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I'm looking at upgrading one of my older TMCC steam locomotives that lacks Odyssey/Cruise to something with Legacy electronics. I've been looking at smoke units and I've noticed there are lots of options just in the 8 ohm category. Obviously there are those with the thermistor and those earlier ones without it, but I'm wondering more about the differences between those in the latter category. If I'm doing an upgrade, and custom fitting the smoke unit, does it really matter which one I use?

For example, some of the earlier Legacy locomotives used the Vision smoke unit (VSMK) for their main smoke (and sometimes for whistle steam. Then there are others that used the OGSU, and then there are still others for diesels like:

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...ECTANGULAR-DSL-8-OHM

https://www.lionelsupport.com/...-SQUARE-DIESEL-8-OHM

I know sometimes the diesel versions of smoke units only have a three pin connector and then just use a regulator to drive the motor, since for diesels no chuffing is required, but I could always wire the smoke resistor and motor separately. So is there any reason I couldn't use any of these in my upgrade, assuming I have space in the boiler and I'm rewiring the unit for separate fan/resistor connections?

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The resistor is easily changed so thats a secondary criteria. First select what is going to drive it. R4LC, RCMC if if the latter does it require a thermistor to work. Early RCMCs didn’t require a thermistor. If you use a R4LC you will need 5 v for the fan or select a TMCC smoke unit with 5 v onboard.

You realize if you go to Legacy you have to make all your own harnesses?

Pete

@Norton posted:

The resistor is easily changed so thats a secondary criteria. First select what is going to drive it. R4LC, RCMC if if the latter does it require a thermistor to work. Early RCMCs didn’t require a thermistor.

I mentioned that I was only looking at 8 ohm units without a thermistor, and as you stated, early RCMCs didn't support a thermistor. That said I'm not planning on using a thermistor based solution.

If you use a R4LC you will need 5 v for the fan or select a TMCC smoke unit with 5 v onboard.

I'm using an SFC1 to drive the smoke units which takes 3rd rail and GND and drives the smoke fan motor based on serial input so I'm not worried about that.

You realize if you go to Legacy you have to make all your own harnesses?

If we want whistle steam and RS 6.0 that's the only option, no?

Last edited by rplst8

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