I have a Lionel no. 18122 Santa Fe F-3 B unit with RailSounds 2, which was an add-on to a conventional F-3 set. Is there any way to convert/modify this sound B unit so that it will operate on a 18v Command layout?
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It's unlikely you'll be able to interface the conventional sound board to a TMCC receiver. It's possible that they used a command compatible board, but I'd bet against it. I'd buy the ERR Dummy Locomotive board and the ERR F3 RailSounds Commander, that would do the trick.
PowerMaster can control voltage to fte track usind commands from the Cab-1.
breezinup posted:I have a Lionel no. 18122 Santa Fe F-3 B unit with RailSounds 2, which was an add-on to a conventional F-3 set. Is there any way to convert/modify this sound B unit so that it will operate on a 18v Command layout?
Yes, If this has the 2.0 chips, I have successfully moved them to a RS 2.5 assembly and they function in command. So you could retain the sounds, but need to change the hardware. 4.0 hardware should work also. G
It's unlikely you'll be able to interface the conventional sound board to a TMCC receiver. It's possible that they used a command compatible board, but I'd bet against it. I'd buy the ERR Dummy Locomotive board and the ERR F3 RailSounds Commander, that would do the trick.
John,
Am I missing something here, would not the ERR Sound Converter work in this situation if the engine were converted to TMCC? If he would be operating this in conventional mode the Powermaster, I think, would operate the sound unit through the buttons on the remote.
Ray
The sound converter will operate the whistle and bell, but the prime mover would be at full throttle all the time as you'd have max track power all the time.
John,
Here again I do not know if this would work as it did on my Flyonel B unit. I my case I disconnected all of the power pick up on the B unit from the track and brought all of the power in through the Sound Converter. In this hookup when the track is powered up the engine sound starts immediately, the horn and bell work from the buttons on the remote and the engine ramps up as the train begins to move. I connected a three wire tether from the motor driver board in the A unit to the Sound Converter which I placed in the B and then the Sound Converter to the Railsounds board.
Ray
I connected a conventional sound card to the ERR Sound Converter, and the result was the prime mover was at full RPM all the time as the Sound Converter is outputting full track voltage with the offsets for bell and whistle. Not sure how you got the prime mover to react to actual engine speeds as there is no sensing of speed with a constant voltage output.
breezinup posted:I have a Lionel no. 18122 Santa Fe F-3 B unit with RailSounds 2, which was an add-on to a conventional F-3 set. Is there any way to convert/modify this sound B unit so that it will operate on a 18v Command layout?
I'm reasonably certain this B Unit actually has a RS2.5 board inside. (A photo would tell us for sure.) If that's the case, then yes, you could operate this RailSounds board in TMCC mode with the addition of something like an LCRX or an R2LC to receive the commands and operate the serial line to the RS board. BUT also see my comment below.
GGG posted:breezinup posted:I have a Lionel no. 18122 Santa Fe F-3 B unit with RailSounds 2, which was an add-on to a conventional F-3 set. Is there any way to convert/modify this sound B unit so that it will operate on a 18v Command layout?
Yes, If this has the 2.0 chips, I have successfully moved them to a RS 2.5 assembly and they function in command. So you could retain the sounds, but need to change the hardware. 4.0 hardware should work also. G
This is the case for some but not all 2.0 chips. It is definitely NOT true of the earliest RS2 chips, such as those contained in the 6-18034 Santa Fe Mikado or 6-18216 Conrail SD-60 from 1994. Some chips from later RailSounds 2.0 systems do recognize TMCC functionality when transplanted to a later board, anywhere between 2.5 and 4.0. Since the Santa Fe B Unit mentioned above was produced in 1995, there's a reasonable chance that the chips contained therein will operate in a TMCC environment. Note that true RailSounds 2.0 systems didn't make it into many items, as they were only used in about a half dozen products between 1994 and mid-1995.
TRW
John,
This conversation is jogging my memory, I now remember that the Flyonel B units have a sensor mounted on the axle which senses the movement of the train and that is what ramps up the prime mover. Thank you for the info on the Lionel, you have saved me much confusion that I would have to deal with as I convert an A-B-A diesel set from American Models, the prime mover ramp up in this B is also controlled by the voltage on the track. ERR will be selling another Railsounds 4 to me.
Again Thank you
Ray
I have personally run across chips that don't recognize TMCC, even when transplanted into a RS4 board. I know they all don't function with TMCC, but I've never seen or heard of a list of those that do and don't.
Thanks to all who weighed in on the topic. Very interesting. I don't recall if the subject has come up before, but it's useful given that there are a significant number of pre-TMCC RailSounds-equipped items out there, from B-units to steam tenders to sound boxcars.
