Lionel and MTH

John-

Absolutely - MTH DCS and Lionel Legacy will coexist nicely with each other. Connect the DCS TIU between your ZW and track, and then connect the ground wire on Legacy to the ZW too.

As an aside, DCS has "fixed" and "variable" track connections. If you plan to use only command equipped units (Proto 2, 3 or TMCC/Legacy), you can go ahead and use the fixed inputs. If on the other hand you operate conventional pieces too, you will need to connect the TIU to the track and transformer via the variable posts.

There is a way of operating your TMCC and Legacy-equipped units via the DCS remote, but this would require the purchase of a MTH #50-1032 cable. If you go this route, connect one end to the TIU and the other end to the Legacy command base. Keep in mind that DCS will only "see" and operate a Legacy-equipped locomotive as a TMCC-equipped locomotive, so the DCS remote will not be able to access any of the Legacy-only features.

-John

If you like to be able to "drop" into conventional at times for some tracks, but normally run command, you can also run the variable TIU channels in fixed mode.  I do this, and if I have a conventional locomotive to test, I just select the channel on the remote and press the TZV softkey to drop into variable mode and run the track voltage to zero.  Then I put the conventional locomotive on the track and run it from the remote.

Thank you for all of your help I will try connecting it tonight

Thanks again

Hi CN Rail,

You can only run DCS and TMCC/Legacy together on the same layout if you have the right versions of the DCS hardware.

If you have a DCS REMOTE COMMANDER, what you want to do will work great.  Simply connect the red and black wire terminals to the center and outside rails respectively.  The DCS RC will take its power directly from the rails and send out the DCS signal.  The DCS RC looks like this...

If you have a DCS COMMANDER, as you said in your post, what you want to do WILL NOT work.  The DCS Commander is designed for the HO market and will only work with DC track power.  You can plug either an AC or DC power supply into it's input, but the output is always DC.  Legacy can only operate on AC track power.  DO NOT connect the DCS Commander's output terminals to AC track power.  This will create a dead short. The DCS COMMANDER looks like this...

If you have a full DCS set you will also be able to run both systems on the same track at the same time.  Most people on this forum have this version of the DCS hardware.  Both John and John's posts assume that this is the version you have.  The full DCS set with TIU and remote looks like this...

Very good point Dave, and I suspect he may have the Commander on more careful reading of his query.

Hi

I do have the DCS Commander.  I was trying to get it to work today.  I guess I know why it didn't. 

Thanks and have a good weekend

Hi CN Rail,

I would suggest three options.

One would be to purchase a DCS Remote Commander.  For around $45 that would give you basic control of one DCS engine on your layout at the same time as the Legacy engines.  That one engine would have to be "factory reset" to operate with the DCS RC, but that can be done with your DCS Commander on a separate track.

Your other option is to purchase a full DCS set.  For around $275 you could then run one or more DCS engines on your layout at the same time as your Legacy engines.  This would also give you access to the full range of features in your DCS engines, such as lash-ups and independent volume controls.  You wouldn't need the DCS Commander if you had the full set, so you could sell the Commander to defray some of the cost.

The third option is to install a DPDT toggle switch so you can easily swap back and forth between AC Legacy control or DC DCS Commander control.  This might be a good option if your layout is already wired with separate power feeds to separate mainlines.  You could then have a toggle for each mainline and select your power source depending on which engine you want to run.