this is my second post on this subject. i posted this yesterday but it seems to have disappeared. anyway, i was wondering what the purpose of the ir sensor on the bottom of the s3 northern was for since it points directly at the tracks. does anyone know what its use or purpose is? thanks.
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My understanding is that this device (Fitted to recent Legacy locomotives.) is intended to be used with the special IR transmitter/receiver track that is due to be released in the near future. As I understand it, this combination will allow two-way communication between the locomotive and the control system, may be used for train detection etc, and other purposes as yet to be revealed. 
My understanding is that this device (Fitted to recent Legacy locomotives.) is intended to be used with the special IR transmitter/receiver track that is due to be released in the near future. As I understand it, this combination will allow two-way communication between the locomotive and the control system, may be used for train detection etc, and other purposes as yet to be revealed.
thank you for your reply nicole, that makes sence!
Nicole: Do you have any more info on this device as yet? I hadn't heard about it and wasn't even aware that my engine might have such a device already installed. I'm going to have to go downstairs and take a look at the engine. Wonder what the big "L" has in mind by way of communication with the engine.
Paul Fischer
Hi all,
Nicole's info is correct. The IR transmitters were first outfitted to the Vision Line engines and are now filtering into other scale steam and diesel locomotives with Lionel's standardized electronics package. I saw prototypes for the IR track receivers at Lionel's R&D center a couple years ago. It's a nice piece of technology that allows Lionel to access some of the telemetry features that have been part of DCS. The IR transmitter enables the current status of the locomotive, such as speed, direction, etc., to be communicated out of the locomotive. When I saw the prototypes the track receivers were linked back to a computer giving a very simple readout of the data. I don't know if or how Lionel intends to link the receivers back to the Legacy command base, but such a link opens some interesting possibilities. One of the limitations of TMCC and Legacy has been the inability to reconcile the commands sent from the command base with the commands received by the locomotive. The locomotive might miss a speed command or two and get out of sync with the Cab-2's display. When a locomotive passes over an IR section any such differences could be corrected.
The fact that the IR section(s) will be installed at a specific location in the track plan also opens exciting new possibilities. They could be used as a trigger to start station announcements specific to a particular train, activate a water tank to fill a steamer's tender, engage labored sounds or rev up an engine at the base of a grade, etc. With enough IR receivers you create the possibility to track the location of the train around the layout. We do that within RR&Co. Train Controller on the NorthWest Trunk Lines with both TMCC/Legacy and DCS engines with multiple insulated track sections. The IR system offers an improvement over occupancy detection. With occupancy detection you can answer the question... "Is the block occupied?" With feedback from the IR receivers you could answer the question... "What is occupying the block?" That helps the computer accurately track the location of your trains. Once you know the location of the trains there's a lot of cool possibilities of what can be dome in software.
Hi all,
Nicole's info is correct. The IR transmitters were first outfitted to the Vision Line engines and are now filtering into other scale steam and diesel locomotives with Lionel's standardized electronics package. I saw prototypes for the IR track receivers at Lionel's R&D center a couple years ago. It's a nice piece of technology that allows Lionel to access some of the telemetry features that have been part of DCS. The IR transmitter enables the current status of the locomotive, such as speed, direction, etc., to be communicated out of the locomotive. When I saw the prototypes the track receivers were linked back to a computer giving a very simple readout of the data. I don't know if or how Lionel intends to link the receivers back to the Legacy command base, but such a link opens some interesting possibilities. One of the limitations of TMCC and Legacy has been the inability to reconcile the commands sent from the command base with the commands received by the locomotive. The locomotive might miss a speed command or two and get out of sync with the Cab-2's display. When a locomotive passes over an IR section any such differences could be corrected.
The fact that the IR section(s) will be installed at a specific location in the track plan also opens exciting new possibilities. They could be used as a trigger to start station announcements specific to a particular train, activate a water tank to fill a steamer's tender, engage labored sounds or rev up an engine at the base of a grade, etc. With enough IR receivers you create the possibility to track the location of the train around the layout. We do that within RR&Co. Train Controller on the NorthWest Trunk Lines with both TMCC/Legacy and DCS engines with multiple insulated track sections. The IR system offers an improvement over occupancy detection. With occupancy detection you can answer the question... "Is the block occupied?" With feedback from the IR receivers you could answer the question... "What is occupying the block?" That helps the computer accurately track the location of your trains. Once you know the location of the trains there's a lot of cool possibilities of what can me in software.
thank you and merry christmas dave.
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