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TCS T1

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  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,475 posts
TCS T1
Posted by New Haven I-5 on Monday, February 18, 2008 2:00 PM
 Where can you get the new, shorter, TCS T1 decoder with auxiliary connector. I would like to install this in  Athearn's RS-3.

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 3,312 posts
Posted by locoi1sa on Monday, February 18, 2008 2:48 PM

  I get my TCS decoders from Track side sales. www.tracksidesales.com

  Why do you need the auxiliary conector? Athearns 9 pin harrness just plugs into the decoder. If you are going to put ditch lights or a rotary beacon than you will need the T4 decoder. The aux plug conects to the TCS VR1.5 lighting resistor to convert 12 volt to 1.5 volt.

   Pete
 

 I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!

 I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,475 posts
Posted by New Haven I-5 on Monday, February 18, 2008 2:57 PM
 Just ordered one from my LHS!

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,475 posts
Posted by New Haven I-5 on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 6:21 PM
 locoi1sa wrote:

  I get my TCS decoders from Track side sales. www.tracksidesales.com

  Why do you need the auxiliary conector? Athearns 9 pin harrness just plugs into the decoder. If you are going to put ditch lights or a rotary beacon than you will need the T4 decoder. The aux plug conects to the TCS VR1.5 lighting resistor to convert 12 volt to 1.5 volt.

   Pete
 

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,475 posts
Posted by New Haven I-5 on Saturday, February 23, 2008 6:59 PM
 I got a Digitax DH123PS instead.

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,333 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:39 PM

I have a couple of TCS T1's.

I've had a problem with them.  They don't like to go into a consist (MU) in the reverse direction.  So, the TCS engine always has to be the lead engine, or I have to run the consist in reverse.  Other than that, they've been fine.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:36 PM
misterB have you spoken to TCS about this?  Curious what they had to say?

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    August 2007
  • From: Maryland
  • 178 posts
Posted by mikebo on Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:06 AM

MisterBeasley,

I think you might have a setting messed up in your decoder, I have a T1 that I routinely run as the last loco in a consist.  I have a pair of Athearn Genesis F3's I have a Soundtraxx LC decoder in the lead and a TCS T1 as the last loco. They run great together on my NCE system.

Mike Modeling Maryland Railroads in the 60's (plus or minus a few years)
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 3,312 posts
Posted by locoi1sa on Sunday, February 24, 2008 10:57 AM

  Mr B

 I have found on another forum that if you cycle the power(just tip the loco to one side) that it will consist the right direction. It is a bug in some TCS decoders but not all. When I set up a consist and one unit is not going the direction I set it to go I just tip it to one side so it loses contact to one rail and then it works properly. I know its a pain in the butt but its better than replacing the decoder. I have not found one of the newer decoders with BEMF to have this bug. But when setting up the decoder make sure you set CV10 to a low number so the locos will not fight each other. I usualy set CV10=3. That way the BEMF works for switching and BEMF shuts off at speed step 4.

    Pete
 

 I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!

 I started with nothing and still have most of it left!

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:10 AM
 locoi1sa wrote:

  Mr B

 I have found on another forum that if you cycle the power(just tip the loco to one side) that it will consist the right direction. It is a bug in some TCS decoders but not all. When I set up a consist and one unit is not going the direction I set it to go I just tip it to one side so it loses contact to one rail and then it works properly. I know its a pain in the butt but its better than replacing the decoder. I have not found one of the newer decoders with BEMF to have this bug. But when setting up the decoder make sure you set CV10 to a low number so the locos will not fight each other. I usualy set CV10=3. That way the BEMF works for switching and BEMF shuts off at speed step 4.

    Pete
 

Knowing TCS and their warranty, I would not be surprised that if this is an acknowledged problem that they would not replace the decoders.

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

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