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Conventional Walk-Around Control

laminglamingOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
Boy, I can sure tell I have been very much out of touch with the "hands on" ins/outs of the 3 rail hobby for a while.

I'm about to decide that I will allow myself to continue to enjoy the hobby of trains through three mediums, involved in one of them as mood inclines:

* V scale (Virtual scale, i.e., computer simulation)
* S scale. (Scale version, not hi-rail)
* Traditional 3 rail trains.

As for me re-entering 3 rail:

I will be staying with Traditional types of trains, with a heavy emphasis on Postwar Lionel. Command control is not desired, my S scale layout caters to that aspect of model trains. For my 3 rail I want the fun, simplicity, sights, sounds, and smells of toy trains. I also desire to occasionally purchase ones that need "help", for I also enjoy working on the older Lionel stuff. For now, the trains acquired will be enjoyed primarily at Christmas time in a Christmas layout setting. EVENTUALLY I may seriously entertain the idea of a permanent layout location on which to enjoy them throughout the year. That brings me to this question:

What options do I have in order have the ability for walk-around control for conventional trains? Has a cottage industry stepped up and made an add-on attachment for PW ZW's? OR, is the only way to get this via TMCC1 or Legacy, or DCS?

As always, any input much appreciated!

Andre
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Gandalf97Gandalf97OGR Forum Member
quote:
Originally posted by Boilermaker1:
MTH made a remote control for the Z4000 some number of years ago. I dont think they make it anymore although it still seems to be a sought after item. So if you find one, its fairly expensive.


They are still out there at reasonable prices but you need to hunt for them. The item you are looking for is the Z4000 RECEIVER. This device allows you to control the track voltage from each handle on a Z4000 without ever touching the handles. The original MSRP was $39.95. Usually what boosts the price is adding the "remote", which you don't need if you have a DCS remote.

Another way to do this with DCS would be with a TIU/Remote and whatever compatible power pack(s) you have. You would use the VARIABLE channels on the TIU and you could then control track voltage from your remote.

I am presently trying to go the first way because I already have a Z4000 and DCS but I want to leave my TIU with my regular layout and not have to mess with a second one on my test loop/Christmas layout. I haven't had time to test my receiver yet but will probably do so this week.

Another advantage of the receiver with the Z4000 is that you can then make your 2 fixed TIU channels act like variable channels and run conventional on those tracks.

If you need help, I'll do what I can.
laminglamingOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
Hi Guys:

Thanks for indulging me. Realistically, it will be several years before I could actually have a need for a system, but I am curious as to what I would be up against.

Let me ask this:

I would intend to wire/block any future 3 rail layout for conventional operation and use rotary switches to assign block control. i.e. Commonly called "Cab Control" way back when, and this is pretty much the way things were done electrically before the advent of command control. My idea is to dedicate a "cab" (rotory switch position) to one side of the PW ZW, another "cab" to the other side of the PW ZW, and a "cab" for command control in order to access the walk-around feature. Thus, would a complete TMCC1 or Legacy, or DCS system function okay with such an arrangement? This way, it would be isolated from the ZW-controlled blocks. Seeing as I would be using 6-position rotary switches, I still have 3 positions on the rotary for additional "cabs" if desired. Am I making sense?

Andre
BD Bob DelbridgeOGR Forum Member
Andre,
What Bob suggested is what I was using, although I used a MTH Z750, PowerMaster, and CAB-1. Very easy hookup and ran the engines fine.

I will say command control (in my case DCS) runs my PS2 engines at a very slow speed, which is what I wanted. They move at 1 smph and run without hesitation/lurching at 3 smph. I could get all my engines (conventional and PS2 in conventional) to run at 4-5 smph using the CAB-1, but DCS has given me better control of my DCS engines, plus access to handling sounds (volume levels, turn on/off lights).

I could also activate the couplers using the horn/bell buttons on the CAB-1, can't recall what else I could do though.
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