Can TMCC be installed in an Atlas O AEM-7 ?

Yes.

TMCC can be installed in anything - maybe even your blender (if you step down that

110-volt input!)

A plastic-bodied (most diesels, many electrics)/plastic coal load loco makes it easier, as there is no antenna wrestling involved (voice of experience).

See Modern Toy Train Parts website; Bill installs and/or sells you the kit to do it. I've

done many of them.

At the time, (several years ago) the CTO of Lionel and Mike Reagan both said it was extremely difficult to to put TMCC in them because of space constraints.

New boards have become available since then and the situation may be different now.

Take a look inside your Atlas O AEM 7 and you will see that space inside these "toasters" is extremely tight.  That's why I did not attempt do it when I looked into putting TMCC in mine a few years ago.

Night be worth another look though.

Hope this acts as a thought starter.

Ed Boyle

Eliot,

I installed an ERR Co. Cruise Commander. It's a tight fit, as Ed said, because of the single, big, horizontally-mounted motor. I had to do lots of interior trimming IIRC.

Hardest part was wiring all the bulbs, some of which are meant to be always on, others directionally-controlled. I finally gave up and wired most for constant on.

Jim

I'm not familiar with the Atlas AEM-7, can you post a photo?  It sound like one of many unique TMCC installs that would make good tutorial on how to. 

Steve, Lady and Tex

As an owner of one of these I would be very interested in a how to for the upgrade as well.

Unfortunately, I no longer own the engine. I seem to remember suspending the board above the horizontal motor and flywheel drive shaft. I made a long platform from styrene sheet running the length of the engine, supported at the two ends by blocks of styrene I attached to the frame. The board and wiring sat on this platform, keeping everything out of the mechanism.

Jim

The original Dalle boards are mounted about the large Pitmann dual flywheel horizontal motor.  The model also has front and rear cabs that are full cabs and detailed.  There is almost no free space in that engine.  It does run well and there is a "hybrid" mode that uses TMCC and the Locomatic controller.  Not full TMCC.

What would make a DCS proto2 conversion all the more difficult is the fact that the horizontal motor has dual flywheels unlike those of a typical vertical can motor chassis. Installing the flywheel tape plus tach reader plus the board would be quite a challenge.

Thinking more about my conversion, I'm not sure now if it was an ERR Co board I used or an old Train America Studios 8 amp motor driver board (It was definitely not EOB!!!).

Those nicely detailed cabs were one casualty of the conversion, as they were removed to make room for the styrene mounting pads I made.

Jim

Don't know if this is a help or not. Just put an order in for an MTH Amtrak "toaster" with Proto 3.

Will also see if I can stuff TMCC into my original Atlas O AEM-7.

Ed Boyle

Many thanks to ll of you for your replies.

Special thanks to Chuck, Ron, Dr. Policastro and Professor Boyle.

BTW: I love the AEM-7's so much that I did buy an MTH Proto 2.0 issue several years ago. I had to sell that loco as it was not a very good puller at all. It struggled on my 2.2% grade with five Atlas O Horizon Amtrak cars. I am hopeful I can convert my Atlas O AEM-7 to command but, as Jim said, I am wary of the conversion owing to lack of space. Perhaps I can get someone (Jon Zahornacky are you listening) to allow me to hire them to do it.

BTW x 2: I just purchased an MTH Proto 3.0 Virginian FM and the sounds are much improved over previous MTH diesels.

Should have mentioned that MTH has cataloged "Toasters" in their latest catalog.  Maybe the Proto 3 versions will pull better?  Let's ask Andy.

Ed Boyle

Here are some pics of mine. Trying figure out why it don't run.

You could always put the electronics and the speaker in the baggage car and run a tether to the locomotive with the motor wires. You could either add another wire for the headlight, or just run it off track voltage since it will be a constant 18v in TMCC anyway. I'm going to be facing the same situation one of these days, whenever I get around to painting and putting together the undecorated AEM-7 I picked up at York when Trainworld was blowing them out. 

I got mine in that same Trainworld blowout. The drive is very similar to that in the very smooth running Atlas diesel switchers. It is geared to run slightly faster but still as smooth. At the time I felt it was worth the extra effort to add it to the command fleet.

That same horizontal drive was also used in the Atlas MP15.

Too bad that the lack of space for electronics with that type of drive prevented it from being more widely used.

Jim

The new RailSounds Commander is a single board that will fit most anywhere, so if you can fit the Cruise Commander in, I think  you're all set.

Who wants the job?

scrappy

Sorry, Eliot. Some things are meant to be once in a lifetime experiences!  

Jim

If the Cruise Commander won't fit, surely you can easily put the Mini Commander 2 into it with the RailSounds Commander.  The Mini Commander 2 is used in some of Lionel's locomotives, the HHP-8 is one that I've personally worked on with that board in it.

You want it in there, I'll put it in for you.

This one is fun.  Yes,TMCC and EOB.  It was a tight fit.

Norm

Fitting the TAS EOB in that must have been an exercise with the Dremel tool!  The Cruise Commander and new RailSounds Commander would be an easier fit.

Years ago I inquired about install of TMCC into Atlas ALP44 .  At that time was told the tether into trailing pass. car was the only way to go. It is still in the box.  Tony

Well, I can hope . . . . 

In the meantime, I will look at it and think.

Scrappy

You can certainly get TMCC in there, and I suspect with a little creativity, you can get the Cruise Commander into it.

You MIGHT, and I emphasize might, be able to install the Cruise commander inverted with the heat sink base on the inside of the roof dynamic brake blister.  It looks like that should scale out to 1/2" which leaves you with about 3/4" of heat sink fins to clear above the motor.  The wiring harness is going to be a mess but probably no worse than the existing mess.  RS Commander can go over one of the "tower" drive units and I am guessing the existing speaker in what should be the air tanks/batter box under the frame should still work assuming the impedance is a match.

Before you go to far, you need to look at the amp draw of that Pittman motor.  The Atlas SW horizontal drives seem to draw a bit more than the normal (2) can vertical China Drive.  Be sure the ERR drive can handle the motor load.  That being said, go for it.  The no longer available ERR drive I installed in my Rich Yoder GE 44 tonner, fit, but it had no heat sinks, which limits it.  Heat sinks built into the drive should be able to dissipate the heat to the metal structure, IMO.  

It appears that an ERR drive is available in the currently advertised Atlas SW models 2014 catalog.  It would be interesting to know if it has been used previous to this offering in either the SW's or the MP15's, and how well it works.   

Yeow !

It is amazing how much you fellows know about all of this.

I think if I pass this loco among you, the "team" can get this done.

Like "Mission Impossible."

Who wants the first crack at it?

Scrapiron The Hopeful

Eliot:  Will the shell fit the Atlas CNW SW9 that has some issues???? 

I seriously doubt the motor current draw is an issue, I've put Cruise Commanders into a number of really large steamers with the same size Pittman motor. 

You could pick up a little space, if necessary, by making a heatsink for the Cruise Commander as well to replace the existing one.

Mike,

I don't know if it would, but I would rather leave it conventional than do that.

I love the way it looks !

Cruise commander can handle up to 8 amps.  It's a matter of space.

This is what I'm trying to do to get an older RS 2.5 board into a Williams EP-5.  I had a left over 2.5 board and I was able to get sound chips for electric locomotive.  A newer RS Commander would fit fine but I had the 2.5 board so I'm trying to make use of it.  There isn't room for the DC Commander AND the 2.5 board on the frame so I'm trying to install it on the roof of the shell.  The EP-5 has a similar roof box for ventilation of a resistance grid.

I glued a couple of pieces of sheet styrene to "trap" the mounting plate.  The RS-board and "bracket" are to the left.

bracket inserted under the styrene "slides"

board in place.

You might be able to do something like this with the Cruise commander board.  I don't know if there is enough clearance above the motor to accommodate the board plus whatever you use to mount the board to the roof.

Jim, I am willing to try this.  For TMCC you only want drive, no sounds?  If PS-2 could be installed would that be acceptable.  E-mail is in my profile.  G

There should be no issue in getting the sound in there.  Plain TMCC and sound is easy, the only issue I see here is if the Cruise Commander will fit.