Last night I tore apart a few engines to experiment and see what I could get away with using sound cards of the RSL and RSM variety.
1. I wanted to know if an RSM card with horn/bell only, from a conventional loco could be placed in a TMCC or Legacy loco. The answer is yes. And it can receive serial data unlike previous generations of horn/bell cards. So now I know that I can upgrade to command on many of these engines without also buying a full RailSounds Commander system, while still being able to operate the horn and bell in command mode.
2. I also wanted to see what happens if I took a Legacy RSL card from a Legacy engine, and put it in a low tech Pullmor motored F3 without command. The answer-it works beautifully in conventional mode, with RPM’s ramping with voltage just like the RailSounds Commander would. Battery backup is a bonus feature too
Because Legacy RSL cards are now eligible for direct purchase (1 at a time) this offers an alternative upgrade path for sound. And I am pleased that I don’t have to give up the nice horn/bell card on many of my conventional locos if I go command.
