Rewiring a MTH 30-79015 Signal Man Box Car to Operate while moving.

For the MTH Signalman Car use a Mini Commander.  Instructions attached.

Purchase The Electric RR Co Mini Commander from 3rdrail.com .

One question to ask first, do you run TMCC/Legacy?  If not, you may be looking at one of the stand-alone remote control kits.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

One question to ask first, do you run TMCC/Legacy?  If not, you may be looking at one of the stand-alone remote control kits.

@Susan Deats posted:

For the MTH Signalman Car use a Mini Commander.  Instructions attached.

Purchase The Electric RR Co Mini Commander from 3rdrail.com .

Thanks Susan, I think that is something that I can do.

John, I run Legacy and TMCC so that may be the way to go.

If the car operates with slide shoes you’ll need to replace a truck with one that has a pick up roller on it.

It has one roller, but I'd really want two.

I'm assuming that the Signalman boxcar can then be operated anywhere on the DCS / TIU with the remote while the operation of the ps3 engine is in progress ?

I also assume the Signalman Caboose could be operated the same way  ?

Any chance all this assuming could be right  ? 🤔🤤

@trains52 posted:

I have an MTH Operating Box Car w/Signal Man 30-79015. It operates on track power with a remote control track while car is idle. Is there a way to re-wire this car so the Signalman will operate while the car is in motion? I would install an on/off switch in frame to shut off operation at times so I would not burn out the mechanism.

Define what you mean by "operate while the car is in motion."

With zero out-of-pocket cost (meaning you don't need to buy a Mini Commander or any "new" electronics), you can indeed re-wire the box car so it continuously cycles the signalman motion "forever" as long as it receives power from the track.  As you say, you could install an on/off switch to stop the behavior.

But, if "operate while the car is in motion" means you want to activate a single cycle when the car is anywhere on the track (and NOT just when it's over a UCS or what I think you mean by a "remote control track") then you would need something like the Mini Commander.  If you are handy with a soldering iron and don't mind some DIY electronics handi-work, I have shown how you can remotely activate the operating boxcar anywhere on the layout for $5-10.

Here's a short video from the above write-up on the JCS O-gauge archive site.  It's the MTH operating boxcar but the concept is the same as the signalman.