MTH Locosounds to TMCC/ERR Upgrade

The original electronic do not matter.  The Doodle has 2 can motors.  The Aero has 2 can motors.  You need to look at the lionel engine on lionels website, but all most all of the recent Lionel use Can motors.  Only early and PW celebration type stuff uses AC pullmor motors.

Your biggest issue is addressing lighting as TMCC based products only have 3 functional outputs, Directional lighting, and a variable output usually smoke, but can be a cab light or beacon. G

The MiniCommander II comes in three flavors.  All three have directional LED lighting outputs.

Mini Commander 2, Front & Rear Incandescent Lamps
Mini Commander 2, Front & Rear Coil Coupler
Mini Commander 2, Incandescent Front Lamp & Smoke Unit

The LED outputs will only support one headlight, possibly two LED's.  The bottom pair of 2-pin connectors are for the optional output configuration connections.

If you only have a single headlight, maybe the smoke & front lamp model would do the trick, the smoke output could be used to power the interior lights so they're command controlled.  You can later add sound as the MC-II has a serial data output for the sound board.  The ERR Gas powered Locomotive sound is a good choice for the Doodlebug.

Thank you for the replies.

I am not expecting any issues.  I've been following all the threads on ERR upgrades.  The biggest issue seems to be room, and the Doodlebug has plenty of room for the board.  I'll replace lighting with LEDs.

I have several MiniCommander 2s with the F&R Coupler option.  I bought these with the intent to upgraded small switchers and MUs to TMCC.  I may not use the coupler outputs on the doodlebug.

Jan

Couplers are probably not all that useful on the Doodlebug, how often are you really going to be coupling things.   I've upgraded one of these to a full cruise commander with sound, no issue fitting it into the shell, so the little MC-II surely will fit without an issue!

The Doodlebug only has one headlight, so the LED solution seems perfect for that one.

FWI, in case you don't know, 3rd Rail will be getting the MC-II back in stock, probably sometime in the fall, so you'll be able to get any of the configurations again.

John,

I was thinking the same about the couplers.  I am expecting that if I do add sounds in the future, I'll need to change the speaker as all the discussions of MTH upgrades have stated that the speaker is 4 ohms.  Sounds would be a future upgrade.

I already have put in my reservation for more MiniCommanders since I decided to do the MUs.

Jan

Well, MTH upgrades have 4 ohm speakers, but the older PS/2 5V boards have 16 ohm speakers.  In any case, you want an 8 ohm speaker for the ERR sound board, so you will have to change the speaker.