How do I trigger Polar Express conductor car using Legacy controller?

This is stated in the manual:

 

Activating the conductor annoncement
In order to activate the conductor announcement, press the bell button on your transformer

 

Not sure about legacy.

I pressed the horn button then tried the bell button on the Legacy remote. I also tried with the MTH DCS remote.

 

Neither operation triggers the conductor announcement. 

I have just converted the polar engine with an err upgrade and noticed that my conductor announcemwnt no longer fired when the remote was set to the engine.  However, when I set the remote to the "TR" and press up on the bell it fires the sound of Tom HankS amd does not sound the bell on the err upgrade in the engine.  I am using a ZW-C in conjunction with the legacy cab-2. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Great idea! I just tried your suggestion but it did not work for me. I powered up the Legacy 990 base, powered up the track, turned on the Legacy remote and started my train, sending it along the Fastrack at a slow pace.

 

Next, I selected the TR button (for track) and set the track (#1). When I toggled the BELL and HORN button, there was no conductor announcement.

 

I am stymied by this. There MUST be a way to trigger the conductor announcement. What a bummer.

Terrence L,

 

I do not have one but based on what is on the box in your picture you do not use the remote at all (Cab 2 or MTH). Use the transformer whistle/horn button to activate.

 

JohnB

Hi JohnB,

 

What you said about using the transformer bell button to trigger the Polar Express conductor announcement makes sense, but it won't work in my situation.

 

Power to my track is not being supplied through a C-80 transformer with the speed control lever, bell and horn buttons. I am using a Lionel Powerhouse 180 to send fixed power to my track. The power goes into the fixed input of the MTH TIU then out to the track. The Lionel Legacy base is wired directly to the track and I use the Legacy remote to operate a Legacy engine. I also have two other tracks that are being controlled by an MTH DCS handheld remote. Both Legacy and MTH DCS coexist on the tracks.

 

One would think that the bell button on either remote would trigger the Polar Express conductor announcement, but it doesn't.

 

I am hoping some OGR members can help me solve this problem.

 

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

What about using a separate Lionel "Sound Activation Button"?

Terrence L,

 

    I did not know you were using bricks and not a transformer for power. I think Big Jim's solution is probably the way to go. If Lionel added a TMCC or Legacy board to the passenger car it would add $50 to $100 to the list price. You can give Lionel a call and see what they recommend but the sound activation button would do the trick. It has been a while I believe since Lionel sold these but do a internet search see what you come up with.

 

JohnB

I have never heard of it. Can you provide more details on the item? Maybe it would work. Thank you.

Here you go. They were commonly used with older Lionel transformers.

 

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com...ton-p/lio-6-5906.htm

 

 

I thought it was activated by the Bell button? 

If you had a Legacy Powermaster it might be possible to trigger the sound via the Cab2.

 

You could also try the variable channel on the TIU as this allows conventional control so maybe you can trigger the sound via the DCS remote?

 

Nick

Nick is right.  If your PH180 went through a Powermaster you could use the TR button to select the track and then use the whistle and bell buttons on the Legacy remote.  Since you are using the MTH DCS use the MTH remote to select the track and use the whistle/bell buttons on the MTH Remote.  It works as I do this with my automated MTH caboose. 

I asked a VERY similar question in the dcs forum.
my embarrasing solution was the announcement was turned off. There is a switch on the bottom of the car.

Here is one in a Lionel manual.

 

 

 

I have no idea if this will work. I'm just suggesting that this may be one answer to your problem.

 

Marty R: The button under the car is set to ON (LOL!). I tested it on my Superstreets track (which is powered by a C-80). The announcements work fine when I hit the Bell button on the C-80. But I need it to work on my Fastrack.

 

 

Miken: The MTH DCS remote will not trigger the Lionel conductor announcement. I tried. 

 

 

johnstrains and Big Jim: I will seek out a Lionel sound activation button and see if that solves the issue.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. It's hard to believe such a simple thing would turn into such a complex unresolved situation.

My DCS handheld triggers the conductor if I am on variable out and using variable power. If the loco is being controlled via dcs maybe the bell sends a different signal.

Since you're running with command, the remote's buttons don't generate a track offset, they just send a command out to the locomotive's receiver.

I tested the conductor announcement car sending the power through the Variable 1 channel on the MTH TIU and -- BINGO! -- the DCS remote bell button triggers the announcement. 

 

That explains it. Now I understand the reason I cannot trigger the announcement on the with power running through the Fixed channel on the TIU.  

 

Thank you for all of the help and information. You guys are THE BEST!

With the fixed channels, you should be able to push the button on the transformer and generate the bell or whistle DC track offset.  One issue I've seen, at least with the TIU, is that at full output voltage the whistle and bell buttons don't work nearly as well, sometimes not at all.  I'm guessing they had no headroom to generate the DC offset.