Upgrade Options for newbie

eBay has the following parts but I do not know if they will help me upgrade my non TMCC locos.  Should I get any of these?  What do they do? The listings do not have explanations.  These parts are all under $20.00. 

I'd recommend you forgo any purchases of parts until you have a clear understanding of what you need.  FWIW, none of those parts will do the complete conversion, they are just "parts".

Will MTH work with TMCC?

Yes and no.  You can run TMCC locomotives with the DCS system remote, but you can't run DCS locomotives with the TMCC set remote.  For running TMCC from the MTH DCS, you also need a TMCC command base connected to the MTH TIU.

I have seen TMCC upgrades for non Locos on line for around $70. Will these do the same thing or am I wasting my money. 

I recommend you look at the ERR (Electric RailRoad) conversion products, they have everything to do the complete job, including sound if desired.  Also, Boxcar Bill sells ERR products at a discount, you can contact him through his profile on the forum here.

Finally, are there places online where I can learn about TMCC and the various parts and what they do. 

Lionel has some information on line, and here's a site with the Interactive TrainMaster Command Tutorial.  Note that Legacy is the new Lionel product that has added capability to the TMCC TrainMaster capabilities.

I understand the system is digital and has a computer port. I love to write code.

There are provisions for controlling the TMCC command base using a serial port, and the protocol specification is available.  There are also several commercial products that offer computer control of the TMCC layout.  I know of no products that will interface with the Legacy base, but I haven't looked either.

John, the same software that runs TMCC from a computer will also work with Legacy, BUT it will only process TMCC commands. The Legacy command base doesn't accept Legacy commands from the serial port.

Ron

Thanks Ron, I wasn't aware that even the TMCC would work from the serial port.  Too bad you can't do the Legacy stuff as well, you miss a lot of the neat features of the Legacy locomotives.

Ya I know. Even if you could decode the commands they can't be "Stuffed into" the command base. Maybe there will be a Lionel item that would allow this. I think there would be a market for a computer interface and maybe software.The Z-stuff DZ-2500 will report it's position back to the base over the data line allowing position indication through the serial port. I wonder if the Fastrack Switches do that.

Ron

The IR sensor track has something like that.  It can report back the engine that crosses it, the id, and several operational features.

Marty I know computer control is only for a limited crowd but items like that tend to get me going on projects that might be interesting. A touch screen with a track diagram on it with switch and train position would be fun to implement and program.

Ron

Unfortunately due to the whole MTH DCS controlling TMCC that ship has sailed unless it comes from Lionel.

I'm sure there are ingenious folks out there that could probably crack it though.

Legacy still has a lot of untapped potential so you never know whats around the corner.

Cracking the codes is the easy part. With the command base not accepting Legacy codes getting them on the track becomes an exercise in engineering. By taking another career path back in the 60's my electronics engineering schooling is a lot of vacuum tube and a little semiconductor. You guys think the Legacy chargers get hot imagine a vacuum tube command base.

I worked for IBM in the 60's.  You think a vacuum tube command base would be hot, you should walk into a room with two 705 tube computers!  I had an account in downtown Phila  that was still running two of them, and the A/C load on that room was absurd!  I can't even imagine how many tubes were in the racks, but it was thousands!  The amount of power it required was mind boggling.  And to think the Legacy Command base uP chip probably has more computing power.

One good thing the Systems Admin always had a hot lunch!

Ron