Shortest TMCC or Legacy engine (Yard Photo Added)

If your wanting a steam loco, the TMCC Camelbacks are about 17 inches.  I think the 0-8-0 is slightly bigger.

In steam I would presume it to be a 0-4-0.

My guess would be the S 2 switcher at 12 1/4 inches.

 

Good luck and happy railroading,

Don

Earl - For a diesel, try a 6-18583 AEC Atomic 57 Post War Command Control Switcher Locomotive Engine. 

For light switching in a small yard, at only 6" long a Trackmobile sounds like the ideal choice. You can't get much shorter. They have plenty of nice features, and a good selection of road names too. 

I agree with Nicole. I use a Track Mobile in a small area and it works great. Now and then I move it to a different yard on the mainline and it pulls 3 to 4 cars no problem, as long as not die cast cars. It is also used to move a dump car into my coal loader area for dumping. It does look odd if you are using an older era theme to have a Tack Mobile running around but it works foe me. They were pretty expensive in the beginning but you can get them at a decent price now. 

The only complaint I have about the current production NPC trackmobile, besides price,  is that the figure inside should either be an elf or Santa himself.  Great for shuttling gift cars or the Naughty or Nice car.  I think wholesale trains has it marked down to $225 already.

I like the Trackmobile but I still think the price is too high. so as a second choice I would go with the AEC switcher with TMCC.

The diesel switchers from Atlas O are pretty small. And I think they will run on o27.

 

I also agree with Nicole 

I had an early-era track inspection vehcile scale ('38 Buick with flanged wheels) that was TMCC, I think.  It was tiny.  It ran hot (about 12 deg F rise over ambient on the die cast body and failed due to overheating (alot of elecvtronics and motor in a very very tiny space) but that might have been just mine

Assuming the dump car is about 10" then I think the trackmobile is your only choice unless you can find a Plymouth with TMCC.

 

Pete

The shortest would the the TMCC equipped speeder.  I converted a PARR one to TMCC before Lionel finally got them out.  Less than 5" long.

 

Come to think of it, the Early Era Inspection Car is probably shorter...

 

I agree that the shortest one that can do useful work is probably the Trackmobile.

Don't forget that speeders and inspection vehicles don't have couplers. This makes them less than ideal switching use.  Trackmobiles have 2 lovely electrocouplers. 

I agreed with that conclusion in my post.  Maybe I should put an electrocoupler on my speeder.

 I didn't mean just you John, others were thinking purely of size too.  Now, an electrocoupler on a speeder would be fun. It would probably be able to do a wheelie then. 

In another road but my Lionel TMCC US Steel Vulcan would fit the bill.  Don't know if CC couplers could be added, but it looks possible.

Just had another thought, I believe Lionel made Pennsy BB1s (Rats).  Don't recall if made as individuals units or if separable.  But my MTH BB1 separated would be only 8-inches long end of coupler to end of coupler.  So I would expect that a Lionel version would be close to same in length.  And if you do not like the pans remove them pretend it is a diesel.

Lionel made both single TMCC Rat, pulling a work train, and a dual Rat both with TMCC and RS. The Tuscan roofed single Rat has Electrocouplers at both ends.

Earl - I'm suffering from Berkshire fatigue (I have one Williams and 2 Lionel Jr. Berks) and have been thinking about selling my Pennsy Junior Berk to add some diversity to my motive power line-up.  It's the version with TMCC, RS, electrocoupler, etc.  Nice engine with no problems on 27" curves.

I have the Lionel work train with the BB1 single.  I miss the sound you get with the two-locomotive set, but it's a nice locomotive.

 

For Earl's use, the BB1 may be about the right size.

 

quote:

Earl - For a diesel, try a 6-18583 AEC Atomic 57 Post War Command Control Switcher Locomotive Engine. 

 

quote:

In another road but my Lionel TMCC US Steel Vulcan would fit the bill.  Don't know if CC couplers could be added, but it looks possible.

 

As a third option of this same type, there was the TMCC (but no sounds or electrocouplers) Lionel Steel unit from the 1996 Service Station set.

 

I would caution though, these (at least mine) is a traditional pulmor "growler", so it's not probably great for really fine control along a small length of track.

 

-Dave

 

 

K-line 4-6-6 tank loco is short and still available here and there. Mine is an excellent model and great runner - it also has 3 pickup rollers, as I recall - and will handle all the

switches I've ever seen with great aplomb.

 

If an O-gauge coupler could be made to fit the pilot and be tucked in enough to not look goofy, I'd make it one of my go-to switchers.

The Tank Engine is a lot larger than the BB1, remember he wants to fit the locomotive and a car in a 20" siding track!  I have a K-Line Tank Engine, very nice but about twice the size of the BB1.

Earl,

A Rich Yoder 44 tonner would work  if you could find one.

An older K-Line Pennsy A5 might also work for you,it is an 0-4-0 and is quite small.

 

Norm Rish

I think we're missing the point here.   The A5 is close to 20" in length without the dump car!  The only thing that's going to work is something like the Trackmobile or BB1 that's been mentioned so far.

Yep, the K-Line Tank Engine is a great loco, but it is 14" coupler to coupler.
It will be hard to find a steam engine, with command, that will fit on 20 inches of track with a dump car.

If you are lucky enough to find a Lionel Docksider that someone added TMCC to, without a permanent tow vehicle tethered to it, that would fit.

Diesel... I too will throw support for the Trackmobile.  Lots of fun.

 

Here is a video of my Trackmobile.  If you fast forward to 1:20 you will see that it can pull and push plenty...

 

Good call on the Docksider, I forgot that one.  Here's one that I added TMCC to.  It happens to be the MTH model, but I have a Lionel one as well with TMCC, the Copper Range one.  This is probably as small as the BB1.  This one measures exactly 8" tip to tip, including the couplers.

 

Naturally, it'll run on almost any curve, including O27.

 

TrackMobile.

 

Perfect for small yard.

As long as you're OK with modern power, otherwise the Docksider may fit the bill.

Plus with the TrackMobile, it will also run on SuperStreets.

I love my Trackmobile too, also, don't forget the Beep, ERR make TMCC for it as well.

Not anymore, that's a discontinued product.  You can probably stick a MiniCommander 2 in there, but they used to have the whole package with sounds.  That would be nice to have, too bad it's no longer available.

Mini CommanderTM 2

Overview:
The Mini Commander 2 kit is designed specifically for operating vehicles and such as "Speeders", Lionel's Inspection vehicles, or small locos such as the RMT Beep™.  The upgrade features front and rear LED outputs for directional lighting, coil coupler support (may be repurposed for front and rear incandescent lamps), and TMCC serial data for sound upgrades.  The kit includes a comprehensive instruction and operation manual to make the installation go smoothly.

Cool Features:
    Command and Conventional operation
    True Full wave DC driver, 2-amp continuous, 4-amp peak
    Triac outputs for Coil Couplers or Lamps (not concurrently)
    Directly drives LED's lighting without complex "load" resistor wiring
    Serial Data for Sound Commander2 or RailSounds Commander
    Integrated Receiver fully compliant with TMCC 1 standards
    Only 2.0" L  x  1.00" W  x  0.65" H

I know they have the MiniCommander 2 still, but the BEEP kit used to have a Sound Commander for sounds as well.  I've used a number of the MiniCommander 2 boards.

Anyone know if it is possible to install TMCC in a Plymouth Switcher?

Joe

I'm pretty sure that if you take the smoke unit out you could wedge a mini commander in there.

I've been working on my RR yard all day.  Here is the yard. 

 

 

I tried it using my Lionel conventional 0-6-0 Docksider.  That size engine will work, but I need the TMCC electrocouplers. 

 

The Docksider didn't like the switches too well because it would cycle into neutral at the slightest power interruption.  I cleaned the track and the engine rollers, but it still drops into neutral, especially at the lower speeds required in a yard.  Is there a solution to the problem?

 

Thank you for all of your suggestions for a short engine.

Remove the traction tire.  You shouldn't need it for your purpose anyway.