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I have a custom A-B-B-A set that I put together from two A-B-A sets, removing both dummy A units and leaving myself with two Powered As and two dummy Bs. While retaining PS1, I had the motor leads reversed on the trailing A unit so it would keep sequence with the lead A. The lead a would control either or both B units and the trailing A was stand alone. I would hope to retain the same sveneraio with TMCC.

The custom set had the following changes to the couplers:

A -front coil, rear fix, tether signal pass
B -both fix, tether signal pass
B -front fix, rear coil
A -rear coil, front coil

...This allows me to run either stand alone A, an AB, an ABB, an ABA, or ABBA configuration without losing coil couplers.

I would imagine I would have to dial both A units as a lash up, which is no problem; however, if I ever run these TMCC converted locos in conventional, isn't the trailing unit going to start in forward and pull against the lead A?? Can I wire it up so that it always goes backwards like I did with PS1?

Any tips?

 

*please don't disparage or flag me for this post. I wasn't sure which topic to put under as it a TMCC related, but the engines are old MTH. The question has to do with TMCC. Thanks.

Last edited by DdotCdot
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gunrunnerjohn posted:

You can wire it up to default to reverse, it's as simple as swapping the motor leads.  For the directional lighting to be correct, swap the lighting outputs as well.  You can also dispense with the lash-up and just address them with the same TMCC ID if you wire them that way.

Excellent. Thank you. Can I reuse my existing PS1 coil couplers too? Would hate to have replace the coils...

sinclair posted:

If you program it corrected as a TMCC lash-up, the rear locomotive will start backwards like you want it and the lights will work correctly.

Right but that doesn't solve the issue with conventional. I think gunrunnerjohn had the right solution. Flip the leads to the motors and lighting in the rear A unit and then it can work stand alone in conventional or command or as part of the entire ABBA consist in sequence - regardless of power environment.

But, now that I play all scenarios in my head, yours also makes sense as well, because if I do run them together as the same ENG I'm going to get horn blasts from both A units and different unique sounds falling on top of one another, whereas with a lash-up, you get the correct balance of prime mover in the leader and the trailer, but your horn and other sounds come from the leader.

So, using both of your recommendations, if I wire up the trailing A unit in reverse, but also assign it as another ENG ID, I can run it as part of the ABBA in lash mode with correct sound placement, or stand alone in TMCC as for example just an A unit with a consist, simulationsly with the remaining ABB and its own consist separate as two different trains. This means that in conventional, as part of the same ABBA, they will cycle e units in sync and directional lighting will be right. 

All I have to do is remember that my trailing A unit is flipped. It will always start in reverse and I just eliminate the need to press DIR when creating the lash up. 

Excellent. Thank you both :-)

 

 

Last edited by DdotCdot

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