Problem with TMCC E-8s?

Although I never had the ACL road name I have had other E8's of that era and they were just fine. Go ahead and buy one you will like it.

Thanks David;  I'm not familiar with TMCC. I believe there is a battery; can that be replaced with BCR-equivalent like MTH? Probably will just run traditionally (transformer) for now.  Maybe TMCC later, on a large loop with DCS. Can I download operating instructions for the E-8?

Wally 

The battery is for the sound. In conventional operation the battery will be used to make the sounds when the track voltage is not enough.  For TMCC the battery helps provide sound for shutdown if the track power is off and if there are spots on the track where power is intermittent. Don

You can install a battery charging circuit and then use a BCR.

In conventional control, without a battery or BCR, there is no sounds on start-up until about 8 volts is reached.

They're actually E6's , as far as TMCC or even Legacy is concerned for that matter the use of a 9 volt battery is purely optional.

It is not necessary for operation like the battery in a PS2 loco. The 9 volt battery is there primarily to keep the sound from dropping out during direction changes in a conventional environment, or "dead spot" over a turnout during command operation.

I've been using TMCC/Legacy for several years and never needed/added a 9v.

The only drawback( not owning a set myself) would be the obvious 13 years of improvement in sound and operation that has occured since these were released.

Lionel has announced some Legacy E units in their latest catalog, folks could be selling off older units to upgrade.

Heres a link to the Lionel product page for the ACL E6's, at bottom left there is a link to the owners manual as well.

http://www.lionel.com/Products/Finder/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductNumber=6-14524&expandBranch=0&Keywords=ACL&CategoryID=0&RailLineID=&CatalogId=

Whoops! The engines are all 11903 F3s. Does that make difference to my original question? Thanks.

 Wally

Yes, those are "pullmor powered" Lionel locos made in 1996 at the very early advent of TMCC.  Very early sound system with only 1 RPM change, and the pullmor motors are noisy, lack cruise and draw a ton of juice. Alot of folks like the "postwar style" operation of  Lionels pullmor motor but performance wise they really don't hold a candle to your can motored MTH or newer can motored Lionel. No low speed crawling with a pullmor motored loco, and they slow down at every curve or incline.

I found video of this exact set, looks like it belongs to MartyE