ERR parts for Dockside Switcher

I've got one too, and would love to have it with TMCC, cruse, electrocouplers, sound, LED lighting, and a fan driven smoke unit with super chuffer.

Jon Z. swears the Cruise Commander Lite will fit in the Dockside, but I don't know about getting the sound in as well.  I put a Digital Dynamics TMCC setup in one a few years ago, it was a tight fit.  I had no room for sound.  As far as couplers, I had to do major surgery to get the rear electrocoupler working, I used the DASH-9 long coupler.  I opted not to do the front since it looked like it would be even harder.  The couplers have odd mounts and don't lend themselves to easy conversion to electrocouplers.

Thanks John.  I think you replied to my similar note a year or two ago. Doesn't sound like I should get my hopes up.  No big deal, though.  Still want and need to have some conventional engines around for times when nieces and nephews are around and I don't want to risk having the expensive stuff out.

To get the DD package in, I had to Dremel away all the internal mounting posts for the board that was in for conventional operation.  The one thing about the CC-Lite is it has the logic output for the whistle, so it might be possible to use a small horn board to have some sound.  I just think that the electrocouplers will be the stumbling block, that took some carving to fit in.

I could not get the cc lite to fit into the dockside. Or at least it was way more of a project than I was willing to undertake. Not saying it cannot be done but it won't be a one night easy project. I decided to put the electronics in a scale work caboose with a tether. The scale work caboose is basically the crane sound car without electronics. I still need to work on a nice tether. What I had was crude and I put the project on the back burner.

~Bill

I think to fit the CC-Lite in, you'll have to hack off all the unused projections in the boiler shell.  The DD package I put in was close to the size of the CC-Lite, so I think it should be possible.

It's a shame that this loco - a good, realistic model of a specific loco - is so unfriendly to command and coupler upgrades. The use of  a "non-standard" coupler mounting design (works well, but that's no help) just annoys me. I have one that is screaming to be a freelance wee cab-forward, so the coupler issue may be moot (a tender and a pilot would be added), and I could put the board in the tender, but, still - I wish that I could just do basic upgrades and have a nice 0-6-0 switcher.

Probably never get to it anyway, but, still.

I even added ERR CC (no sound) to my modern, can-motored PW-style Lionel 0-4-0 with the little slope back tender, plus working electrocouplers (standard mounts) - so it's too bad that the nice 0-6-0 can't be done that way without a battle.   

The couplers are a major stumbling block to me spending more time on the Dockside locomotive.

Rats.  I feel the pain on the couplers, mine just don't like to pivot, so it's always pulling the car coupled to it off of the track, hence why I was hoping for a electrocoupler upgrade.  I love the little thing, and it looks good on the track next to my other scale steamers and wish I could use it as a cute switcher, but it just doesn't get run anymore due to being a finicky conventional runner.  So I bought the 0-6-0 B6 to be my switcher.  I love it too (Once I fixed the tether issue.) but with the tender it's not nearly as compact as the Dockside.  Lionel has them with LionChief now, but that's not what I want.  If they ever offered these with Legacy, I'd be in for couple for sure.

John, I don't suppose you'd be willing to put a CC-L and a rear electrocoupler in mine, would you?  I could live with the puffer smoke if you think you can use the existing whistle board.

I don't think I want to try to put an EC on another one of those.  Mine is somewhat of a kludge, and it was way more effort than the job should have taken.  I think I'd consider finding a different small switcher.

John - what's your experience, if any, with a Lionel, Williams, or WBB NW-2.  I have a WBB NW-2 with two (2) motors. My inexperienced look inside says one of the motors might have to be removed as part of an upgrade.  Sound right to you.

Also, I've been eyeing the smaller RMT S-4 "Bang" switcher.  Think it would accommodate ERR cruise commander and railsounds?

I put a CC Lite in an MTH Dockside with no problems.

Patrick, getting the CC-Lite in there isn't the issue, it's cobbling up the electrocoupler.

raising4daughters posted:

John - what's your experience, if any, with a Lionel, Williams, or WBB NW-2.  I have a WBB NW-2 with two (2) motors. My inexperienced look inside says one of the motors might have to be removed as part of an upgrade.  Sound right to you.

Also, I've been eyeing the smaller RMT S-4 "Bang" switcher.  Think it would accommodate ERR cruise commander and railsounds?

I haven't seen the WBB NW-2, so I can't say.  Pictures with a ruler to judge the space would be helpful.

The BANG is a bad choice, I believe it has the "cogging" motors that don't work with back-EMF cruise.

raising4daughters posted:

John - what's your experience, if any, with a Lionel, Williams, or WBB NW-2.  I have a WBB NW-2 with two (2) motors. My inexperienced look inside says one of the motors might have to be removed as part of an upgrade.  Sound right to you.

Also, I've been eyeing the smaller RMT S-4 "Bang" switcher.  Think it would accommodate ERR cruise commander and railsounds?

Scott

I've done a Williams NW2 and to fit everything in I had to remove the rear motor. I used the tiny speaker that is already in the engine because there wasn't any room for the speaker that comes with the railsounds. It doesn't sound to bad. You would be surprised how many cars it will pull with one motor.

I forgot to mention I did this upgrade with railsounds 4 which uses more space then the new railsounds board. Also CClite wasn't around yet.

John, I didn't upgrade the couplers to electro. I left the originals for now.  

Do you have any pictures?  I can't imagine the full CC and RS4 fitting in there.

zwbob posted:

raising4daughters posted:

John - what's your experience, if any, with a Lionel, Williams, or WBB NW-2.  I have a WBB NW-2 with two (2) motors. My inexperienced look inside says one of the motors might have to be removed as part of an upgrade.  Sound right to you.

Also, I've been eyeing the smaller RMT S-4 "Bang" switcher.  Think it would accommodate ERR cruise commander and railsounds?

Scott

I've done a Williams NW2 and to fit everything in I had to remove the rear motor. I used the tiny speaker that is already in the engine because there wasn't any room for the speaker that comes with the railsounds. It doesn't sound to bad. You would be surprised how many cars it will pull with one motor.

Thanks Bob. I'll probably go that route and have you do the upgrade. Would love to keep both motors but sounds like it's not a big loss.

Stopped in the Trading Post earlier this week. Thought I might see you there. Picked up some track and helped Jim sell a 1033 transformer to a rookie looking for something to run the trains around the tree. Amazing they sell for $75 after 50 years but that still 1/2 the price of a CW80.

I noticed that Lionel is now selling the Dockside Switcher with LC technology.  It looks like this is strictly LC, not LC+, correct?  I imagine that's further confirmation of GRJ's statements above about the difficulties adapting electrocouplers.