Cruise, or not cruise...?

If you feel you don't need it, than don't buy it.

I personally need cruise only because I run long trains on a 2.9 percent grade and sharp radii - 072.

I love the slow starts and slow speeds. Also ERR cruise has 100 speed steps, so if your going to all the trouble you may want to consider cruise.

Try one! Besides being able to run at slower speeds (switch engines come to mind) the ERR cruise will also compensate for voltage changes on a big layout. Its not just about load changes with elevation or curves. My guess after trying one, standard TMCC just won't do.

 

Pete

I have one with cruise, 3 without. Even a slight grade or turn causes the "without" to slow down. for my normal mode of operation ( sip a pop and watch the train) the track has to be very level and it takes a few laps for me to get the speed set the way I want it. For cruise, set it once and watch the train.

   I'm not going to add cruise to my non cruise locos but when I buy any more cruise is high on my priority list. All IMO; Don

No train I have will not have cruise. I like to run my trains slow and I like smooth starts and stops and that is only possible with cruise.

I suspect that, since you are asking this question, you do not have any locos with cruise. If you did, you would not be asking the question.

 

It's the type of thing that you have to experience. I ran a 30 car freight train for several hours on the club layout yesterday, running at drag/crawl speeds all over the layout. Looked good and ran good.

 

How about doing your first conversion with cruise and seeing how you like it? The additional up front cost will be lost in the pleasure you will get for many years from the cruise equipped loco.

 

Quite the contrary...

 

The four GP7s, PAs and the FTs are the only diesel units in my collection that don't have cruise. (K-Line Scale Hudsons and Commodore Vanderbilt not included in this conversation)

 

I have 0-8-0s, Mikados, Mohawks, FAs, RS-11s, RF-16s, F3s, GP7s and H16-44s with either Odyssey or Odyssey II, and TMCC/Legacy control...

 

When we run stuff at the club that has cruise, the wheels slip rather than keeping the train at speed.  Slowing down with drag is prototypical, is it not?

 

I'm just playing devils advocate, and I love the idea of doing a single conversion first!  thanks, Roy!

 

PS - Is the K-Line TMCC a "modular" system that I could easily drop in a CC-M?

 

Thank you,

Mario.

Mario,

 

I have no idea what is going on with your cruise equipped locomotives, but I have no issues at all on the club layout with Atlas track for any of my cruise equipped locomotives, steam or diesel.  If they're really slipping, something is radically wrong, especially if they have traction tires!  Exactly how long a consist are you running for the wheels to slip?  What kind of grades are we talking?

 

The K-Line is the modular TMCC, and I've added the Cruise Commander M to several of them.

I upgraded all my non cruise with the ERR or Proto 2 kits. They run better with more consistent speed especially the slow operation.  I run most of my consists between 10 and 20 smph with one at 3 smph. Cruise control also permits ease of multple train operation on the same loop which you say you are not interested in utilizing; however, try it - you might enjoy that mode of operation.

I enjoy cruise very much. It's one of those things once you have it you grow to depend on it and take it for granted.

 

My non cruise engines get very limited run time and are usually run by themselves as sole train on track.

 

Through parts and guidance from Boxcar Bill I have installed a few and will be doing more. I really like my Kline steam engines. Adding cruise to themremakes a huge difference. IMHO. 

Hi

 

The best thing I ever did was to upgrade my Legacy U33C to ERR cruise, it was forced on me when my speed control board failed but the outcome is great

 

I am now going to upgrade my other 2 U33C to cruise

 

I have some steep grades and the cruise makes all the difference, no more speeding up and slowing down on the grades

The Legacy locomotives already has a very capable cruise control, why do you have to update them?  Replacing working Odyssey II boards never entered my head, all my Legacy locomotives have great speed control!

 

On my layout I have very little flat sections, most of the layout is on grade.  I am fortunate enough to be able to run two trains at a time on each of the main lines because of blocks.  It is MUCH easier with some sort of cruise.

 

What I find I am doing now is running to cruise trains on one of the mains and on the other main I run a non cruise engine.  I find the variety and pace to be fun.

 

For my new engines, I can't imagine an engine that did not have cruise.

 

John

 

John 

I have several k-line RS-3 with TMCC but was a little dissatisfied with their slow speed capabilities until I installed ERR cruise in one of them. Talk about a night and day difference! The engine just creeps now and slow stops. When the budget allows I will be installing it in the rest of my engines!!!!

would like to try this option:  1) what is the cruise product and number ?

1 item fits all , or does it matter what kind of loco, is it being installed.

 2)  Next, What are the loco, requirements, for being capable of this upgrade

      (i.e-  Blue Comet,  mth 30-4192-1),  Yes ? , No?

If you must have Legacy, then answer, is pretty simple, I have NONE !

thanks

The ERR Cruise Commander M is a module that is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the Lionel TMCC DCDR module.  It requires you have a locomotive that is using the standard Lionel modular electronics package with a DCDR (non-cruise).

 

The ERR Cruise Command (note no M) is a stand-alone package designed to replace the existing electronics, it's normally used for upgrading a conventional locomotive.

 

For the MTH 30-4192-1 there is no need for such an upgrade, ProtoSound 2 includes cruise control capability.

John, I only have MTH, possiblities, and I appreciate the answer,

Just got the book, on the Comet in the Mail,  (they had forgot it),

and the MTH E, received  yesterday, I just now looked at box lid, -- LOCO Speed control,

 

I'll start reading

thanks

Well, for PS/1, you can upgrade to command with the ERR stuff, though as an MTH only user, the PS/2 upgrades make more sense.

My williams are the lower end,  sd-90s,  fast and smoother, bought just to

have 18 inch, engines at blow out prices,  and all the Lionels , are PW, but conv,

lower end loco's, had the mth e33, moving at a snails pace, all the way around

thanks

I have the PRR MTH Premier E33, nice little locomotive. 

As I recall Even MTH Loco Sounds engines have Cruise in them. Try running it in conventional while measuring track voltage, if It does not move until you hit about 6VAC on the track it has Cruise.

I know at least some of them have speed control, they have a flywheel encoder.  There's no other reason for the encoder that I can think of.