Legacy hints for newbies

Chris,

I suggest that you post this under the Featured Topic "TMCC/LEGACY REFERENCE MATERIALs & MANUALS".

Thanks Chris!

Let me add this, there are a lot of folks that have mastered Legacy and are willing to help.

Please when asking a question try to at least put some minimal information in the subject line like "Legacy Question" or "Legacy Power Question" because I tend to look for the "Legacy" notation to ID questions.

Also, give as much info, when applicable, of your setup.  What transformer, what engine, what software (although it seems the new ones are loaded with 1.52 you never know), and what you might have been doing when the issue was encountered.

This may save some time in helping.

I will say after seeing that road diesels will have Tower Com/Crew Talk when you press and hold the speed step button I wanted to try that feature with my Genset. 

To my surprise, the click of the radios happened though no chatter. I went then to the PDF version of the manual. A quick search did in fact alert me that switchers do not have the chatter that announces the current speed. 

Moral of the story: Check your manuals too. A downloaded PDF makes for easy searching.

My 1st question , and it is because of spacing for all of the electronic components,

it took less than 10 months, for my aquiring all (3),  TMCC, DCS, and Legacy,

Never thought about that.    Never planned it as well.   Ok

   1) Will I need the TMCC command base and remote,  to run the TMCC engines?

         Tried the Atlas engine, using the DCS, remote,  (started), moving, till

         I plugged the command system back, in........... thanks

7) To use DCS to control a TMCC/Legacy engine in command mode, you need either a TMCC or Legacy base connected via the appropriate cable available from MTH. You can use either a Legacy or CAB1 or 1L base to do this.

I think the reason that the engine sat there once the command base was plugged in was that it is now seeing the TMCC signal and it will sit until it gets a TMCC command

8) If you have a CAB-1 TMCC system and are adding the Legacy system you must not connect the old TMCC base to the track using the single wire. If you want to continue to use the older base, then you need to use the cable supplied with the Legacy system to tie them together.

Only one base (the Legacy one)  can be connected to layout from the base to the track via the command wire

If if is the same style (Pin), cable it will now be placed between the TIU, and the

Legacy base, correct,   and  then  SELL , the command system, or try, .......... 

  ( when Legacy arrives),   I just have a very crowded cabinet top

Here are are few others:

1)Place your legacy base in the center of the room and try to avoid " the no line of sight" issues. My remote does not like the base on the other side of the basement steps! But the layout wraps around it so I have to do the silly scarecrow poses sometimes.

2) With the ZWL - you don't have to have the base hook directly to the transformer. You can have the base hook to the track and then at the transformer site, hook the nuetral wire to the TMCC post to the ZWL, everything is fine.

Note that now with the ZWL you have variable power using your TR buttons and that emergency power cut off button works!

3) Note that there are different ways to run your engines in command mode, for starters: TMCC, R100, Legacy, etc... you can choose the best way to run your other TMCC engines.

4) Look at the info screen for earlier released accessories and train sets. There is the TMCC crane and Boom car icons for this set

There is a special icon set for the Acela, station sounds diner, Vision line cattle sound car, breakdown B units, etc

5) Don't drop your remote! I have seen many a broken LCD screens, or place them in chairs...

6) When the batteries are low the LCD screen back light will not come on any more until batteries are charged up, so don't panic.

7) If you are buying a new unit double check to see which Legacy software level you have. Upgrade from friends modules... makes a good way of meeting people and running on a new layout!

8) I plug my old TMCC base into my CAB2, just nice to have an extra remote handy.

9) Have the manual handy near the layout, there is only so much info I can squeeze into this ageing brain of mine... its nice to do a "lash up" but the process? eh...

10) The cab 2 will set stall properties and max engine speeds in older TMCC engines.

11) I always charge my batteries externally, but I believe the new bases have eliminated the earlier battery charging issue

12) Remember when you go to somebody elses layout the remote will pick up locomotives on that base your visiting, so be prepared to change you ID no.

nothing like a few runaways to liven up the show!

13) Oh and try the feed back and record functions very cool

12) I think the only thing I have not use is the Train Link button... I think this was put here to active trains at your neighbors or turn the TV on and off. I tried it on the car and garage door opener but they would not respond....

Once you learn the art of making engine  and multi engine modules via LSU (Legacy System Utility) #3 is a lot easier.

Wow I have been a Legacy user for quite some time and what you said just zipped over my head.

I usually just type in over the old and hit save.... besides sounds like alot of sparky stuff with some vodoo software....

The LSU software let's you create a module that will contain all the setup information for 99 engines on 1 module.  This includes any update lighting settings you may have made, names, and road numbers. 

This is really cool when you have 20+ engines, especially TMCC, in your system.  If you want to move them all you have to do is insert the module when prompted, scroll to the engine personality (Type, name, road number, control type, etc.) you want, and enter YES. 

For me I have all my engines on 1 module.  When I go over a friends layout I take my Cab2 and 1 black module regardless of the engine(s) I take with me.

Marty is this a free software? How do I obtain a copy.

Next is how do I plug a black module into my laptop?

Thanks for sharing...

You download the LSU software from Lionel. To load the module you need to connect the Legacy base to your PC using the cable that came with it a and a USB to Serial adapter ( if you machine doesn't have a COM port) You then plug the module into the base

USB to Serial adapter... 

Ah this little bad boy... I will have to buy one.

FIRST, READ THE MANUAL!!!  Most questions will be answered there.  It is the only way to get a true understanding of the system, and all it has to offer the user.  If you don't really read the manual you will likely miss many Legacy features.  

George

jDaddy,

I went with this puppy, good internals, plug and play with Win7, no drivers to add. Worked first time with Legacy base and LSU software.

Sabrent Usb to Serial

I didn't want the cable type flopping around. Just another option. I leave it connected to the Legacy Y-cable.

I use this Vantec USB to Serial Adapter - Model CB-USB20SR for both the Legacy and MTH TIU updates, it's only $12 with free shipping from NewEgg.

The Legacy Utility Software (Windows only)

For loading black modules and backing up your Legacy base

And the Manual for the Legacy System Utility Software.

I did read the manual, and saw that page, but it was all gibberish to me.  More details and definitions and examples would be very helpful.

Pity about not being able to change the ID on the locomotive in the system, that's kinda a pain.  Where can one get this black module?  And it can hold 99 locomotives worth of info?  Guess I need to figure out how to get the software to work with a USB to serial adaptor in the virtual machine on my MacBook.

Well, I don't even have new let alone old blue modules.  And which sponsors as there are tons of them?

How did you not get the blue modules with the Legacy?

Any Lionel dealer 6-37125

My 990 was DOA, so I had to send it back.  Besides I'd need to keep the one set of blue that come with it to reflash the units if they got messed up.

No need for the blue ones.  If you have a pair of black modules (or even one) and the LSU program, you can download the latest version of firmware and update your unit.  I don't have a single blue module left, and I don't miss them.  However, I have a handful of newly minted black modules.

My thanks to Chris, Marty and J Daddy...

This should become a 'sticky' thread, added to and kept at the top of the list for all to see; its terrific guys!!!!!!!!!!

Best,

Dave

most of the info is here;

tmcc/legacy reference

When Lionel releases the LSU program for Macs, then this would work.  Until then, I'll keep my blue ones.

Sadly the LSU for Macs is not even in the future right now. Per Jon Z there was an attempt a few years back but they could not get the USB ports to play nicely with the program. Why it works just fine using Parallel's and Windows through the same port (USB) is beyond me

Here's another Legacy tip I learned recently:  Follow the instructions in the manual, and run ONE wire from the Legacy base to the outside rail of the track.

I had earlier said to myself: "I'll just run the wire from the Legacy base to the connection block I use to connect wires to the outside track(s)."  Wrong.  From that connection block, there are probably 50 connections throughout the layout to the outside track(s).  My Legacy diesels kept stalling at a point where one set of those connections ended and another set (on the other side of a bridge) began.  There must have been some dissonance between the signals going around one half of the layout, and those coming from the other side.  I ran one wire, as instructed, and it cleared up the problem.  They say one wire for a reason: you want a clear, single signal transmitted to the rail.

   Bob A.

That thread is mostly manuals and while its quite a valuable resource, this thread was intend this to be more of things we have learned through trial and error or just general hints that may not be well documented in the manuals

Maybe just putting a link to this thread in the reference thread makes sense.

If we start posting tons of posts in the reference threads, it makes it difficult to impossible to find the technical documentation when you go looking.