Can anyone tell me what year Lionel went from r4lc board to RCMC board in their Legacy engines. and what did the RCMC do over r4lc feature wise.
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We started seeing the RCMC board in 2010. The Vision Line Hudson was the first VL locomotive to have it. The reason for the change was mainly because electronic components over time get harder and harder to find someone willing to make it. Every year they get smaller and smaller. Also since the RCMC runs two smoke units, motor control, coupler function and all the basic and special lighting effects, its more compact. The old R2lc and r4lc setups require more boards, and wires to run the same things the RCMC does.
Another reason is cost. The motor control board such as a DCDS-J version runs around 110$ plus a radio board is around $55 and the smoke unit regulator is $30. its about 200$ to replace all those parts where with the RCMC you replace the whole board for $120.
Personally I think the RCMC is a great replacement for the original modular set up. I just wish Lionel would allow us the ability to program the boards.
The sound boards were also changed from a modular chip setup to a compact reprogrammable board. RailSounds Lite.
wow thanks much. very informative
Bruk posted:I just wish Lionel would allow us the ability to program the boards.
I have the "ability" to program the board, but just not the firmware to burn into them. 
I have had that conversation with the Lionel guys many times. It will never happen. Like Bruk, I am a huge fan of the RCMC board system. I am not unhappy the modular boards have gone into history. Bruk, our cost on the RCMC makes life working on Lionel trains a bit easier. I have been moving some of my earlier Legacy with modular boards.
Marty Fitzhenry posted:I have had that conversation with the Lionel guys many times. It will never happen.
I agree, I'm not holding my breath for the ability to reprogram this stuff, that has to be a very closely guarded capability. 
I can live with that. I put my orders in Sunday and have the parts on Wednesday. Sometime Tuesday, sometimes Thursday. I am talking the same week.
Marty......not any more...........................................
Jackie
@William Jack posted:Marty......not any more...........................................
Jackie
In five years a lot can change, Marty's post was in 2017!
@William Jack posted:Marty......not any more...........................................
Jackie
How did you encounter a five year old thread?
