the boards in the tender to have sounds. I believe I used many of the boards in the TMCC version including its motherboard, IR reciever board, and audio power amp but used a generic steam Railsounds board as I already have the TMCC version and didn't the same tower com. I didn't use ERR Railsounds due to needing an IR receiver.

I believe the problems you are having with fit is due to the choice of the DC Commander. That and the Cruise Commander have the wires exiting the ends of the board vs the top of the board. A Cruise M or DCDR would have been a better choice given the limited space.

Pete

I upgraded the conventional Lionel Mogul to TMCC with the Super-Chuffer, etc. I used the motherboard from the TMCC version and the CC-M in the locomotive, I used the AD-20 in the tender to do the serial data, coupler, and backup light.

That's a bummer. I wish I would have known/thought of using the original TMCC board before all this haha Especially because I disassembled the IR at the drawbar. I wonder if I can reassemble it. My current plan is to put the railsounds board in the boiler shell and the DC Commander in the tender and then just deal with the wired tether by putting it in a black hose to simulate the water hose. It will be a giant hose but most people won't know the difference.