Actually, you can build a real Legacy locomotive with available parts now.
The RS6 boards as you have indicated. You can also buy the Legacy R4LC, and the Legacy back-EMF driver, that's basically a Cruise Commander M that speaks Legacy. It was used in some AF Legacy models.
You'll also need a motherboard for the R4LC to tie it all together.
That was my point. The only way to use an RS6 board is to go all Legacy. If you go with ERR then the best audio will either be Lionel RS 5 or ERR Railsounds. I am not aware of a generic RS 5 board. They are all engine specific. You could use ERR with the separate sale PT tender but it too is engine specific for the ESE cab number 5429. User selectable sounds sets are one area where DCS shines.
Pete
I don't know which Legacy motor drivers are available now - if what John's saying is true, it might be off the recent SD70ACE's in S gauge - but if this is true, it might just be easier to go full Legacy mode instead with all the proper pieces. Again, I don't want nor need to, but if it is the only way to operate the 6.0 sounds, I might as well be the test monkey.
In the end, I think I'd still spend less than half the amount of a $1600+ Vision 700E. 
I won't argue with DCS there, though.
BTW, Lionel also is selling their RS5.5 boards, which look exactly the same as the 5.0 boards, and they were also made for Legacy.
You should be able to use the motor driver board from the Vision Hudson. The difficult part will be mounting the speed sensor on your motor. I think Lionel is only selling first generation Legacy. The Vision Hudson has a large motor. If this is for a Timko smaller Mabuchi then maybe a speed sensor from a Legacy Diesel might work. The NYC GP7 was one of the first if not the first Legacy Diesel.
I think there a thread on the forum about upgrading an engine to Legacy if you want to get an idea of all that is involved.
Pete
Thomas,
If you plan on using the RailSounds 6 audio board (along with the powered motherboard) as a stand-alone sound system, you're probably OK. But as mentioned above, you'll likely run into trouble if you plan on using the RS6 board with anything older than an R4LC.
One more thing to keep in mind... In the R2LC/TMCC systems through RailSounds 4, there was a board in the tender (the AD20) that handled receiving the serial line commands over the wireless tether and then relaying this to the audio and RS power boards in the tender. The AD20 also handled the back-up light (incandescent) and the rear coupler. Starting with RailSounds 5 (and including 5.5 and 6.0), the AD20 was eliminated and those functions were handled by the RS audio board. My guess is that the RS powered motherboard doesn't have the connections for the back-up light (LED on RS5 and above), rear coupler, and wireless tether, so you might need to tap into the appropriate pins on the audio board for those functions.
TRW
Option B is to buy the actual motherboard from a Legacy tender and use the standard RS power, it's the same one from RS3 through RS6. That should have all the connections for the coupler, light, and IR receiver.
I'd use the Legacy back-EMF motor driver and dispense with the issues of mounting the tach sensor wheel and board, that could get tricky.
Back emf would be the way to go if you could get the boards.
This is actually the Legacy version and its now listed no longer available.
Pete
Thanks for the insight, Todd. Fortunately, all of ERR's command modules come with R4LC receivers now.
I'm not sure how easy it would be to install IR tethers on an old locomotive like this, and I planned on not having one in the first place. Nor did it have a backup light (or hole for it for that matter).
The last time I did an upgrade like this (the 18018 Southern Mikado), I just needed the Cruise commander, power board and 5.0 sound chip, and the 3 color (red, blue and green) cable to connect the two to let the commander transfer the hot, ground and serial data to the sound motherboard. That was basically it, and all this was housed in the tender. The only electronics in the locomotive were the LED lighting and the Super Chuffer to control the new fan smoke unit.
Let's take into account everything that needs to go into this Hudson locomotive:
The locomotive has no cab detail back head, so therefore has a lot of space to put next to the new smaller can motor. With those goals, the list of needed parts are:
Let me know if I'm missing anything.
The R4LC that comes with the ERR stuff is still only a TMCC receiver, it's the firmware loaded that determines if it speaks Legacy. The C08 version loaded into the ERR R4LC makes it appear just like the common R2LC-C08 version.
If you are using the Cruise Commander, I don't know of any "official" Lionel solution to generating the chuffs or controlling the smoke. However, I can recommend a solution that works for many people, the Chuff-Generator and the Super-Chuffer.
You had to see that coming, right?
Yes, John, I did. Considering I bought one of each at York, I know they work very well with ERR upgrades and are very easy to install. Of course this is if I went with the Cruise commander.
If I went with the Legacy motor driver, I might have to add something else to control it instead. Of course using the Chuff Generator and Super Chuffer would be much easier and fit into the rather tight confines of the American Hudson's boiler, minus the open cab, if the two could cooperate with each other.
The plastic coal load on the 18005's tender would be easy to create a Command antenna. Do Legacy locomotives have an antenna despite the 2.4 GHz frequency?
Again, IF (and keyword IF) the basic sounds (chuff, bell, whistle and maybe CrewTalk) of the 6.0 board can be controlled with the ERR commander, that's all I need. And again, I will not be using a wireless tether.
Oh yeah, and in a future plan to mate the 18056 Hudson with the CC2 PT tender, a simple swap of sound boards from 5 to 6.0 would be another beast of a problem altogether as well? 
Everyone viewing this page is hitting on my virtual estate sale website, because MIKADO 4501 linked to the pic of the 18005 Hudson appearing in his Google image search results. Interesting to see the back end effects of linking to a Google image, which I often do myself. Happy to be of assistance. Promise not to sell or otherwise capitalize on the information imparted with each hit.
The older Legacy using the modular board system still required a chuff switch to trigger the chuffs. Given that fact, the Chuff-Generator and Super-Chuffer are still the way I'd pick to handle the smoke unit, even with the Legacy boards. However, since the Legacy version of the back-EMF motor driver appears to be unavailable, building the all-Legacy solution doesn't appear to be all that attractive.
I'm watching this with interest. I have a MTH PS-1 Hudson I want to upgrade to TMCC, but also want more Hudson like sounds.
I don't know for sure how the RS6 board would react to the 8 bit code from TMCC on the serial data. It may work, but I don't have one out in the wild to test. This is a question for someone like Rudy or Jon Z. from Lionel I suspect.
sinclair posted:I'm watching this with interest. I have a MTH PS-1 Hudson I want to upgrade to TMCC, but also want more Hudson like sounds.
You'd think being one of the most commonly produced locomotives in 3-Rail, NYC Hudson specific upgrade sounds by Lionel would sell hundreds to those who want them upgraded.
Guess it's time to contact one of them to see...
I heard that the RS6 board will not give you what you want with TMCC signals. you may get some functionality but it wont be what is expected.
If I were more energetic, I'd open up something with the RS6 board and try it in my test fixture. However, I have too many other fish to fry, so I'll suggest it for someone else. 
gunrunnerjohn posted:If I were more energetic, I'd open up something with the RS6 board and try it in my test fixture. However, I have too many other fish to fry, so I'll suggest it for someone else.
I'm in the same boat, someone might want to do the test but I'm afraid it won't be me.
Railsounds posted:gunrunnerjohn posted:If I were more energetic, I'd open up something with the RS6 board and try it in my test fixture. However, I have too many other fish to fry, so I'll suggest it for someone else.
I'm in the same boat, someone might want to do the test but I'm afraid it won't be me.
I would be glad to test this if I had a board, hint, hint. 
Pete
Railsounds posted:gunrunnerjohn posted:If I were more energetic, I'd open up something with the RS6 board and try it in my test fixture. However, I have too many other fish to fry, so I'll suggest it for someone else.
I'm in the same boat, someone might want to do the test but I'm afraid it won't be me.
If someone want's to donate a RS6 board to me, I'll test it out. I just don't want to spend $100 to find out it won't work with the 8-bit TMCC serial data! 
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