R2LCO2 PINOUT

John,

When I look up 6-18952 on lionelsupport.com I don't see "R2LCO2" as the radio board.  Instead radio functions are found in what's called an LRCU (see photo below), which is an earlier, and less sophisticated approach than used in most later TMCC-equipped engines, which use the R2LC08 or equivalent.

I have the NYC version of this same loco and was at one time interested in the same upgrade (to ERR Cruise M).  What I found was that it won't work in this loco, unless a significant tear-up is undertaken, because there's presently no place to plug the Cruise M in (no motherboard).

The electrical layout in this engine an older design and it won't accept the Cruise M without substantial rewiring, in which case a Generic ERR Cruise Commander would probably be easier to install.

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

The electrical layout in this engine an older design and it won't accept the Cruise M without substantial rewiring, in which case a Generic ERR Cruise Commander would probably be easier to install.

I wouldn't be too hasty.  That unit has a DCDR DC motor driver, so it has all the signals except for serial data  to replace it with a Cruise Commander M.  Serial data is available on the connector for the Railsounds board.  That's the version of the LCRU2 without a motor driver, hence the inclusion of the DCDR board.

Since that is basically an LCRU minus motor driver, isn't serial data present in the 4 pin connector? I realize firmware and a resistor in the PCB are involved so it's possible the native firmware doesn't support it, but I would take that chance and try?

Again, if that pin works for serial data Railsounds, then it also should work for ERR CRUISE M- at least in theory.

Details in this topic https://ogrforum.com/...-f3-help-with-repair

and

https://ogrforum.com/...reverse-light-wiring

Since no wires run from the sound board to the DCRU in the current configuration then one of the 4 which currently go to the DCRU must also be the serial data.  Seems like ERR would include info for this loco since they pull like a long haul truck no doubt due to the two 545 motors. The only Lionel loco with two 500 series Mabuchi motors are these early ALCOs. In the past I have made some lucky guesses with TAS boards but with ERR now the only source for TMCC boards I am less likely to take a chance on a guess. Has no one converted one of these ALCOS to cruise using the stock R2CO2 radio board ?

Come to think if I had a pinout for a common DCRU I could deduce what the connections on the ALCOs DCRU go to on the R2LCO2.          j

@JohnActon posted:

Come to think if I had a pinout for a common DCRU I could deduce what the connections on the ALCOs DCRU go to on the R2LCO2.          j

It's 4 wires. 2 are directional PWM, technically the other 2 wires are common to each other or 5V source from the TMCC receiver board. There is no serial data to a DCDR.

Straight from 3rd rail

This topic covers a lot of this detail and info

https://ogrforum.com/...lsounds-in-lionel-pa

Again, this schematic shows the connections to a DCDR, now all you have to do is add one wire (and probably a serial data buffer) to the ERR- Cruise M

Again, literally, 100% of the info is already in this topic with the diagrams.

Vernon,

I like your approach.  This is what I'd like to do with my NYC version (6-18953) of this loco, as soon a I get some extra time to work on it.

However, as far as this thread goes the OP apparently isn't interested in using the LCRU, even if it's already present, connected, and operational (except for cruise).

For some reason using the C02 version of the R2LC as the receiver is more desirable.

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

For some reason using the C02 version of the R2LC as the receiver is more desirable.

Why?  First time I ever heard of a C02 version.  Here's from a history of the R2LC posted by Mike Reagan.

C04, these were the first R2LC's produced. They were designed for the semi scale pacific and mikados, will do strobe light, smoke on/off (diesel), steam with mechanical smoke unit (reduces smoke output in idle to prevent element from overheating without airflow), pretty limited in its capabilities, as it was essentially the first code version released.

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

Vernon,

I like your approach.  This is what I'd like to do with my NYC version (6-18953) of this loco, as soon a I get some extra time to work on it.

However, as far as this thread goes the OP apparently isn't interested in using the LCRU, even if it's already present, connected, and operational (except for cruise).

For some reason using the C02 version of the R2LC as the receiver is more desirable.

Mike

It's the same board and we keep throwing around different names (to be fair, that is Lionel naming it in a few places). Even worse, this is taken straight from @JohnActon's own post in the below topic:

"DC-LCRU more exactly an R2LCO2 from a Lionel NYC Alco 18953 with a Signal Sounds board along with the DCDR"

https://ogrforum.com/...adlight-led-question

You unplug the DCDR 4 pin connector. That plug then goes right into the CRUISE M. No need to get wrapped around the axle about the pinout, it's plug and play on that connector.

4 pin connector connects to J1 on the Cruise M

Then you have the 1 serial data line- and we know it connects in parallel to the serial data to the railsounds (maybe with a buffer) to go into the Cruise M.

Heck, I'm even thinking the 4 pin power and motor connector is the same pinout.

Yes it matches

So really, that makes 2 plug in connectors, and 1 serial data wire in the last connector on the Cruise M to splice in and this would have been rolling down the track hours ago.

Fair enough.  So it is then.  LCRU and R2LC02 are the same.

I'll make a note of it.

Mike

BTW - Perhaps @PaperTRW could shed some light on why or how this came to be?

Never mind.  He already has.  I found this:

@PaperTRW posted:

This was an under-rated chassis with the large Mabuchi motors and flywheels, and only used four times -- the Santa Fe and New York Central from 1997, the Erie from 1998 and the Pennsylvania from 1999-2000. The PRR was the only USA-made diesel to have the Odyssey Speed Control system as OEM equipment.

RailSounds 3.0 was the first modular system, and only used from 1998-1999, with a few stragglers into 2000-2001. Normally, as long as you coupled a RailSounds 3.0 power board with a 3.0 audio board, you were in good shape. If I remember correctly, the power board feeds a 12v supply in addition to the standard 5v to the audio board. Some motherboards don't have the trace for the 12v line, which is why they won't work with some versions. But as you discovered, the PIC and ROM chips from RailSounds 2.5 through 4.0 are compatible with each other, which is why your 3.0 chips could be transplanted into a 4.0 board.

Lastly, this chassis is also one of the few to use the LCRU2 board without the motor-driving components. Essentially, it's a non-modular R2LC... in fact, the code contained therein is usually R2LC02.

Nice job on the upgrade.

TRW

Click here for the original posting:

     LCRU and R2LC02 (8/21/16) | PaperTRW

Mike

I've never seen anyone else call the LCRU2 an R2LC-02, not sure that was an "official" term.  In any case 99% of us consider an R2LC as a modular board that is hosted in a motherboard, not a stand-alone unit.

There is a sticker on the board with R2LCO2 However the board also has LCRU2 on it in very small print which I cannot read without my strongest glasses. If Lionel cannot decide what to call it how can we ? It does make it more difficult when we don't use the same nomenclature.     This is the first Cruise Commander M I have installed and if I am obsessing about it is because I recently fried a  Heat/Air conditioning control board which had smeared ink/paint on the board and I connected the wrong spade terminal in the wiring harness to the board. I Ended up having to buy a  second board.  I could have bought the board online for under $100 yet to get the air back on quick I paid over twice as much locally in order to get the air back on in hours instead of a couple of days.                                    j                             

I've never seen one of those with that sticker, but pictures don't lie.  I guess it's an R2LC-C02!

One thing is for sure John, if you work with this stuff long enough, you'll fry some boards, I don't know anyone that does this daily that hasn't cooked a couple over the years.