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Lionel Aux Tender (Chessie Steam Special, Southern Pacific Daylight, etc.) opportunity for improvement

L LionelAGOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER

I picked up the Aux Tender for both the CSS (L2031650) and SPD (L2031680) passenger trains that I also purchased and, in general, its a nice addition.  The paint scheme on the SP Daylight is great match but the Yellow on the CSS aux tender is brighter that the rest of the cars and locomotive.  However I do see some deficiencies that quite possibly require a change to Lionel Legacy Software.

Background:  The Aux Tender in the Legacy environment is assigned its own ENG ID.  It has a backup light and an electrocoupler on the rear.  There are Legacy Railsounds included that are also enjoyable for those that like it.  The Aux Tender is added to a TRN and accessed directly via Trainlink, all things that you would expect.

Deficiency:  When controlling the TRN (Train Mode with the Aux Tender positioned behind the Locomotive's primary tender), when you fire the Rear Coupler, the primary tender coupler is opened which leaves the whole train (aux tender included) behind.  Also, when backing the train, only the primary tender backup light comes on.  If you want to fire the Aux Tender coupler, you must access it via trainlink (not the worst thing in the world but an extra step).  Finally, the only way to light the Aux Tender backup light is to access the Aux Tender via trainlink and change the direction.  Then you have to go back to the locomotive via trainlink and the Aux Tender backup light goes out, before the train is actually backing up.  Both of my Aux Tenders function like this so its not a problem with just one unit.

Improvement suggestion:  The Aux Tender needs to be have its own "TYPE" for programming in the Legacy Remote (something like ATN; currently its set up as FRT).  The function would change when addressing a TRN as follows.  When controlling the Locomotive as a TRN, the backup light and electrocoupler on the primary Tender would not respond to Direction Change OR Rear Coupler Firing.  Instead, the function would transfer to the Aux Tender allowing the Backup light to come on when the locomotive is reversed and the rear coupler firing would only activate the Aux Tender electrocoupler.  Obviously, there may be some programming options when building a TRN that would enable/disable this transfer of functionality to the Aux Tender.  I would think this would be a simple upgrade to the Legacy software.

Anyone else like this enhancement?

Last edited by LionelAG
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MartyEMartyEOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBERMEMORIAL SUPPORTER

The newer diesel engines  have an on/off switch for the coupler.  This allows you to assign the Super Bass B units the same ID.  You can activate the trailing A coupler without the Super Bass B coupler firing.  Seems they could do this as well on the main tenders unless there is some reason they can't.  I don't recall my earlier TMCC tender having an issue with the backup light in a train.  Seems to function correctly.

Last edited by MartyE
H Hancock52OGR Forum Member

I have one of the new SP AWTs that I have not run yet and so I am not aware of any quirks. I must say, however, that my previous Legacy AWT, when set up as part of Train, did not operate the way you describe with the coupler and back-up light issues but as the end of the combined units. (I am not a big fan of Trainlink and do not use it unless I have to, which I did not think would be necessary with an AWT.)

Like a lot of things, an operating issue of this kind might be cleared/fixed by changing the engine ID to something other than the default number or the one currently used. What I think of as a soft reset reset via the CAB2 remote key designated for that does not always have this effect. Have you tried resetting the AWT’s ID?

It never occurred to me that AWTs might be categorized as FRT rather than STM. I’ll have to check the manual more carefully!

L LionelAGOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
@Hancock52 posted:

I have one of the new SP AWTs that I have not run yet and so I am not aware of any quirks. I must say, however, that my previous Legacy AWT, when set up as part of Train, did not operate the way you describe with the coupler and back-up light issues but as the end of the combined units. (I am not a big fan of Trainlink and do not use it unless I have to, which I did not think would be necessary with an AWT.)

Like a lot of things, an operating issue of this kind might be cleared/fixed by changing the engine ID to something other than the default number or the one currently used. What I think of as a soft reset reset via the CAB2 remote key designated for that does not always have this effect. Have you tried resetting the AWT’s ID?

It never occurred to me that AWTs might be categorized as FRT rather than STM. I’ll have to check the manual more carefully!

I hear what you're saying.  But, the AWT has sounds that only work if its Type FRT.  Also, if the ID is set to the Locomotive ID and you fire the couplers, both would open.  How would you prevent that?

L LionelAGOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBER
@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Well, I didn't want Rich banging me on the head, so I called it by the official RR term.   Yes, I mean a "lash-up", preferably with good rope.

GRJ-

So by definition a "lash-up" is combining 2 Engines into a Train; in this case type STM and type STM.  In this configuration, the backup light and coupler are diasabled on the front tender and enabled on the Aux Tender.  However, the Aux Tender dialog is not available when it is type STM.  The dialogue is supported when the type is set to FRT.  So...there is no Type setting for the Aux Tender that allows both sets of functions to exist simultaneously.

I reassert my request for a new "Type" for the Aux Tender to support the combined functions when part of a Train.

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