Lionel sensor car - has anyone tried one besides me?

I used one a while back at the Legacy Users group meeting.  It does what it's supposed to.  I'm interested to see what if anything changed from the prototype we had a few York's back.  I assume to work with TMCC engines you still need to create a recording for the whistles and such to activate.  The one I had was actuall pretty flawless in operation for a prototype.  Did everything I tried.  More fun is assigning it to an engine in another loop. 

I'll pick one up when I come across one.

I received two of them from Charles Ro. One perfect and one with a broken hatch hinge, but came sealed in the box as they say. I emailed Lionel and they sent me a return UPS label for repair, but in thinking about it, I may just gut it and put the guts into another car...maybe a favorite car of some Legacy engine road name that has no IR feature. I doubt that I could get into a tender...but that would be the coolest. The car will have to have pickups (added) though...

So does anyone have similar plans for the IR guts? It doesn't require a broken hatch to inspire one to create their own car.

MartyE posted:

I used one a while back at the Legacy Users group meeting.  It does what it's supposed to.  I'm interested to see what if anything changed from the prototype we had a few York's back.  I assume to work with TMCC engines you still need to create a recording for the whistles and such to activate.  The one I had was actuall pretty flawless in operation for a prototype.  Did everything I tried.  More fun is assigning it to an engine in another loop. 

I'll pick one up when I come across one.

Yes, to make the recording you must do it in TMCC for the TMCC engine to see it. I have several sensor tracks on my layout and the Legacy recordings work great but not on a TMCC engine. I created another TMCC recording on another sensor track and all works great. I still have to play more.

cjack posted:

So does anyone have similar plans for the IR guts? It doesn't require a broken hatch to inspire one to create their own car.

I had ordered a couple of the traditional sized cars to do just that, I was quite bummed out that they dropped those and only offered the higher priced scale cars.   I may still do one, but it did run up the cost of the process.

I have no plans to move them into a tender.  Why?  The way it is now, I can easily re-assign it as needed, move it with that engine, and the cost is 1or 2 sensor box cars.  That's my opinion on it but I can see why others may want transplant.

cjack posted:

I received two of them from Charles Ro. One perfect and one with a broken hatch hinge, but came sealed in the box as they say. I emailed Lionel and they sent me a return UPS label for repair, but in thinking about it, I may just gut it and put the guts into another car...maybe a favorite car of some Legacy engine road name that has no IR feature. I doubt that I could get into a tender...but that would be the coolest. The car will have to have pickups (added) though...

So does anyone have similar plans for the IR guts? It doesn't require a broken hatch to inspire one to create their own car.

Ok...moving along, I am trying to choose between these reefers. ADM (kind of generic and pretty sky blue), N.W.X. yellow and green, Santa Fe all the way, or PFE Southern Pacific and UP (really good looking silver car). These are all Lionel reefers and will take the sensor car frame with a minimum of modification. Interestingly, these all have perfect hatches and in fact, I have never gotten a broken hatch except on the one car that I had to use the hatch.  

Whoops! Spoke too soon, the SF has a broken hatch I just noticed.

I could also glue the broken hatch in place carefully with a dot of super glue and use a different hatch for the LED on the original REA. But a different car would be better.

I got my sensor cars, they work as advertised.  There are limitations if you're running a TMCC engine with them as the sensor track canned commands are Legacy based.  However, you can still program a custom program for each direction, and you can also still use the sensor car to trigger route changes.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

There are limitations if you're running a TMCC engine with them as the sensor track canned commands are Legacy based.  However, you can still program a custom program for each direction, and you can also still use the sensor car to trigger route changes.

I was really looking forward to this capability, not so much now.  Being newly retired, I don't expect to buy many more new trains.  Looking at my engine inventory, I have 5 Legacy, 25 TMCC, and 14 DCS.  Of the 5 Legacy engines, two were early models without the sensor.  I was looking at the sensor cars for my TMCC fleet, but that now looks like it is more trouble than its worth.  Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I do not think I will be incorporating more than a couple of sensor tracks for show/tell when guest arrive.

Frankly it was not that hard to make a TMCC recording on one or my track sensor tracks. When I run the sensor behind a legacy engine then the 1st sensor track reads and plays my Legacy recording. When I change and run my TMCC the second sensor track runs the TMCC recording. It is way easier to do in person then by reading the manual. My real wish would have been different car choices.

Captaincog posted:

Frankly it was not that hard to make a TMCC recording on one or my track sensor tracks. When I run the sensor behind a legacy engine then the 1st sensor track reads and plays my Legacy recording. When I change and run my TMCC the second sensor track runs the TMCC recording. It is way easier to do in person then by reading the manual. My real wish would have been different car choices.

Agreed it's not hard at all.  Using an App like High Rail or eTrain and doing a recording is even easier!

When you say other cars is that roadname or types.  It was our impression at the Legacy Users Group meeting that the shells could be traded with other cars.  I guess that changed?  Mine should be in this week.

I looked over some of Lionel reefers I have and they are identical to the REA sensor car. The shells from them can be fitted to the under frame of the REA sensor car and only the LED has to be unscrewed and screwed under the hatch of these other reefers. The screw is already there in the other cars.

Of course the REA car can then be a plain car with the under frame of the reefer you put it's frame into.

Well I decided to try to switch shells tonight since the one I got had a broken hinge. Cleaning and setting up for Chistmas yielded the perfect candidate so I am pleased with the results.

Does this new sensor car replace the Action Recorder Controller (ARC) ? Thanks for any input

CAPPilot posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

There are limitations if you're running a TMCC engine with them as the sensor track canned commands are Legacy based.  However, you can still program a custom program for each direction, and you can also still use the sensor car to trigger route changes.

  Being newly retired, I don't expect to buy many more new trains.  Looking at my engine inventory, I have 5 Legacy, 25 TMCC, and 14 DCS.  Of the 5 Legacy engines, two were early models without the sensor.  I was looking at the sensor cars for my TMCC fleet, but that now looks like it is more trouble than its worth.  Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I do not think I will be incorporating more than a couple of sensor tracks for show/tell when guest arrive.

"I was really looking forward to this capability, not so much now."

Ron, the cost is what stopped us. A dual main line with 3 grade crossings requires 12 sensor tracks at $95 each equals $1,140. Even with a discount that is a lot of money for a feature only a few of our engines can access. Seems the folks that bought them like them.

Captaincog posted:

Well I decided to try to switch shells tonight since the one I got had a broken hinge. Cleaning and setting up for Chistmas yielded the perfect candidate so I am pleased with the results.

Ok. I switched the guts of my REA car with the broken hatch to this car. Really pretty car and why I picked it.

cjack posted:

Captaincog posted:

Well I decided to try to switch shells tonight since the one I got had a broken hinge. Cleaning and setting up for Chistmas yielded the perfect candidate so I am pleased with the results.

Ok. I switched the guts of my REA car with the broken hatch to this car. Really pretty car and why I picked it.

Very nice! I wonder how many versions we can get people to post up?

Captaincog posted:

Very nice! I wonder how many versions we can get people to post up?

 Probably a lot, I can just take pictures of boxcars and claim the sensor car guts are in them.

Lionel Reefers are only a 10 minute job...boxcar was my first thought but just swapping the shells was so easy! I might do a boxcar, a Lionel one will probably take the trucks easily. Maybe put the LED just inside the boxcar door.

How does one go about removing the shell? I would like to put the internals into another reefer.

ehkempf posted:

How does one go about removing the shell? I would like to put the internals into another reefer.

The screws are under the trucks. First take the trucks loose and expose the screws. Then remove the frame, bottom, of the car. Remove the LED assembly in the top of the shell. Just replace shells then using the bottom of the car with electronics, etc. on it. Kind of obvious when you get it apart. The bottom of the car fits any recent lionel reefer.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I got my sensor cars, they work as advertised.  There are limitations if you're running a TMCC engine with them as the sensor track canned commands are Legacy based.  However, you can still program a custom program for each direction, and you can also still use the sensor car to trigger route changes.

John, I know you took a look inside the sensor car.  My question to you is other than the radio board,  can you identify that second board that’s placed on that white plastic mount and if you can identify it, could it be purchased from Lionel?

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...9a-9a58-f6f1cdbf0ffd

cjack posted:

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...9a-9a58-f6f1cdbf0ffd

Thanks Chuck!  I looked but didn’t find this page on Lionel.  Thanks for the link.

Blake

I suspect the RCDR may have specific programming for the sensor car function, but I don't know for sure.  It might be interesting to get one of the $20 boards and see if it could be made to run.  Looks like the three pieces you'd need to  make one are these.

Of course, you'd also have to have power pickups on the trucks.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I suspect the RCDR may have specific programming for the sensor car function, but I don't know for sure.  It might be interesting to get one of the $20 boards and see if it could be made to run.  Looks like the three pieces you'd need to  make one are these.

Of course, you'd also have to have power pickups on the trucks.

Right John and I was thinking if you did have room in a tender to install this then there’s your sensor feature without destroying a sensor car. 

The components are pretty small, so for many tenders this should fit.  If I could talk Lionel out of the RCDR, I might give this a go.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

The components are pretty small, so for many tenders this should fit.  If I could talk Lionel out of the RCDR, I might give this a go.

John, would you necessarily need that green LED programming indicator and if so, where would you mount it?  

Blake

I wouldn't pay $7.50 for a five cent green LED!  You don't actually need it, and if I wanted one, I'd drill a hole and stick the LED into it.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I wouldn't pay $7.50 for a five cent green LED!  You don't actually need it, and if I wanted one, I'd drill a hole and stick the LED into it.

Understood!  

https://www.trainz.com/product...nsorcar-steel-reefer

If nobody wants these, why are they offered near msrp? 

but...

http://charlesro-com.3dcartsto...om/store_l83519.html

But only $68.50 or maybe half that next month for just the guts. 

If I could get the parts for $40, I'd snag a few and do some upgrades.   Other than a couple of connectors, it looks like the three pieces are all that's required.  I can whack the cables together without any issues.

Hmmm...might be something to put into one of these smart water tenders...

It would probably also fit into many upgrades, and even larger factory tenders tend to have enough room for these components.  The biggest issue I see is the antenna, you'd have to float the tender shell if you put it in a factory TMCC or early Legacy model.

FWIW, the RCDR gets specific code for the Sensor Car. Ordering one from Service that doesn't have the Sensor Car code in it will not heed desired results.

That's what I thought Dave, which is why I expressed doubts that any RCDR would work.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

That's what I thought Dave, which is why I expressed doubts that any RCDR would work.

Well, I guess that’s that John!

Blake

Well isn’t that one listed in the sensor car parts list, one with the code?

Yep, but the must contact Lionel suggests they control the distribution of that part.