How to install ERR Cruise Commander in Sunset 3rd Rail B&O Q-4b 2-8-2

This is a Train America Engineer-On-Board (EOB) setup, which is aftermarket TMCC hardware that predates the Electric Railroad Cruise Commander.

The board closest to the locomotive is the powered sound motherboard. The second is the RailSounds audio board, which is powered by the powered motherboard. The last one towards the rear is the R2LC or radio board.

Before this goes further, you say this locomotive has no directional control. Does that mean you are running conventional? If so, did you switch the program/run switch to see if it would cycle through forward/neutral/reverse operation?

I have done many EOB repairs, restorations, and replacements. Going to ERR will require a lot of patience, as it’s not a straightforward swap. You will need to plan for sounds right from the start. I would get an ERR sound board if you are keeping TMCC. You’ll also have to plan for chuff triggering and smoke unit control (if desired). I worked on one of these but can’t remember if they have chuff switches. Good luck! Plan on working on this for a while.

The two switches are set to Run and Cruise On. Running conventional, I have speed control and sound, but the loco will cycle direction only once in many tries.

I tried running it in TMCC once, and it took off at full speed.

Before you run in conventional mode with the Cruise Commander or CC-M products, you MUST set the locomotive type as well as the TMCC ID.  If you don't, the engine can take off at full speed as soon as you crack the throttle.

They also can lose their programming occasionally, but reprogramming them will restore proper operation.

These have paper tach tapes and yours may have flown off. If you look under the cab you may see its shredded remains. That would cause full speed runaways in any of the cruise modes. It may run ok with cruise off in command mode.

These do have chuff switches so you could use them to trigger an ERR board or whatever.