Why would anyone WANT to turn off the Odyssey speed control?? Lionel seems to always have an on-off switch for the feature.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
@Mike Wyatt posted:Why would anyone WANT to turn off the Odyssey speed control?? Lionel seems to always have an on-off switch for the feature.
I have found that when creating a locomotive "lashup" with legacy or tmcc.... disabling the odyssey on all but one of the locomotives helps prevent them from fighting each other for contol (particularly on curves). The tighter the curves, the more exaggerated this becomes. It also seems to help prevent thrown traction tires as a result of not fighting each other. My most recent encounter with this a was running two identical TMCC Lackawanna Train Masters together. With odyssey enabled on both, they ran fine on straightaways but fought each other noticeabley on curves (all curves were O72 and larger). Running a locomotive solo, odyssey on is always best.
@Mike Wyatt posted:Why would anyone WANT to turn off the Odyssey speed control?? Lionel seems to always have an on-off switch for the feature.
I would ask that this title be more descriptive. It might get a better response.
As far as why, some folks do like to run trains without Odyssey especially in conventional.
Because.
I have found that (in TMCC for TMCC or Legacy locomotives) if you set up all locos using the same number (of the lead one for example), they all react the same. Is that a problem relative to Odyssey??
@Mike Wyatt posted:Why would anyone WANT to turn off the Odyssey speed control?? Lionel seems to always have an on-off switch for the feature.
Here's understanding of the story.
The first Odyssey engines sometimes did not run smoothly. They would sometimes lurch upon stating up and sometimes run at inconsistent speeds while under cruise control. (the Odyssey lurch, it was called).
While Lionel was figuring out how to fix the problem, production batches were fitted with switches which allowed the operator to turn Odyssey off. The switches stayed after the problem was fixed.
Thanks.
If Mike Reagan or Jon Z see this they can explain in better detail but with 1st generation Odyssey two engines could fight each other. Imagine one being slightly faster than the other. The faster one starts pushing the slower one. The slower one senses the increase in speed and tries to slow down resulting in continuous speed variations plus overheating doing this.
Sometime in the mid 2000s the algorithm was changed to fix this but the first solution was to add a switch to turn Odyssey off and running two identical engines without cruise. Not ideal but they ran better that way.
I have three powered F3s from the early 2000s that do run OK together in Odyssey mode but others with these same engines say theirs don't and can only run them with Odyssey off. A friend says was able to get his to run together by adding a tether wire to tie all engines pickup rollers together so there was no breaks in power.
Pete
My American Flyer Challenger runs much better with the Odyssey turned off.
Rusty
If it fails, the locomotive can still be used by turning it off.
Which is why I don't like that Lionel has removed this switch on newer locos
@Norton posted:If Mike Reagan or Jon Z see this they can explain in better detail but with 1st generation Odyssey two engines could fight each other. Imagine one being slightly faster than the other. The faster one starts pushing the slower one. The slower one senses the increase in speed and tries to slow down resulting in continuous speed variations plus overheating doing this.
Sometime in the mid 2000s the algorithm was changed to fix this but the first solution was to add a switch to turn Odyssey off and running two identical engines without cruise. Not ideal but they ran better that way.
I have three powered F3s from the early 2000s that do run OK together in Odyssey mode but others with these same engines say theirs don't and can only run them with Odyssey off. A friend says was able to get his to run together by adding a tether wire to tie all engines pickup rollers together so there was no breaks in power.
Pete
Thanks for this. I have certainly experienced the Odyssey "lurch" with a couple of TMCC engines but didn't know the reason for the wider issue.
Bu regarding the F3s, wasn't there also an issue about gear ratios being different between a couple of years of manufacture? I have an F3 A-B-A set from about 2003 and a slightly later powered F3 B unit that won't play nicely with them at all. Problem can't be remedied because I understand Lionel used different gears originally intended for F7s in the later engines and no replacement power trucks are available.
I am not familiar with the later F3s. Mine are SF train 18 and 19. Same gearing. One doesn’t even have an Odyssey on/off switch so I have to run them all with Odyssey on. Sounds like the later F3s might have come with Liondrive. Those would have different gearing.
Pete
An operator may want to actually runt he engine realistically rather than let the electronics do it, to give it more steam/fuel going up hill and cut back going down. Tedious on a small layout but fun to "virtually" run an engine on a big one.
For odyssey engines that do not have the on/off switch, there is a key sequence on the cab-1 or cab-2 you can use to turn odyssey on/ off.
I do not readily have the sequence with me and hope someone here on the forum can post it. I have it but have to look for it.
@Ted Bertiger posted:For odyssey engines that do not have the on/off switch, there is a key sequence on the cab-1 or cab-2 you can use to turn odyssey on/ off.
I do not readily have the sequence with me and hope someone here on the forum can post it. I have it but have to look for it.
I thought it was a key sequence too but for my Santa Fe Train 18 with no Odyssey switch the sequence involves raising the track voltage, pressing and holding the horn button, then reducing the voltage to 1/4 and releasing the horn button.
https://www.lionelsupport.com/...ents/71-4565-250.pdf
Trouble is this is only in effect until you power down. It has to be repeated for the next power up.
There is a key sequence for TAS EOB and ERR Cruise.
Pete
Pete,
I looked for the key sequence and could not find it. Going to ask a friend who gave it to me a long time ago. Just a matter of asking him. I do remember do some type of key sequence for the on/off odyssey.
Pete has the key sequence in the link in his post. Follow the link and it's on page 10 of the manual.
