TMCC & Battery

@Bobby Ogage posted:

I am replacing all of the Nicad batteries in my locomotives. The first Lionel engine I opened up is a New York Central S2 with TMCC. There is no battery in it, and the battery connector has a plastic cap on it to prevent short circuiting. Should this locomotive and other TMCC engines have a 9V battery?

Only if you want uninterrupted sounds while cycling power in conventional mode or shutdown sounds in conventional.  If you run command then the battery is not needed for the most part as it only keeps the sound system powered during power interruptions.  Sound interruptions in command would be more likely in a steamer. Because of the sound being in the tender as the steamer could still be powered if the tender hits a dead spot, than a diesel which if it lost power would stop dead.

You really just have to ask yourself the right questions

do you run the locomotives conventionally where there are power interruptions that makes the sound cut out? If not, then in a command environment does the sound cut out over switches?

the battery only supplies power to the sound board in the event it looses power so if you don’t have that issue no need for it.

I also like to use the YLB (your last battery) from Henning’s Trains as a last replacement for when batteries are necessary.  

Does the locomotive recharge the battery?

@Bobby Ogage posted:

Does the locomotive recharge the battery?

No. Not on Lionel products.

@Bobby Ogage posted:

Does the locomotive recharge the battery?

As Hot Water mentioned NO. That’s why Lionel says to put in alkaline batteries.

the YLB I linked to does require 1 extra wire to the center rail so it recharges itself and it’s not a battery it’s actually a super capacitor in the 9V form.

@Bobby Ogage posted:

Does the locomotive recharge the battery?

Only if it's one of these.

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement

or

YLB - RailSounds Battery Replacement (RS-Lite)