This may have been addressed somewhere else, but I couldn't find it. I currently have an MTH DCS control system with MTH PS3 locos. I want to purchase some current Williams by Bachman locos and run them with my DCS controller. I thought I read somewhere that I can run the Williams locos successfully with the DCS controller through a Lionel Legacy base connected to the MTH TIU, getting TMCC type results. Is this true or am I missing something?
Thanks in advance.
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I'm still somewhat of a newb and especially with regard to Legacy (bought my first Legacy diesel set & cab1l/base1l just a few weeks ago), but I don't think you can get TMCC or any other command results from a Williams since they do not have a command system built in (yet?...I wonder if DCC might be coming, but I digress).
Best I think you can get is conventional operation of the Williams through a variable channel or some such on your TIU. Pretty sure that no command board means no command features.
Good luck!
Robert
You can operate any conventional engine under DCS conventionally by using the TR screen. You don't need anything additional.
Regardless, adding Legacy or TMCC to the equation does nothing additional operationally. In order to operate a Williams engine with TMCC-like command control, you would need to convert the engine to TMCC, and then add a TMCC or Legacy set to your layout.
Similarly, if you were to convert the Williams engine to PS2, it would become a PS2 engine and operate under DCS, without any additional equipment.
You can operate any conventional engine under DCS conventionally by using the TR screen. You don't need anything additional.
Regardless, adding Legacy or TMCC to the equation does nothing additional operationally. In order to operate a Williams engine with TMCC-like command control, you would need to convert the engine to TMCC, and then add a TMCC or Legacy set to your layout.
Similarly, if you were to convert the Williams engine to PS2, it would become a PS2 engine and operate under DCS, without any additional equipment.
Barry,
I assume if I used the TR screen and variable TIU channel for a conventional loco, I'd have to either run the conventional on a separate variable TIU block, or really be careful with the track voltage, if running DCS and conventional on the same block, since DCS track is at full transformer voltage.....correct?
It strikes me that converting Williams to DCS or TMCC would cancel out the cost advantage for buying Williams vs MTH or Lionel locos.
In any event, thanks for helping me understand.
I assume if I used the TR screen and variable TIU channel for a conventional loco, I'd have to either run the conventional on a separate variable TIU block, or really be careful with the track voltage, if running DCS and conventional on the same block, since DCS track is at full transformer voltage.....correct?
That's correct.
It strikes me that converting Williams to DCS or TMCC would cancel out the cost advantage for buying Williams vs MTH or Lionel locos.
You get what you pay for...
It strikes me that converting Williams to DCS or TMCC would cancel out the cost advantage for buying Williams vs MTH or Lionel locos.
Actually, I won a Railking F3 with PS2 a few years back on E-Bay for $105 so that's not always the case.
I have a WBB E7 that I bought as a dummy, as I wanted to repaint it (in Seaboard Air Line Mint Green) and use it for display. At the time all I did was strip the paint, replaced the molded-on grabs and such, and repaint/letter the body.
It looked so good I decided to power it, so I bought the power kit (no sound). Didn't like the way it ran (too fast) so I bought the ERR Cruise Commander kit (still no sound). Then I saw the MRC AC Sounder and added sound to it.
It was nice at that point, but that's when 3rd Rail offered their E7, ALREADY painted for Seaboard 
with TMCC (and sound) included. I looked at the price of it (around $600) and added up the cost of the WBB engine with all the stuff I added to it and realized I had spent almost as much as what the 3rd Rail engine cost (that's not counting all the labor involved).
I have since removed the electronics from the WBB E7 and put them in an old Railking RS3 and added the ERR Railsounds Commander to the Cruise Commander (the RS3 originally had Locosounds). The WBB E7 now sits gutted on a display case, just like I originally planned.
When you start looking the prices of these engines and comparing them against each other (and what you really want in a model), what Barry says is true...You get what you pay for.
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