ERR Lionel 2350 Install - Questions

Sure, it's just like any other TMCC locomotive.  I believe if you configure the DCS for relative mode, you'll even get the 100 step mode of the AC Commander.

You remove everything from the PW unit, and the AC Commander will drive a standard 12V bulb.

Thanks Gunrunnerjohn !!  I see an upgrade in my future.  I wonder if the original battery operated horn still works after 50 years of silence ?  Do you have any recommendation for keeping the original horn and replacing its battery with a DC supply ?

Keeping the original horn and triggering it with TMCC will be tricky, that will take a bit of electronic wizardry.  I don't think the time and expense would be worth it unless you're really enamored with the BEEP-BEEP sound.

I'm not sure I want to keep the old sound either but I was considering the option.  It's a childhood throwback.  I was thinking I could keep the DC horn relay and and feed it a DC supply instead of the battery ?  I'm  thinking the old horn is just a buzzing diaphram and maybe it doesn't work so well unless it has flat DC: hence the battery ?  In lieu of the old DC relay, I was considering one of those $2 low level input relay boards from China.  They can be triggered off the AC Commander I presume.

That depends on which "low level input relay board" you choose.  They all need a DC power supply as well as the trigger.  The AC Commander puts out a 5V logic signal when the horn blows.  In addition, I assume you'd want to get rid of the 1.5V D battery, so you'd need to deal with that as well.

The DC power supply I was talking about was the replacement for the D cell.  I was wondering if the original PW horn only really worked on flat DC battery power and any ripple would cause a problem ?  Thanks again.  Lots of food for thought as usual.

The old DC PW horn takes a surprising amount of current, so any power supply needs to be able to pump out more than half an amp and not droop a lot in voltage under load.

0.5+ amp @1.5 VDC: that could be a big demand from track power.  I have a substantial MRC DC power supply I use for my modest outdoor G scale layout. I could give the horn a test run with that to see what it does.

It's not a big demand if you have a step-down switching power supply powering it.  Figure about that's about .75 watts, and even with a 75% conversion efficiency, you'll only use a couple watts at most from the track power.

I saw one variable supply with lowest output of 1.5 - 1.6 VDC over an input range of 5-20 VAC @ 6 amp output: only drawback it was from Thiland, a country which is off my list due to a bad experience.  Small PC board too.

If you leave out the Far East, you'll pay a lot more for the switching supply.   I have an assortment of them of all descriptions, I created this track powered supply from one of the small switchers.  It'll do an amp pretty easily at 9-10 volts, and can be set as low as a volt and a half.

Here's my assembled module on the left, the eBay switcher board on the right.  The switcher is mounted under my board, you can see the hole to access the voltage adjustment.  The top board has the bridge rectifier, choke for DCS compability, and filter caps.  The whole assembly is 1" x 3/4" x 5/8" tall.

What's the little square silver item on the ebay board on the right? 

That sliver square is the inductor for the switching power supply.

Gunrunnerjohn:  are you selling them.  If so what's the damage ?   I've purchased a number of items from China, great deals and nice.  However the Thiland folks we a whole other story.

I haven't tooled up for any quantity of these, didn't think there would be a demand.  I just have been building them by hand for my needs.  In order to sell any quantity, I'd have to have them manufactured, too time intensive to hand assemble for sale, nobody could afford them.

Thanks for the reply.  I'm sure I will find a supply that will work.  Thanks again !!

Thanks, GRJ.