Kline ep5 with cruise upgrade options?

I have a conventional K-Line cruise module in captivity, and it didn't work in command mode, so there's appears to be something different.  I had an engine with a bad K-Line command cruise and tried the conventional board, no go.

@Hump Yard Mike posted:

I just purchased a Kline ep5 with cruise.     Didn’t realize it didn’t have TMCC on it, but regardless got a good deal on it and the pilots are still in one piece.  It looks really nice!

How are the sideframes?  I had one here recently that had the pilots and sideframes rotting away.  Oddly, it was the exact same roadname NH #377.  However it was a command model and ran just fine.  After an experiment of trying to replace the sideframes with the MTH premier EP5 parts, I noticed the pilots were also falling apart.  That's when I parted it out and moved on.

Thanks for the reply John.  

The side frames look good and solid.

Mike

@Hump Yard Mike posted:

Thanks for the reply John.  

The side frames look good and solid.

Mike

You're lucky, the K-Line frames were nicely detailed, the crappy MTH ones were just a diecast piece with no added detail.

My converted EP5(E40)  is a K-Line EP5 I kitbashed into a Penn Central E-40. The conversion involved removing some parts of the truck frames. I never noticed any decay, but I wasn’t looking for it either…

Installing a EER Cruise in there soon…

Tom

The K-Line EP-5s have had some well-documented problems with so-called zinc rot (bad castings) on the pilots and truck sideframes. I've had three of the NH versions - two have had problems with pilots/sideframes, but the one I still have has been fine so far. The New Havens came in three numbers - 377, 378 and 379. Each had a different level of equipment. The "top of the line" #379 came with TMCC, R/S and cruise control. I've heard over the years that the K-Line cruise can be problematic, and folks have had good luck installing an ERR cruise unit in it's place.

Thanks Guys,

I think my plan is to gut this and be on the look out for a donor mth ps2/ps3 engine for an upgrade.

I recently bought a used K-Line NH EP-5 with TMCC and cruise control, cab number 379 I think, off of fleabay. The pilots and side frames were fine. Ran like crap. I put a brass wire brush in a Dremel, flipped it over and powered it up, and a number on the outer wheels that did not have traction tires, and then it worked quite well! Still not as good a something with four center rollers.  I know GRJ has said it is only a matter of time before the motor control circuitry will fail, but it hasn't failed yet. It has diesel sounds, kind of weird.

I question why not just buy an MTH NH EP-5 if you want MTH's control system, unless I am missing something, like all MTH EP-5's are 5V boards. A search on eBay came up with only PS1 NH EP-5s, but I didn't try that hard.

I have a bunch of K-Line cruise modules in my dead board box,so I know they fail.