ERR Cruise Commander Lite Polar Express Trainsounds Tender

Check out the Sound Converter from ERR, it will do what you want to do.  It takes the whistle and bell serial commands and converts them to track voltage.  You'll have to change the wiring a bit to power the tender sound board from this board, but it'll give you command control of the whistle and bell.  Description below.

The Sound Converter allows you to use your conventional sound board with a new TMCC installation, with some limitations. To install, wire the Sound Converter to the sound output of your AC/DC or Cruise board. Then, wire your conventional sound board to the sound converter. Everything needed to install the board is included with purchase.

A  old powermaster and a cab.1 would also work. Would not even need the comand base.

Thanks to both of you for the wonderful suggestions.

GRJs idea using the ERR Sound Converter looks like it would work.  I don't believe those were around when I asked them the question a year or two ago.  Gweedo suggestion would work also to control the power and sound signals on the track. I really wouldn't need the Cruise Commander Lite for this and simply run the loco in conventional through the Powermaster.

I think I am going to explorer the Sound Converter because the Polar Express could eventually make it to the main layout where everything is Legacy/TMCC.  Then it could run around with all the other locomotives. 

I was in the same place with a number of train sets built as conventional but inclusive with Rail-Sounds, the Sound Converter is the ticket for me also, seeing the locomotives have been converted with ERR Cruise Lites. 

Thank you ERR

Ray

Remember that the Sound Converter is designed for command use. It expects to see constant track power on it's inputs.

You'll need to add a DPDT switch to switch between track power and the Sound Converter output if you want to run in conventional mode.  The sound card needs to see direct track power in conventional mode for proper operation.  The switch would be a conventional/command option selection switch.

I emailed ERR to see if there are any special cables required to install the Sound Converter in my Polar Express.  This is their reply:

There is a special cable in the Cruise-Lite kit for sound.  It plugs into the Cruise-Lite board, then goes to the tender .  You will have to splice some kind of connector into the cable between the engine and tender.  Then purchase our Sound Converter board ($24.95).  The cable from your engine will plug into that board, then another cable will attach to the input of your sound board in the tender.  You will be able to get all the sounds from your whistle and bell buttons on your Command Control hand-held that you currently get from your transformer buttons.

I ended up buying the connectors and pins to use with my crimp tool for the 1.5mm, 2mm, and 2.54mm Lionel connectors.  There were just too many times I couldn't come up with a proper cable for one of these upgrades.

The board does work just as they stated, I've been tinkering with them for some time.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Remember that the Sound Converter is designed for command use. It expects to see constant track power on it's inputs.

You'll need to add a DPDT switch to switch between track power and the Sound Converter output if you want to run in conventional mode.  The sound card needs to see direct track power in conventional mode for proper operation.  The switch would be a conventional/command option selection switch.

The Sound Converter won't interfere in conventional mode, to the best of my knowledge.  Therefore I don't believe you need any switch.  The DC offsets in conventional mode will pass through the Sound Converter to the conventional sound board.  The Sound Converter will introduce DC offsets when in command mode.

Jon, I was curious what happens when the voltage gets too low for the regulators.  Maybe I'm just being cautious as I haven't tried it.  Might be a worthwhile experiment...