Lionel Sensorcars?

The sensor car allows the Lionel sensor track to play recordings that you create and ID the locomotive you assign it to as it runs through the sensor track. It really adds to the play value of older Legacy and TMCC engines that did not come with an infrared sensor.

Sam Jumper posted:

i guess I'm missing something. In the new catalog there are two "Sensorcars". I don't get why the catalog doesn't explain this, but what does a Sensorcar do? I've tried searching the forum too. Is it a secret that nobody's talking about?

About 23 minutes in we demo the sensor car...

The sensor car lets you emulate a sensor equipped locomotive by including it in your consist on a non-sensor equipped locomotive.  This allows older Legacy or even TMCC locomotives to have many of the advantages of a sensor equipped Legacy locomotive in the LCS environment.  It's an eagerly anticipated unit, I'll be ordering several of them.

Can you place them anywhere in the train or does it have to be right behind the engine?

Anywhere you like.

Ok  I guess a couple of GG1s and Sensor-cars.

I'm figuring a couple of sensor cars, maybe Scale ones, but I might get a semi-scale one to see if I could transplant the sensor stuff into a tender of my 3rd Rail S2 Turbine or the like.   It would be nice to be able to have the capability.

Sam Jumper posted:

i guess I'm missing something. In the new catalog there are two "Sensorcars". I don't get why the catalog doesn't explain this, but what does a Sensorcar do? ......Is it a secret that nobody's talking about?

Not any secret. At the Lionel website, look at the Track and Power catalog. See page 46 -  it gives a complete explanation of the sensors.

Well, it talks in detail about the LCS Sensor Track, but it doesn't actually tell you about the sensor car capabilities, which is a legitimate question.  The demo we saw at the Legacy User's Meeting was a peek at the capability, but it's not chiseled in stone what limitations the sensor car will have over having the sensor in the locomotive.  For one thing, stuff like fuel levels is unlikely to function like it does with the sensor integrated into the locomotive.

The 1.6 Legacy software for the sensor car built in so in playing with it from what I understand it will mimic the engine so if it is a TMCC engine then it will mimic that. I do not think there will be any added fuel features but IMHO that is okay since just getting the action recording playing and engine recognition via the iPad is worth it to me. I remember Jon Z telling me it could not be done when the sensor tracks first came out so I am happy that this has been done.

This group is awesome! I'm done with track on my layout, so I never paid attention to the track catalog and all of this is news to me. It's so odd in what Lionel wants to be a BTO world that the catalog to help boost sales isn't clear what these cars are even for. 

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'm figuring a couple of sensor cars, maybe Scale ones, but I might get a semi-scale one to see if I could transplant the sensor stuff into a tender of my 3rd Rail S2 Turbine or the like.   It would be nice to be able to have the capability.

When I saw the sensor car in the catalog, my first thought was John will be ripping the guts out of that in short order!

Keep us informed how you get on. I will be ordering a couple of the cars. Maybe one of each type.

Hopefuly when I get my 990 set back from repair I can get LCS and sensor track working properly.

Nick

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Anywhere you like.

Would it be fair to say, anywhere you like, as long as it is in the same position when you go to play back the recording?  I would imagine if you recorded the the sensor car at the back of a train, and played back with it near the front, it would mess up the timing as to where the engine will be as various actions happen... recorded events will follow that car, rather than the engine.  

JGL

Yes

i would think that it's position within the train must remain consistent from recording through playback to ensure playback accuracy.

JohnGaltLine posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Anywhere you like.

Would it be fair to say, anywhere you like, as long as it is in the same position when you go to play back the recording?  I would imagine if you recorded the the sensor car at the back of a train, and played back with it near the front, it would mess up the timing as to where the engine will be as various actions happen... recorded events will follow that car, rather than the engine.  

JGL

I think there is a disclaimer on the box...

Sensor Car does not change the laws of physics.   Yep the timing would definitely change. If you move it a new recording has to be made. 

Ive made a recording with it when we had it for demo that started up an engine on a siding and did some basic sounds and then shut down again. It's pretty cool. 

Obviously, any events triggered by the sensor car will happen when the sensor car actually rolls over the sensor track.   Another point is that if you have created a recording that happens for any sensor equipped train, having the sensor in a different relative position for each consist will also be a factor.

Nick,

    Got to admit when I 1st saw the Sensor Car, I thought the same thing, Guns will have a ball playing with this one.  The guts will get ripped out of several of these Sensor Cars by John for sure.  I can just see the part all over his work bench!

PCRR/Dave

I just got one of the sensor cars.  I have a Lionel Santa FE F3 set (200 and 200C).  I programmed the sensor car to id=20.  All works fine if I run just the powered engine, but here is my problem.  The two F3's are set up as a consist (TR 20), I also have both the powered and non-powered "B" units, haven't around to setting them up yet, So it seems that this sensor car will not work when a consist (train) is involved, or am I missing something.

Thanks,

Ed

I just answered my own post.  The sensor car does work in a consist.  The answer is you have to re-build the train, just basically info-build-set, to get it to work. Lionel need to update the document/manual with better info.  Most of you probably knew what I just figured out.  Thanks anyway.

Ed