Lionel electronic e unit question

Yes.  You basically just take the center outside rail in, and then the 2 to the can motor.  If it starts out in reverse then swap the motor wires.

If it is a bigger engine then a more powerful e-unit may be needed but for most items the basic one will work fine.

Jim

  You will need to find a ground for the board also. When you order the board, make sure it comes with the switch if you want to be able to lock out the unit. The switch may be a separate sale item.

Larry

Drop into your local dollar store.  You can buy three flickering tea-lights for $1, and the switch on the bottom is the exact size of a Lionel switch for the TMCC boards.  I took apart two bucks worth, now I have a supply of switches far cheaper than you'd ever get them from a parts dealer.   I also have converted a couple of locomotives with the firebox glow to have a flickering fire, very realistic.

Oh, and you also end up with some CR2032 batteries, they're used in a bunch of things, always handy to have some around.

thanks for the replies! Thanks for the switch idea John I alsothink I might trythe flickering fire box. Where would I put a ground? This is an MTH 4-6-0 that has nothing but the motor and headlight and pickups. Where would I put ground then? it is a railing rugged rails version.

You can run the firebox from track power directly.  A diode, 1K resistor, and the flickering LED is all that's required. 

Liam, I have the wiring diagram for the E-unit I'll scan and email it to you.  It shows which wires to use for the switch if you add it, I didn't.

I know one wire from the e unit goes to the rollers so does ground go to the outside rail which are the copper contacts on the axle? Or do you ground the wire on the frame? John you add a 1000 ohm resistor and what size diode for the flicker? I have a feeling this will be a nice loco once I am done. I plan on adding and led headlight and back up light also a cab light.

You use any standard silicon diode, since I have a couple hundred 1N40005 diodes, that's what I normally use.

The frame and the outside rail should be the same.  If there is a wire coming from the axle contact in, that's "ground" here.  I normally wire that incoming wire to the frame if it's not already done.

Since this is a MTH Loco, there won't be a specific grounding strap.  Inside attached to the frame will be a red wire and a black wire.  The red is connected to the pick up roller, and the black to the frame in the vicinity of the red wire.

The Lionel E-units are simple.  Colors of wire can vary but the red/black are the DC outputs to the motor.  There are gray/brown or blue/white that are the AC in.

The last one I ordered, the switch for locking out the e-unit came attached.  You could put it were the smoke switch was in the loco.

On the MTH Can motors there is a red dot near one lead, white at the other.  Put Red wire from Lionel E unit to the red dot terminal, and you will have it start in forward.

I alway double check the motor with a battery to ensure I have it right.  Saves having to open up the engine to swap leads.  G