Atlas engines equipped with tmcc

I did (RS-1, A-B-B-A Erie Builts) and they ran fine.   Railsounds are a bit generic. Smoke units were anemic.   I have since sold the Erie Builts, and converted the RS-1 to DCS. No problem with TMCC, it just that I run DCS.  Also, I prefer the DCS ALCO RS-1 sound file

"Does any one run the 2-rail Atlas engines equipped with the lionel tmcc?"

 

    I had two TMCC Railsounds 2 rail locos years ago. A weaver Gp38-2 that sounded great but was one of the first weaver china drives so ran crappy, and an Atlas switcher that was a sweet runner and sounded great except for the horn that sounded like it had something stuck in it.  I really liked the Lionel TMCC controller with large knob and buttons to notch up or notch down the prime mover to match train speed.  If I was still running O scale I'd probably kept the TMCC as I found nothing bad about it for my application.......DaveB

I have an Atlas SW1200RS that came with TMCC.... which I stripped out (except for the speaker) & re-wired for ordinary 12v DC. More recently I've fitted a Tsunami DCC decoder to it.

.... but I suspect that doesn't really answer your question properly....
I got rid of the TMCC as I didn't have - & had no intention of getting - the required Lionel control gear.

Super O, I have a Atlas 2 rail Santa Fe Gp 60M with lionel TMCC. I bought it half a decade ago or so and never used it with the thought of my  MTH DCS engines. SO over the last few years I decided to use only DCC and so it sat. I figure i can someday swap it for something I could use later as it is a master series engine.

 My reasoning on the Lionel as I wanted more modern engines and Atlas wasn't and still isn't producing them and so I bought into MTH Ac44s and other engines but they were DCS. Now i am willing to change things out and go to just DCC as MTH is installing it in their engines now.

 

Phill 

I had two of them. One I sold on eBay years ago. The other is a Reading GP35. I can't stand switching out electronics so my new plan is to pick up a 3 rail dummy and switch the trucks. Then the GP35 will be 3 rail and the dummy will be 2 rail. I will probably have to buy pick up rollers from Atlas. Hopefully then I could sell it as a 3 rail scale locomotive. As you know already it has the fixed pilots. I also took off the electric couplers and put Kadees.

 

Like Phill above me I much prefer DCC. I'm very happy with the performance of the 3 MTH locomotives I have with PS3.0. They run great under DCC.

At the time there was an interesting piece available for Train America Studios and may be even Atlas that allowed for the RF signal in both rails v.s. the common rail only for two rail applications.  The signal is in both outside rails via three rail locomotives. Some of the electronics may be a good replacement part for problem electronics. the Three Lionel boards though generic should be plug and play, usable in other units. mother boards, if for Two Rail AC should at the least be similar. I don't know if the product was available in DC.

Carl Tuveson, an S scale modeler, posted the technique to place the TMCC signal onto both rails in a 2-rail context. The technique can be used by 3-rail operators to "light up" the center rail as well. Basically, you use capacitors on the connection from the TMCC (or legacy) command base and the radio signal jumps the capacitor because of the higher frequency, while the line voltage is blocked.

 

Here's the schematic from his site:

Hi    So for those of us electrically challenged and in simple terms how do you connect TMCC for two rail operation. Im thinking I might have a loop to run TMCC rather than pull the electronics out of several locos.     Stephen    (cTr...Choose the Right)

"for those of us electrically challenged and in simple terms how do you connect TMCC for two rail operation." 

 

    I just tied it onto the buss wires of my O layout and it ran fine. I  tried a TAS booster module but I couldn't tell any difference with it or without it. The layout was a modest size loop with passing tracks and a few spurs, about 15.5 by 9.5 feet overall so I don't know if TMCC would work so well on a larger layout......DaveB

 If you want to just run TMCC on a two rail loop, just tie the output wire from the base onto the neg (black) wire going to the track.

 Turning the locos around on the track and getting weaker signal is when you may need the enhancer.

 

Okay   Thanks Joe and Dave, that is simple, I think I understand Matt's diagram a little better now.      Stephen     (cTr...Choose the Right)

IMO Over the years, the TMCC system has been reliable in 3 rail.  The Fort Pitt Modular (3 rail) system, as large as 100 ft X 24 ft, with 4 main tracks and one end that has five tracks, seems to work quite well.  There are problem area, (yard areas, mostly) that have been addressed over the years.   We, (Fort Pitt High Railers), have also spent considerable time with DCS in the last few years, with success.  Not as simple and easy as TMCC, but work-a-ble.  IMO  No experience with DCC. My comment on both priority systems, TMCC and DCS, is that even with work-a-rounds, the PITA of it all, may have been better addressed via NMRA standards.  Again IMO.  

 

Simple Connection as Engineer Joe detailed. If you want to just run TMCC on a two rail loop, just tie the output wire from the base onto the neg (black) wire going to the track.

 Turning the locos around on the track and getting weaker signal is when you may need the enhancer. 

 

Even the TMCC/Legacy inter-connection isn't all that bad.