K-Line Cruise Question

Why would you have to set the stall speed?  That's really only useful for conventional operation.  With the cruise, there is no need for a stall speed setting.

Norton;

I don't recall setting the stall speed on my K-Line mike with cruise, but it works extremely well anyway.

In fact it works much much better than another K-Line mike that has EOB installed. I cannot get that thing to work worth a darn, regardless of setting and resetting per instructions. Its pretty useless.

FWIW I think the K-Line cruise system is one of the best. Way better than the

lll--uuuu--rrrr---ccchhh---yyy Odysey system.

Have youo tried running it yet?

Rod

I have a couple of K-Line locomotives with cruise.  They work better than Odyssey I, but of all the cruise control versions, the Odyssey II in the Legacy locomotives is my pick of the litter.  They run smooth as silk, and will go so slow you have to do a double-take to make sure they're moving.   I've also had very good luck with ERR's Cruise Commander and Cruise Commander M, though I still take the Odyssey II over them.

The bottom of the heap is a toss-up between the TAS EOB and the original Odyssey I.  I put the K-Line cruise above those, probably on a par with the ERR cruise products.

Rod, It works great. I am big fan of K-Line and this only makes it better. The main reason for asking about the stall speed was first just curiosity since it was mentioned in the manual but also to maybe eliminate the engine moving forward a few inches when first addressed. Rod, did the engine you have come with factory installed cruise? I was wondering why a switch was even mentioned in the manual unless some engines already had it.

Pete

Pete;

My TMCC Mike had K-Line cruise installed by the previous owner. He had it done somewhere, I think maybe Brasseur's in about 2008. I bought it from him in late 2009. I don't recall seeing a switch for the cruise control anywhere on the engine, but maybe I should look again. Like I said, it runs beautifully.

Rod

I have the tank engine with cruise.

Pete;

I just checked the instructions for my K-Line cruise kit, and find no reference to any stall setting. Moreover I find no switch to disable cruise on my Mike.

The kit in mine dates from 2007, so maybe your kit is a newer version, I don't know.

Rod

I can't imagine what a stall setting is for with cruise control.  If the cruise is working properly, there is no "stall".  That's usually used for AC motors that require you to throttle up a significant amount before they move.  For cruise control, the first step on your TMCC/Legacy control will get the engine moving.

I agree John.

Rod

Stall is used when you want to create a "lash up" (sic) so all of the engines start at the same time (first blink on the command base). Rod, the reference to stall setting is in the installation instructions. The TMCC operating instructions don't reference stall. Like is said I asked mainly out of curiosity.

Pete

The Kline cruise control in our Weaver Little Joe never worked correctly so we just turned it off. The locomotive gets on fine without it.

You should be able to replace the motor driver board used in K-Line Cruise with an ERR Cruise M if you want to restore cruise. Keep the current motor and leave the speed sensor wires disconnected.

I used the K-Line cruise because I had it laying around for years but if it starts to act up I know I always have this option.

ERR cruise seems to be more linear than K-line cruise but both will hold a constant speed whatever the setting.

Jon Z, if you are following this thread I recall some time ago you mentioned the weak point of K-Line cruise. Did it have something to do with tach sensor or something else?

Pete

If you use the ERR cruise control, you have the "nudge" feature to match speeds for MU operation.  I've never tried to MU K-Line engines with cruise, I only have two of them, one's a diesel and one's a steamer, so they're not real candidates.

This thread is informative and surprising. I have always placed the K-Line cruise at the bottom of the heap, as being the jerkiest version made by anyone. In fact, the guy who "invented" the K-Line cruise ripped off the Lionel jerky odyssey one system. That was part of the big lawsuit that took K-Line down.

Every K-Line cruise I have ever seen jerks and twitches like a school boy before recess.

 I replaced the lead engine DCDR with a cruise "m" and installed a cruise commander in the powered B Unit and powered A Unit. They "nudge" and MU perfect.

Bill

I rate them from the Odyssey II in the Legacy engines as the best, followed by the ERR Cruise Commander (and M), then the K-Line and the TAS EOB bring up the rear.