Skip to main content

Here's a quick video of my command and smoke upgrade of the Hogwarts Express locomotive.  This one got the Cruise Commander Lite, RailSounds Commander, an MTH fan driven smoke unit, and of course, the Super-Chuffer.

 

Yet to come is lighting the lanterns on the pilot and a backup light on the tender.

 

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Thanks guys.  I still have work to do, but at least it's able to run around the tree. 

 

Cramming all the electronics in the tender was a tight fit, especially because I also put some weights in there to give it a little stability.  Let's just say it's a full house!

 

I want to do something cooler for the lighting in the Dementors car, that's in the queue as well.

 

 

John, you can send your daughter's engine to me, in a few weeks it could run just like this one.

Last edited by gunrunnerjohn

GRJ - nice work!  I am just waiting on a couple more parts for my Hogwarts and I'll shoot a video as well.  Just as a matter of curiosity since I have done basically the same upgrade (minus your awesome smoke unit) did you put all the ERR boards in the tender?  Or did you put the CC Lite in the engine?

I put all boards in the tender myself since they fit.

 

Edit I see you answered this question earlier and I missed it!

Last edited by jrmertz
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

It's going to get improved with random flashing and color, just figuring out how to best do it.

 


Just don't make it too much better or I will have to open mine up again to keep up with the jones's as they say (although, truthfully I plan to open it back up to add some lighting anyway, so if you give me a good idea I won't complain )

And here I was just so happy I got my Hogwarts running with TMCC and Cruise..... here comes John with sound, lights, and smoke!  

 

But anyway, I too was looking at those lights on the pilot.  They are metal I believe (to my surprise).  I thought I would just drill out some plastic and put in those Evan's chip lights and viola!  But it's going to be a bit more work to do it with metal castings.  

 

So John, they mini cruise from ERR we put in.... can you run Evan's LEDs direct off those connectors on the board or does it require some finagling to make them work?  I left the exisiting LED headlight in for now but like you was planning on some upgraded lighting!

 

PS... thanks to an answer from you on another post I knew to take the CAP off the motor!  Thanks! 

The Dementors Car certainly needs help, and it'll get it.  Of course, all the cars will get LED lighting.  I'm also going to take a stab at the silhouettes for the windows.

 

The CC-Lite uses the light outputs from the R2LC, same as TMCC or the Cruise Commander.  Since they left out the LED triggering circuit for the triacs in the CC-Lite, you need that .01uf cap across the light outputs to use them for LED only lighting.

 

 

I'm going to drill a hole through the lantern, use a chip LED near the back, and I use clear epoxy to create a lens for the lamp.  I'll blacken the back to kill any light leakage and route the wires under the pilot.

 

The tender reverse light will be done the same way.  I may even add markers to the tender, after all, it's a fantasy locomotive, right?

 

Impressive job, Gunrunnerjohn. What you've done really makes running that Harry Potter starter set a new and exciting experiernce..

I bought mine awhile back with tmcc already added to tender and need someone to add additional upgrades to it including cruise command.

What's the MTH part number of the smoke unit you added and is your super chuffer in the engine or the tender?

What weights did you add to the tender to get that extra stability and how does that added weight affect the number of coaches the engine can now pull?

BTW, is that last car with flashing light asctually a Lionel Dementor car or one of the three coaches you bought at Allentown's First Frost and modded to flash like a Lionel Dementor car?

Again, congrats on a really nice job, John. 

Last edited by ogaugeguy

Just a thought....   Drill halfway into the carriage light from the front, then use a dremel with a cutting disk that is as thick as one of those chip LEDs to saw up from the bottom as if you were cutting the light in two, but stop once you get to the top of the hole you drilled for the opening.  Then slide the chip up into it with the light facing out the hole and paint the sides.   That would be slick.  

Thanks for the kind words, I'll be continuing with the improvements as I get time.

 

I use the standard MTH steam smoke unit, AA-0000070. for many upgrades.  There's also a diesel model, the only difference is it has longer mounting posts.

 

The weights I use are 1oz automotive self-adhesive wheel weights.  I just stick them around where they fit, trying to keep them low and symmetrical from side to side and centered as much as possible.  The extra 8 or 10 ounces doesn't affect the pulling power enough to talk about, but it does give the light tender a lot more stability.  The locomotive didn't miss a beat pulling the four cars around the club layout, including grades.  Since all I expect it'll usually be pulling is it's passenger cars, I don't think I have a traction issue.

 

The flashing car is indeed the Dementors Car, that's the one I want to do something fancy in with the lighting.  I have the audio clips to add sound as well, and I'll be triggering them using TMCC.  It might be cool to have normal lighting and then be able to go to the weird lighting on command.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Chris.
 
 
Originally Posted by bigdodgetrain:
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

Ship the box to me, and when you get it out of the box, it'll run like that.

 

any of us?  and the cost?

That depends on exactly what you want done, but I'm reasonable.

 

 

Originally Posted by ogaugeguy:
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

Not sure what parts you're searching, I just went to the technician order site and entered AA-0000070, and it came up with the correct smoke unit.

 

So, only technician's can order the smoke unit and not regular consumers?

AFAIK, anyone can buy a smoke unit.  I don't know why it doesn't appear, I'm sure a call to Midge will get you a product.  I can also sell you one a bit cheaper than the MSRP you'll get from MTH, shipping's cheaper too.

 

Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

The flashing car is indeed the Dementors Car, that's the one I want to do something fancy in with the lighting. I have the audio clips to add sound as well, and I'll be triggering them using TMCC. 

 

 

 

 

John, are the audio clips you mention those from Jmertz, or are they different?

John,

So cool! You're a magician with these upgrades.  I wish I had the skill to do that.  But, lacking the skill, it's very nice that you're local.  

 

I still can't imagine how you stuffed all of the upgrades into my Beep and my PE junior Berk.  Both are fantastic.  You take an OK, nice train and turn it into something very special.  

 

I'm just trying to think of the next project I can invent for you.  Maybe putting TMCC controlled sounds into a PE passenger car???

 

Ron L

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Ste 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×