ETrain,TMCC and Conventional

Do you have a CAB-1 and base or a Legacy controller and base?

 

The power master bridge will only work with Legacy.

 

If you are using a CAB-1 and base, I think a TPC300\400 will be best. But you will need a special splitter cable that will allow you to send commands from your computer to both the base and TPC. I have no idea which cables will do that. 

 

What are you trying to do?

Do you want your computer to control a TPC and do full TMCC commands?

Or do you want your computer to just control a TPC or power master?

The new Legacy Powermaster works from the track signal, so it should be able to accept commands from anything that puts out TMCC commands via a base unit.

The reason the guy with the train software doesn't handle the old PowerMasters is they never communicate with the TMCC command base.  The CAB1 talks directly to the PowerMaster at 27mhz, the command base doesn't know they exist.

 

There is only one PowerMaster bridge, it's purpose was to allow you to use the old TMCC PowerMasters with Legacy.  The new Legacy PowerMaster doesn't require the bridge, and is a much better option going forward.  With the new Legacy PowerMaster, it is possible for the computer control to communicate with the Legacy PowerMaster and do what you seek to do.

 

Thank you all for your replies.  So is the connection configuration then...  PC to TMCC Command base (via serial cable)  then TMCC command base to the powermaster via a wireless radio signal?  Then the Legacy powermaster is wired to the track.  I am a bit confused how this works because there is no serial interface on the Legacy powermaster.

 

Can you give me a part number for what works.  I am also not sure if you mean Legacy Powermaster or Legacy Powermaster bridge.

Original TMCC.

From reading your posts, it sounds as though you might not have any kind of base. Do you have a TMCC base? This has the serial connector, and the one-wire connection to the track. A Powermaster has no serial connection, just a connector for a transformer, and connectors for the 2 power wires to the track.

Yes I have the original TMCC base, original TMCC handheld and a original PowerMaster.  First ones Lionel ever built.

Thanks for the clarification.   I don't think that you would be able to control your original Powermaster via serial commands, as it communicates directly with the CAB-1 remote, not the base. But with a Legacy Powermaster it should be possible, as this communicates with the base via the track signal.

The Legacy PM will work like an engine from the serial port, the original has no knowledge of the base or serial communications.

The Legacy PM is a current product, I know that Nicole has one or more, and I've heard other people talking about having them.  It's wireless, just like the SC-1 and SC-2, among other things.  You just need a track common to it for best results.

I've got three of the Legacy Powermasters. You connect it in the same way as the old Powermaster. (Transformer and 2 wires to the track.) The big difference is that it communicates with the base via the track signal, and not directly to the remote. It also has much better overload/short-circuit protection than the old Powermaster. You can even reset it after a short circuit from the remote. It also provides all of the functionality of a TPC. I have found that when used in conventional mode, it seems to provide smoother control than my TPC units do. I have now replaced my TPC's with Legacy Powermasters.

You should be able to find them at most dealers, and the price is much less than a TPC. (Around $75 to $80 at many dealers.)

I was watching the powermaster video on Legacystation.com.  Something went on throughout the video that was quite scary.  A lot of the time when the demonstrator started up the steamer from neutral it went right to full power.  It happened quite a few times.  Is this the nature of the beast so to speak or was he doing it wrong.  I would like to be VERY SURE I could start mine at a creep every time.

 

Vid here  

Looked to me like he was not moving the throttle knob when changing directions.
If you don't move the throttle down track voltage will remain high when you change directions. Just like any conventional transformer.

I hope so.  Hope it is not quirky in terms of applying full power is easy to do.