Cost to upgrade k line scale mikado to tmcc?

Chuffing is just the difference between signalsounds and full railsounds.

TMCC right now, in ERR parts is http://www.3rdrail.com/err-3rdrail/

Cruise commader $150

Railsounds $125

If you opened your engine up, especially the tender and posted pictures of what you have, you could then determine if yours is modular Lionel board upgradeable. Given the Lionel parts sale the 23rd-25th this month, that could be another viable option. Again, this option depends on the fact that your engine would have modular motherboards already installed and are plug in upgrade capable.

An R2LC C08 TMCC radio receiver control board is $75 normally,- obviously half off at the sale. https://www.lionelsupport.com/...IO-RECEIVER-C08-CODE

A Railsounds power board is $40- again, potentially half off in a few (2) weeks. https://www.lionelsupport.com/...OWER-BOARD-UNIVERSAL

Then you need to pick out a Railsound card- ideally a 4.0-maybe 5.5 Railsounds board https://www.lionelsupport.com/...=railsounds%20mikado

Thanks much, attached are images of the tender and the tether.

Do you want TMCC or just chuffing in conventional? If you just want the chuff sounds you only need a railsound board. ERR would be the simplest. Lionel might be a bit less but not much as you need a motherboard to plug the RS4 or RS5 board plus the audio power board into.

It looks like you have a motherboard so just the audio board might be needed.

Do you have any TMCC engines now?

Pete

I think just getting chuffing is enough for me. (But I thought maybe chuffing would need a switch that the locomotive currently didn't have and thus would need tmcc added)

I have tmcc engines now, but no base (I was going to wait till the new cab3 shipped)

I currently run everything as conventional but I have a mix of conventional jr steam engines (mikado, hudson, k4, pacific) and full scale that have tmcc equipped and just currently run conventionaly.

@Vernon Barry posted:

Then you need to pick out a Railsound card- ideally a 4.0-maybe 5.5 Railsounds board https://www.lionelsupport.com/...=railsounds%20mikado

I was looking through this search for mikado boards.  I understand the designations Railsounds 4.0 and 5.0 and Railsounds Lite (Legacy), but what is Railsounds 4E?

Bob

@miller3 posted:

I think just getting chuffing is enough for me. (But I thought maybe chuffing would need a switch that the locomotive currently didn't have and thus would need tmcc added)

I have tmcc engines now, but no base (I was going to wait till the new cab3 shipped)

I currently run everything as conventional but I have a mix of conventional jr steam engines (mikado, hudson, k4, pacific) and full scale that have tmcc equipped and just currently run conventionaly.

For chuffing you need a chuff switch. There may be one on the engine but you would need a pair of wires through the tether to the new Railsounds board or you can use magnets on a tender wheel with a reed switch. ERR sells those. I guess a lot depends if you want to eventually upgrade this engine to TMCC given you plan to get a Base 3.

In the meantime you could put a Railsounds board from another TMCC steam engine to see if you get background sounds. If so then you know adding a chuff switch will get you chuff sounds.

Pete

The simplest way is the ERR RailSounds Commander board and a magnet on a tender wheel.  The magnet and reed switch comes in the RS Commander kit.

For conventional mode, you'll want a battery to prevent the sound from cutting out on direction changes or switches.

Thanks so much for everyone's guidance.

This might sound crazy, but there's a lionel board that I think would sound fantastic for this loco (has correct road name and everything)!

If I went lionel route, to do everything (add tmcc, and railsounds), does this loco have the modular boards discussed to make that possible (add the parts Vernon said)?

Thank you for your patience,

Miller

It has a conventional E unit, not modular but the other board appears to be a motherboard for modular sound boards. If you can pull the board that has the white tape on it then flip it over and take a pic, that would help along with a picture of that motherboard without the daughter board installed.

In the TMCC Mikado the radio board and motor driver are in the engine.

Pete

It looks like you have a Railsounds motherboard, and it has a Signal Sounds board plugged into it.  IF you get the generic Railsounds power supply and the sound board you speak of, that should work.

Obviously, we're talking a RS4 or RS5 sound board for that hardware in the picture.

Here is the board yanked out that had the metal bracket on it (heat sink?)

Yes, notice that is says SS on it, that's the whistle/horn board, but the motherboard supports the full Railsounds board set.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It looks like you have a Railsounds motherboard, and it has a Signal Sounds board plugged into it.  IF you get the generic Railsounds power supply and the sound board you speak of, that should work.

Obviously, we're talking a RS4 or RS5 sound board for that hardware in the picture.

That's great! But to add chuff is there a certain Pin out I would have to wire to for a reed switch?

Best choice for TMCC is an ERR Cruise Commander rather than the Lionel boards that the TMCC version has. That will give cruise instead of non cruise TMCC and still be able to drive the audio board set. You will have to do some homework on where serial data gets connected to the motherboard or a chuff switch and what your options are for a chuff switch. Its not exactly plug and play.

Pete

Pete, I though we had shifted gears to just upgrading the sound.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Pete, I though we had shifted gears to just upgrading the sound.

We have now shifted into overdrive and TMCC is on the table. See post above.

“If I went lionel route, to do everything (add tmcc, and railsounds), does this loco have the modular boards discussed to make that possible (add the parts Vernon said)?”

I'm getting whiplash!

I'm sorry guys, don't mean to jerk yall around. Just trying to understand each option so i can make an educated decison (cost and feasibility) on how to proceed.

Options

1. Full ERR conversion - possible but expensive

2. Err command with lionel railsounds - sounds possible but still expensive

3.Full lionel tmcc conversion - not possible

4.keep conventional with railsounds - possible and cheapest

I think option 4 is my choice now that i understand that it has a tradiitonal e unit but has railsounds motherboard.

So the only thing left was how to make chuff work is how to wire a reed switch into the system.