Has Anyone Ever Converted an MTH EF-3 to run on TMCC?

@Mister_Lee posted:

Has anyone ever converted an MTH New Haven EF-3 to run on TMCC?  I've admired their lines for years and finally gave up fighting temptation. Since most (although not all) of my modular train club (Austin Tinplate Trackers) uses TMCC/Legacy and since the locomotive itself came with Proto Sound 2, I don't see any reason to keep the original electronics.  I've already decided that I'll go the Electric Railroad route, but I don't know which packages I should buy.

Any useful advice would be appreciated.

Should be pretty straightforward. I would suggest a Cruise Commander and EP5 Railsounds (their only sound kit for electrics). You will have to replace the couplers too if you want them to operate with ERR. Using the existing ones will fry the drive components. You should be able to use the pantographs for the antenna as most are isolated from the body.

Pete

I appreciate the advice, but  I'm really a novice at this.  Replace the couplers with what by whom?

@Mister_Lee posted:

I appreciate the advice, but  I'm really a novice at this.  Replace the couplers with what by whom?

You can get them from ERR. Just check the length. They should be around 8 ohm vs about 3-4 ohm that MTH uses on PS2 engines. All the couplers at Lionel would be 8 ohm too and you would have choices on length but 2 inches seems to be the most common measured end to end.

Pete

I have done conversions of MTH to ERR/TMCC.  You also need to modify smoke unit to work since MTH smoke unit is different.  I can do the conversion.  Email in profile.  G

Since it's a PS/2, you have to change the smoke resistor to be compatible with TMCC and also supply a 5V supply for the smoke fan.

This is an electric locomotive. It doesn't have a smoke unit at least not one installed by the factory.

Pete

Well, that's a really good point Pete!   I'm used to my GG1's, they have a steam boiler.