How do you run your conventional engines with the Lionel Legacy 990?

I think you need a Legacy Powermaster and the Cab-2 has to be set to Cab1

What power supply are you using? 

I use a TPC 400. They work great for when I run any of my none command engines.

I also use a TPC 400 and two 6-22983 180 power blocks. 

Okay, check the TPC manual and there is a setting for having the TPC come up as zero volts and then you can run conventional all day long. 

Thanks Jeff.  I will do that.

USCGRET

After you learn how to address your TPC and change it from Legacy to conventional and then back to  Legacy. You will notice the lights on the TPC will react depending on which setting . Also what ever setting you put the TPC on it will stay on that setting even when powering off. It only changes when you manually do it.

Just information. I recently changed out my TPC's and went to the Legacy PowerMasters. SO nice because it comes with a switch. all you have to do to go from Legacy to conventional is flip a switch. Nice for a lazy guy like me. lol

  Have fun

Larry

Ok....  I read through the TPC manual.  On my legacy 990, when I change from command to conventional it instructs you to press the "M" key and then hit set.  I did that.  Now how can I power up?  The power/volts goes off, and one would think that when you turn the dial on your legacy remote clockwise that gradual power would come up when you roll the boost setting, like it does in command mode .  In my case it does not.  No track power lights up on the TPC even when you turn the dial.  Now, I can go back to command mode by pressing the "L" key and set.  When I depress and roll my boost setting, 18 volts is restored.  How come it doesn't work with the "M" key and boost.  I address my TPC 400 on my Legacy 990 remote as TR 1 to turn on. 

One other thing, while in command mode with 18 volts on the track, I can turn the dial counterclockwise and reduce voltage and to completely turn off.  Clockwise gets my volts back... Can anyone help me figure why this is happening?  Thanks in advance... Brian

USCGRET,

     Now if you have DCS & Legacy, you cable them together, and run your conventional engines thru the DCS TR Z4K mode, and the conventional engines, like the old Weaver 0-8-0 Massonic Train, and all the old Lionel Tin Plate, all run smoother than they ever have, in any other way.

PCRR/Dave

Turn on the system and select TR 1 for the TPC from the Cab-2 remote. Press the Info button. Look at the third window in the display. It should read Cab-1. If it does not,  scroll to Control type and change it to cab-1. Then press CTC.

Then address TR 1 and press M and Observe the indicator light on the TPC. It should turn off. Then press set. Now you should be in conventional mode.

The key is you have the mode for the TPC ID as cab-1.

I second Larry's suggestion. Time for  a Legacy Powermaster.

Thanks Larry and Carl,

Anything I should know to go back command mode?

When I get home I will try and advise. 

USCGRET posted:

Thanks Larry and Carl,

Anything I should know to go back command mode?

Just p.10 of the TPC book

TR 1 > L > Set

then

TR1 > M > Boost

I am curious - why two bricks? Do you really need 20amps?  Doesn't stuff melt when you have a derail?

Moonman posted:

 

I am curious - why two bricks? Do you really need 20amps?  Doesn't stuff melt when you have a derail?

we use two bricks at the club and the breaker pops before any melting.

The breakers on the PH180 don't always trip properly if they're paralleled, been there, welded some wheels to the track.  Yep, really actually welded them to the track!

Moonman posted:

I am curious - why two bricks? Do you really need 20amps?  Doesn't stuff melt when you have a derail?

If you run long passenger trains with many of the old K-Line 21" cars that came with Streamlighting, and you haven't yet upgraded the lights with John's LED lighting system, you will push the capability of one PH180.  While some will talk about power districts, that doesn't work when one train pulls that kind of load unless the districts are short (requiring many PH180/PM setups).  I use two PH180s and one TPC400 per loop (soon to be the new PM360).  To prevent the welding John talks about, I use a very fast electronic circuit protection called a PSX-AC set to 15.4 amps.  The PSX worked well for me on my last layout and I'm making sure there is one for each district on my new layout.

Gee Ron, you're killing my LED sales!   Don't tell them that this will work!

John, you needn't worry.  The Streamlighting had a design flaw that will result in eventual complete failure, resulting in the sale of many of your great kits to fix it.

That's good news Ron, I was a bit worried!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

The breakers on the PH180 don't always trip properly if they're paralleled, been there, welded some wheels to the track.  Yep, really actually welded them to the track!

have this set up since 2002,  they trip fast, work fine.

bigdodgetrain posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

The breakers on the PH180 don't always trip properly if they're paralleled, been there, welded some wheels to the track.  Yep, really actually welded them to the track!

have this set up since 2002,  they trip fast, work fine.

Perhaps you live under a lucky star?  Jon Z. mentioned that one of the things in the PH180 redesign is to enhance the breakers so they'll work in parallel, obviously they don't work for everyone.

I use the Legacy controller and have one handle of the MTH Z4000 transformer wired to a TPC 300 wired to the DCS TIU.

on initial power up, I turn the Z4000 to 18 volts.

when I key in TR # and boost, power goes through the TPC 300 to the TIU. The voltmeter on the Z 4000 drops to 14 volts. (should this happen...even with no loco powered up on the track?)

in order to get my locomotives to run properly (whether in TPC command mode or conventional) I need to increase the power on the Z4000.

is this correct or is there something wrong with the TPC 300?

May have missed this, so a question. When running conventional can you run Legacy engines at the same time, using the engine ID number for control? For my layout additional control equipment will be needed.

Brent

Moonman posted:

Turn on the system and select TR 1 for the TPC from the Cab-2 remote. Press the Info button. Look at the third window in the display. It should read Cab-1. If it does not,  scroll to Control type and change it to cab-1. Then press CTC.

Then address TR 1 and press M and Observe the indicator light on the TPC. It should turn off. Then press set. Now you should be in conventional mode.

The key is you have the mode for the TPC ID as cab-1.

I second Larry's suggestion. Time for  a Legacy Powermaster.

Well, I followed your directions.  The third window in the display was set to Cab-1.  I addressed the TR1 and pressed M, and did observe the indicator light on the TPC.  It did turn off and then pressed set.  But, when I tried to power up I got nothing.  Just the comm light on the TPC came on, with no track power as I turned the red dial.   Any more ideas here?

USCGRET posted:

Moonman posted:

Turn on the system and select TR 1 for the TPC from the Cab-2 remote. Press the Info button. Look at the third window in the display. It should read Cab-1. If it does not,  scroll to Control type and change it to cab-1. Then press CTC.

Then address TR 1 and press M and Observe the indicator light on the TPC. It should turn off. Then press set. Now you should be in conventional mode.

The key is you have the mode for the TPC ID as cab-1.

I second Larry's suggestion. Time for  a Legacy Powermaster.

Well, I followed your directions.  The third window in the display was set to Cab-1.  I addressed the TR1 and pressed M, and did observe the indicator light on the TPC.  It did turn off and then pressed set.  But, when I tried to power up I got nothing.  Just the comm light on the TPC came on, with no track power as I turned the red dial.   Any more ideas here?

perhaps the TR-1 has to be addressed again after setting the conventional mode. It is supposed to turn off when you change modes. TR 1 > and spin the dial.

Bigdodgetrain, help him out, please. What is he missing?

Still can't figure it out.  So here is a step by step (pics) with my legacy Cab 2.  Perhaps this may shed some light on my problem.  Someone help?  Thanks.

Here is the cab 2 in command mode with constant voltage (15 volts approx. is what it is set at).

Notice the Track light LED on my TPC 400.

Next I begin the process of shifting over to conventional mode: (Info shows in Cab 1 mode.)

The LED on the TPC 400 goes out like it should.  Next I hit the boost which should now be in conventional mode, and the led on the TPC 400 stays on in the Com mode as long as I hold the boost. When I release the boost it goes out. (does not switch over to track mode).

Now, if I want to go back to command mode (constant voltage), I can hit the "L" on the remote and set and it does go back.  The TPC " track"  led comes on like it should and blinks.

Now, I'm back in command mode with constant voltage.  I can turn the dial counterclockwise, and reduce the power to off.  Place my conventional engine on the track, increase the power and run, but cannot get horn or bell to work.    I am running in Cab 1 mode as noted in pic 2.  Is my TPC 400 working properly.  It works fine in command or constant voltage mode?  Thanks in advance, Brian

USCGRET...... forget the boost button!

tr-1 ..... now push m....... turn big red knob you should get power to track as if you were moving the transformers handle.  try it with only a lighted caboose on track just to know your doing it correctly.

I assume your actually using a conventional engine as in pre-post war?

the above works for me using either the old cab-1 or the new cab-2 bases and remotes.

hope this helps you