Bought modern engine...TMCC question

[rickoshay]

I just pulled the trigger on a new Lionel PWC 746 J which is equipped with TMCC. All of my other locos are Postwar but I'm in love with the "J" and thought this would be a good candidate for my first "modern" motive power.

My layout is powered by a PW ZW and I've already ordered the TVS-4/fuse block from Scott's for protection. Is the Classic Trainmaster Command Set (#6-12969) what I need to take advantage of all the cool features of this locomotive? Is this compatible with the ZW? Anything else I need?       

[dougdagrump]

As they say "You are good to go".

However I am going to make one suggesstion that you mite keep in mind for the future. If you add a TPC400, 6-14179, you will also be able to operate your "postwar" locos using the Cab-1 almost the same way you will run the new "J".

If you go to www.coilcouplers.com they have a real good tutorial on installing and operating in a TMCC environment.

[chuck]

Minimum requirement is a CAB-1 and a Command Base.  You will not be able to control the PW stuff from the CAB-1 without a TPC or a PowerMaster but you will be able to access all of the features on the new Command equipped engine.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Unless you have one huge layout with over 300 feet of track, you might save yourself some money and use a TPC 300.  Works the same as the TPC 400. 

Roy, one of our resident electrical whizzes, made this suggestion to me and it works just fine for my 200 feet of track.

[dougdagrump]

Buckeye, I am more familiar with the 400, which works extremely well with MTH PS 1 & 2 engines, what about the 300 ?

[SchemerBob]

I think the TPC 300 is just like the 400 except it can only regulate 300 watts of power. At least, that's what Lionel says. I have a TPC 300 on order so I should see how it works soon.

[ChiefEagles]

Buckeye Riveter

Unless you have one huge layout with over 300 feet of track, you might save yourself some money and use a TPC 300.  Works the same as the TPC 400. 

Roy, one of our resident electrical whizzes, made this suggestion to me and it works just fine for my 200 feet of track.

Think the whizzze recommended the 300 to me.  Got two.  One for each mainline so I can run two conventionals at the same time but at different speeds.  Works great.  

[J. Daddy]

That begs the question with a TPC 300 or TPC 400 can you blow a PW whistle from your CAB 1 remote or do you need to back to your transformer to activate?

[chuck]

 You can usually activate the PW whistle/horn from the CAB-1.  Likemost things in life there may be exceptions.

[J. Daddy]

Exceptions? can you recall any specific examples?

Another question... can I set up TMCC and a TPC 300 or 400 on the same track and toggle with a switch between the two, or do I need isolated electrical blocks? TMCC requires a constant feed foltage of 18v, what does the TPC 300/400 require?

Thanks for the help...

[chuck]

 OK, TMCC uses a radio signal broadcast on the tracks to control Command Equipped loco's.  It's almost impossible to kill the signal once it's propogated short of turning off power to the Command Base or disconnecting the wire from the antenna post on the command base (which you have to do at the command base side, not the track/common terminal's on your track power supplies). 

Any command loco that "hears" the command signal base/carrier frequency will operate in command mode.  It will be limited to the power you apply to the track.  I use TPC-300's and this allows me to control one conventional loco per power district/block/TPC while any command loco on any of the tracks will function up to the power levels being provided in that block/district.  This usually means top speed and coil couplers will suffer from reduced voltage.

You do not need toggle switches (in fact they won't work).  I have forced my command loco's to run in conventional mode via the TPC by disconnecting the antenna lead on the Command base from the Command base side BEFORE powering up the base.  This allows me to control the TPC by the serial cable but not send a command signal to the track.

[J. Daddy]

Chuck,

Makes sense. so if you cut/ switch off via toggle the ground wire from the command base to track, I take it the command locomotive will just sit there in nuetral?

I was thinking of hooking up a dual power source, one TPC 300 operated, and the other command control on a control panel. The double pole double throw toggle switch could energize each block as required per locomotive? If a command locomotive enters a convential block it would just go to neutral right?

Also, I am still not clear on the TPC 300. Its a radio controled rheostat right? So a fixed voltage will have to be fed to the 300. Do you know what fixed voltage setting it requires? Or does it have its own power supply?

Thanks! 

[chuck]

TPC's need a source of constant power, either Lionel PowerHouse bricks or a PostWar transformer.  Do not try to feed them from a modern era switching power supply as they probably won't be getting a clean sine wave for input.

A command loco will do whatever you last told it to do.  If a TMCC loco loses the command signal it will USUALLY continue to do whatever it was last told to do AND rapidly blink it's headlight.  If you are using a constant voltage power supply like a PowerHouse brick AND you lose the command signal AND the locomotive's e-unit trips from a current drop the engine will come back up in conventional mode, see 18 volts and take off at warp speed.

You NEVER want to interupt the command signal while the trains are running/power is applied to the track.  If you choses to shut down the command signal to the track to force ALL TMCC loco's to behave as if they are conventional, you power down the supplies and the command base and then disconnect the antenna lead from the command base terminal and move the wire as far away as practical.  Usually 4" to 5" is enough to prevent a sginal jump by induction.  You can not stop the radio signal with toggle, knife, mercury or any other type of switch.  It's a radio signal and the command base is the transmitter.

[J. Daddy]

Thanks Chuck!

This information has saved me lots of time and work, I have not bought the TPC 300 and I am still investigating setting up the best way to integrate.

Thanks again