More Help

[Fred Bear]

I hope it's OK to pick your brains on the new stuff as well, I'm just not familiar  with the new stuff.

I like the Lionel Southern Crescent Model 8702. Does it have 2.0 sounds? Also, is it reliable? Thanks for any help, Jake

[chuck]

This looks like the 1977/1978 version?  Electronic three postion E unit, Mighty Sound of Steam, smoke, Magnetraction.  No TMCC, no RailSounds of any version.  I can't find my price guide so I'm basing this on a Google search.  There was a modern release in 2002/2003, scale, RS 4, Odyssey equipped.  A lot more expensive SMRP for loco and car set was $1399.

[Fred Bear]

Thanks Chuck, this one can  be had for $229.00. What do you think? Just the engine and tender. Thanks, Jake

[chuck]

There's one like that on on Ebay right now that the bid is at $100.00.  You can get a newer loco with more features for a  little more than $229 but I don't know if you can find the paint scheme or style you are looking for.   If you like the Southern paint scheme and prefer PW style operating environment (aka PullMor, basic 3 position E-Unit, and analog sound) go for it.   Price seems a little high but not outrageous.  Sorry, but I'm not a big Southern fan.  Value, like beauty, is in a large part in the eye (and pocketbook) of the beholder.

[Fred Bear]

I went ahead and bought it, figured it might be a very more pennies, but...what the heck, Jake

[Fred Bear]

What transformer will a guy need to make all the sounds work? Also, is this thing a candidate for TMCC? or some other type of remote operation? Boy do I sound like the farmer that I am asking these questions! Jake

[chuck]

SOS (Sound of Steam) uses classic whistle/bell buttons to activate sounds.  The unit has some mechanism to affect "chuffing" by microswitch/cam or VCO (voltage control occilator).   If you want to upgrade the computer to TMCC/Railsounds you will need to get an AC based TMCC conversion kit from Digital Dynamics or TAS.  The tender electronics get gutted and the TMCC and Sound boards go in the tender and a tether is wired between the loco and tender for control purposes.

SOS has an analog white noise generator for steam sounds and an analog version of an air whistle.

[Fred Bear]

Thanks much! Jake