Legacy Users-Tell me about momentum and recordings

Seems to me you have momentum down. It is basically changing the response time to throttle commands. A higher momentum will simulate a heavy train by slowly accelerating and decelerating. I too set mine around 6-7. It gives a more realistic response to throttle adjustments. When used in conjunction with train brake and labor can create some cool sounding effects .

Recordings are limited not by time but commands. I want to say approximately 256 commands.  It's all held in the Cab2. 1 recording at a time unfortunately. It is very limiting. I hardly use it. I do use the recording feature of the sensor track which is similar but you get 2 one in each direction of travel  

A command can be a throttle change including all the steps, whistle commands including quilling. All the little commands incorporated into a whistle blow. These can eat up the recording quickly. I was always hoping recordings could be stored on a black module but no luck. 

I also keep most of my locomotives near the 6-7 momentum setting.  Higher for bigger locomotives, lower for smaller ones.  I love roll, aka speed step 1 on my Legacy locomotives.  Boy do they crawl smooth.

As for recordings, like stated above, they are not time limited, but number of commands.  So you could record more than on locomotive per recording.  As for where they are stored, the Legacy manual says in the remote.  I find that odd as everything else is stored in the base.  But if it's correct, then you can have different recordings in different remotes.  It also says it's limited to 1000 events.  So that is a lot and I have heard of some setting up their whole layout to be 'automated' with recordings.

Thanks for the correction on the number of events. I think I was thinking of the sensor track. 

I setting the momentum and turning the throttle "below" zero having the brakes grind and squeal for a distance until the loco reaches a complete stop.

Rick, me too on the brakes. Especially the last second just as the engine "grinds" to a stop.  

Sinclair, if I turn the velocity knob to zero from speed, isn't that the same as roll?  Further, based on the remarks here, I need to read the manual a second time!    Thanks for the help. I need it. 

I love legacy momentum setting at its highest and watch a engine ramp up to restricted or medium speed as the engine slowly ramps up out of town or watching it crawl to a stop with all the brake squealing sounds as it stops.  Doesn't get any better.

TedW posted:

Rick, me too on the brakes. Especially the last second just as the engine "grinds" to a stop.  

Sinclair, if I turn the velocity knob to zero from speed, isn't that the same as roll?  Further, based on the remarks here, I need to read the manual a second time!    Thanks for the help. I need it. 

Roll is speed step 1. Zero is full stop. 

Sorry, didn't make myself clear. I do realize target difference. I just observe that the resultant decrease in speed to 1 or 0 is the same. Brake sound with velocity knob to 0 is continuous, and, if you press and hold the roll button, you get brake sound also.  Release the roll button, brake sound stops.  

I use the roll button to have the engines go the slowest possible speed, not stop them, so I don't know how they affect the brake sounds.  I love using sequential control (Push and hold AUX 1 until you get a couple bell rings and a horn/whistle blast.).  Now you get some other sounds, like brake release and auto bell control and some horn/whistle blasts, as well as crew talk.  I'm not a fan of the talking, but the kids love it.

TedW posted:

Sorry, didn't make myself clear. I do realize target difference. I just observe that the resultant decrease in speed to 1 or 0 is the same. Brake sound with velocity knob to 0 is continuous, and, if you press and hold the roll button, you get brake sound also.  Release the roll button, brake sound stops.  

Yes if you press and hold the roll button you get brake squeals and the engine runs at speed step 1.  If you turn the velocity knob to zero brake squeal will also sound until the engine stops.  Continuing to turn the velocity throttle counter clockwise while the engine is decelerating will slightly squeal the brakes louder.

You guys should try the eTRAIN software.  I purchased it for $35.00 several weeks ago to use on my Christmas layout.  The writer modified the software for me so that when making a general recording, I can tell it to activate a specific sensor track to play its user recording and then to deactivate.  The original recording will continue to play its scenario for you.  It will allow up to 2000 commands to be stored and you can record as many scenario's as you want if you have the hard drive space to accommodate it.  My simple example is this:  On my Christmas layout, I hit the playback button on the software.  The train makes its announcements along with bells and whistles.   It then leaves its location and makes it journey around the layout with all tower com, crew talk, bell and whistles doing their thing during the trip.  The sensor track has been programmed to initiate a passenger stop.  The software then activates the user recorded action of the sensor track.  The train takes a "ROLL" approach to the passenger station.  After arriving, the roll goes to 0 speed causing a stop.  The sensor track is then deactivated by the software.  The original recording then resumes causing passenger announcements "Train has arrived" to activate.  Shortly afterwards, the train bell begins to ring followed by passenger announcement "Train is departing all aboard".  The MTH action passenger terminal is activated by the software to cause the passengers to disappear.  This simulates the passengers have boarded.  The software then causes more crew talk, tower com and whistle activity followed by pulling out of the station at a momentum of 6.  The software is set to utilize the preset normal speed instead of turning the red dial.  This helps to keep everything in sync.  After the train makes several trips around the city, the software then activates the sensor track causing it to playback it user recorded feature when the train crosses it.  It does the same process as mentioned above causing the train to stop at the exact location as its programmed to do.  After it has stopped, the passenger announcement is activated and states that "Train has arrived".  The MTH passenger terminal is then activated to bring the passengers back down.  This simulates the disembarking of the passengers.  Afterwards, the bell begins to ring with tower comm, crew talk and whistle.  The train then leaves the station and makes several loops only for the scenario to be repeated all over again if you click the "repeat scenario" button on the software.  This software will control both TMCC and Legacy locomotives.  I use a TMCC locomotive with a sensor car attached and it works great.  This is a small Christmas layout and it entertains more than you can imagine with the trains working by themselves.  Imagine what could be done with multiple sensor tracks on a huge layout with this software.  The software developer is awesome and will do his very best to accommodate your wants if its possible to do.  My family and friends have thoroughly enjoyed this automation.  Below is a link to my Christmas layout on YouTube if you're interested in seeing it.     

https://youtu.be/5vBlV8MeGxM

Blake