Christmas Train is going up! Will Railsounds work with Cab1?

I doubt the GN set is TMCC, so no, it's not going to work.  If it is TMCC, obviously it will work.  What specific model number are we talking about?

If it's not TMCC, you can control it with either a PowerMaster or TPC, with the CAB1.

The set # is 11724 from 1992.  That was the easy part...

Now's where I get a little confused.

If I understand correctly, the RailSounds will not work with the Cab1, but the Cab1 will control the movement of the engine? Am I close?

If the set is from 1992, there is no way it has TMCC. IIRC, TMCC was put on the market circa 1996. Sounds like it is a conventional set. 

If you have a Powermaster or a TPC, you can connect it to your TMCC system and run the train conventionally with the CAB1 remote.  In conventional mode through the remote using the Powermaster or TPC, you can control the whistle/horn and the bell.  The other sounds (i.e. chugging/diesel roar) are automatic.  The engine in question does not have TMCC installed in it, so running in command mode is out of the question.

That's a conventional set that runs using transformer control.  As I said, without a TPC or PowerMaster, you won't control it at all from the CAB1.  It's strictly designed for transformer control and the conventional whistle/bell buttons.

I bought the Trainmaster Command Set a while ago. Is the block in there the Powermaster?

Nope, that's the command base.  It connects to the track to control command equipped locomotives.

I did some digging and found the manual for the PowerMaster online, O could see the difference.

Now the $1000 question. I have ordered the Legacy System. Will that run conventional trains like my GN?

Nope, the Legacy also doesn't run conventional trains without some assistance.

I'd consider selling the CAB1/command base after getting the Legacy and investing in a TPC-300.  That will allow you to run the conventional stuff from the CAB2.

Thanks John. Selling the old system is the plan.  Too bad Lionel can't come up with a one size fits all device.

Well, they have announced a new Legacy PowerMaster, but I don't know when it'll actually ship.  However, the TPC is already available.

You don't say whether your ZW is a post war model or the newer style ZW-C with the bricks. If it is the newer style it will run the trains in conventional with the cab1 or Legacy cab2. Postwar is as John says.

Ron

My ZW is old!! With a Legacy coming I think the next investment will be a Z4000 to replace the ZW.

You're out of luck Jeff with the old ZW. Lionel actually does have a "one size fits all device". The ZW-C or the new ZW-L will power the layout AND give you conventional control of your non command engines. Add one of these to your choice of command control (TMCC/cab1 or Legacy/cab2) and you have everything you need to run either command or conventional engines on 4 different loops at once.

Ron

Thanks Ron! Would the MTH Z4000 unit work as well???

Yes it would BUT it wouldn't give you the ability to control conventional trains with the remote without a bunch more equipment. The Z4000 is a great transformer IF you're going to get DCS to go with it. Then you can control conventional trains with the DCS remote BUT you can't control Lionel trains without a TMCC or Legacy base. If you're just running Lionel command and  conventional on more than one loop it would be cheaper to get a used ZW-C or wait for a new ZW-L. If you're just running one engine on one loop of track I would just get a Powermaster 135 watt and Lionel 135 watt brick and add it to your TMCC/cab1 at about 130.00 used. This would give you the ability to run 1 train either conventional, TMCC, or Legacy (minus the Legacy features) with your remote. If you're thinking about expanding later get the Powermaster 180 and the 180 watt brick at about 180.00 used.

I hope this helps,

Ron 

I'd personally steer clear of the PowerMaster 135 for one reason.  The PowerMaster 180 has a much better fast acting circuit breaker.

I have been running a Powermaster 135 for a couple of years and it's response to a short has been as close to instant as I can perceive. Just today it popped several times on the Christmas layout because a bad track connection was causing a derail. I agree with the 180 being a better deal but if funds are limited the 135 will do the job. I paid 28.oo shipped for mine. I'd be hard pressed to find a 180 for anywhere near that price. Now if your talking about the Powerhouse 180 the breaker is much faster acting but the Powermaster circuit itself pops long before the Powerhouse breaker has a chance to respond.

Ron

Well, $28 shipped is a very good price, no doubt about that.   I have some of them, and they don't trip as fast as the 180, that's all I was saying.