# Thomas gets a brain transplant



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The Lionel Thomas is somewhat limited, conventional operation, no lights, and a very odd sounding whistle. I thought it was time for a somewhat whimsical upgrade. 

My "new" Thomas sports TMCC control, a much louder whistle and bell, and lights. I used the ERR Mini-Commander 2, the ERR Sound Commander, and a much better speaker. Obviously, a bunch of LED's as well, the rear ones are red/green. The headlights that turn red are from an idea Sean mentioned, I mounted a red LED behind the white ones, works great.

A question arose as to whether the TMCC would fit. Not only did I manage to get the TMCC in there, but the Sound Commander as well. The speaker is in the cab, gives a lot better sound than the tiny one mounted on the bottom did.

Here's the Thomas conversion in pictures.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Now how is the engineer supposed to see the tracks ahead? 

Just kidding of course

You're the man. Having dealt with my brothers Thomas engine after a full month of 4 hours of operation per weekend on my Christmas display at the Redford theatre (needed a really good cleaning and lubrication), I know how tight it is in those. I was really surprised to hear it all fit in there


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The Lionel Thomas is somewhat limited, conventional operation, no lights, and a very odd sounding whistle. I thought it was time for a somewhat whimsical upgrade.
> 
> My "new" Thomas sports TMCC control, a much louder whistle and bell, and lights. I used the ERR Mini-Commander 2, the ERR Sound Commander, and a much better speaker. Obviously, a bunch of LED's as well, the rear ones are red/green. The headlights that turn red are from an idea Sean mentioned, I mounted a red LED behind the white ones, works great.
> 
> ...




What!!! no smoke unit? just kidding, 

ok , when can I send you mine?...............mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

santafe158 said:


> Now how is the engineer supposed to see the tracks ahead?
> 
> Just kidding of course
> 
> You're the man. Having dealt with my brothers Thomas engine after a full month of 4 hours of operation per weekend on my Christmas display at the Redford theatre (needed a really good cleaning and lubrication), I know how tight it is in those. I was really surprised to hear it all fit in there


I had it apart a couple of times measuring, and the speaker was a last minute change because the tiny one on the bottom was worthless, you couldn't hear anything! Getting it all back together is sometimes a challenge, I have to use a long screwdriver to stuff the wiring up out of the way of the mounts. 



Big Mike said:


> What!!! no smoke unit? just kidding,
> 
> ok , when can I send you mine?...............mike


Well, you can send it anytime, I can always use spare parts!


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I had it apart a couple of times measuring, and the speaker was a last minute change because the tiny one on the bottom was worthless, you couldn't hear anything! Getting it all back together is sometimes a challenge, I have to use a long screwdriver to stuff the wiring up out of the way of the mounts.
> 
> Well, you can send it anytime, I can always use spare parts!


 LMAO !! dats funny, I ment to convert mine to TMCC
..........mike :laugh::laugh::laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Piece of cake now Mike, I've even mapped out what parts you need. 

Of course, you'll have to do some scrounging to find the ERR Sound Commander, they're out of production for several years. I found someone selling a couple of them at a good price so I grabbed them.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Piece of cake now Mike, I've even mapped out what parts you need.
> 
> Of course, you'll have to do some scrounging to find the ERR Sound Commander, they're out of production for several years. I found someone selling a couple of them at a good price so I grabbed them.


john ,if you could post up some part numbers, I may be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, or at least a few sound units

...........mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I don't know a part number, it's just called the ERR Sound Commander. They still have the instruction manual for it on the Electric RR website, but they don't sell them anymore.

The other board is their MiniCommander 2, it's a universal TMCC board for small units like speeders, etc. Obviously, it also works fine for things like Thomas.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, I don't know a part number, it's just called the ERR Sound Commander. They still have the instruction manual for it on the Electric RR website, but they don't sell them anymore.
> 
> The other board is their MiniCommander 2, it's a universal TMCC board for small units like speeders, etc. Obviously, it also works fine for things like Thomas.


I got my best gurou on this right now, if there is any left in captivity,he will find it,and I will buy all I can get my grubby hands on.
I'll keep you posted on what he finds............mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'll have my ear to the ground. They pop up from time to time, but not often.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Boy, that's a tight squeeze. Looks like ol' Thomas needs to undo his belt buckle a notch or two ... stuffed like a Thanksgiving dinner!

Nice custom work! A video in the works?

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Haven't done a video yet TJ, but who knows. I'll have to dig out his other cars for that.  It was a bit cramped in there.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Exellent install! love the bi color markers:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Gota love cramming electronics into little locos!
What no rear light?:laugh::laugh:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There's an ideal place for the rear light, but the capacitors for the sound board occupy that space. I would have loved to have it. I've considered looking for something that sticks out just a little with a chip LED in it and putting one on that way. He does have green lights when he's backing up, right? 

The book is not closed on the rear light.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I could send you an LED or two that will get the job done quite nicely!
I use the 1812 SMD LED in the HO Thomas's, but I think the next one I will use the 805's.
The wire's on the 1812 and the 805 are 30awg and the wires on the 603 are .1mm magnetic coil wire.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have some SMD LED's, I just need to come up with a nice looking lens to put over it. I'd be wanting to have it fit into the tail-light shown here. The LED chip would be flush with the surface, so maybe a piece of plastic would do it. Perhaps a top of a headlight lens.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

John, couldn't you have put his electronic in one of his cars,like "annie or clarabelle? that way you would have room for a smoke unit in thomas. just a tought.............mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I could have put the electronics in a car, but I REALLY wanted him to be self-contained.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I could have put the electronics in a car, but I REALLY wanted him to be self-contained.


I understand, but if I had mine done it could work, right?
also does the horn sound the same as it did ,or is it like any other steamer?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The horn on the Thomas used to sound like some sort of beeper, nothing like anything remotely associated with a train. It was also so faint that if the locomotive was running, you could hardly hear it.

It now sounds like a horn, though it's actually a diesel horn. I don't have a Sound Commander with a steam horn, but this one doesn't sound bad, a lot better than the stock one. If I ever get one that I like the sound better, I can just swap the boards.  So, when you find some more Sound Commander boards, let me know.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I use clear epoxy to make lenses when I set the SMD LED's.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Hmm.. I probably could do something like that, I'll have to look for some clear epoxy. That might work, just fill the little well with the epoxy over the chip.

Never thought of that solution. :thumbsup:


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## Kwikster (Feb 22, 2012)

That is soooooo cool John. Never thought I'd actually like Thomas (my kids never watched him) bout you made me think twice.

Carl


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

He needed a little "dressing up".  I'd install TMCC in my toaster if I thought it would work.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

GRJ, 
You havent done that yet!
I install DCC in everything! I'm working on equipping the Vixen the Wolf next!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, Vixen might need a little _*control*_ now and then, so command/control is probably a good idea.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I saw Thomas the train engine rolling north on the Jersey pike today on a lowboy trailer.

I couldn't grab the camera fast enough and even if I did it would have been a hit or miss picture.

I found this,

Copy & paste,

Thomas The Tank Engine travels from railroad to railroad on a low-boy flatbed trailer. Thomas is well-made of heavy gauge sheet metal with cast drivers in an yard switcher-type 0-6-0 wheel arrangement (_no pilot wheels, six driver wheels and no trailing wheels_) and is nicely painted and detailed.
But Thomas is not an operational locomotive. It is merely steam-puffing, rolling stock attached to the head end of the train which, on the Mount Hood Railroad, was pushed by a regular Mt. Hood diesel at the rear of the consist. The effect is realistic, between the steam and Thomas' high-pitched English whistle (_powered by the same compressed air which actuates the brakes_) it looks, at first glance, like Thomas is doing all the work.
There are currently four Thomases touring North America - two are for regular gauge lines, two for narrow gauge lines. Each Thomas is available for a two-week engagement at any tourist railroad. Thomas travels from railroad to railroad on a lowboy flatbed truck.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

The Strasburg RR built all those "locos". Only one standard gauge locomotive is actually a locomotive powered by steam (built by Porter in 1917 for the BEDT RR), the rest of them are dummies that need a real locomotive to do the work.

The actual steamer should be headed this way soon, if not already to Greenfield Village.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I even found out there is an actual prototype for the Thomas locomotive, check it out!


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

The real steamer from Strasburg


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

"Dummy" Thomas


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm disappointed, his eyes aren't moving!


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I'm disappointed, his eyes aren't moving!


They must not have been turned on. The real ones do have moving eyes too.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

Here's one with moving eyes (towards the end of the video)


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There you go, that's better! I was surprised that they didn't move.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> There you go, that's better! I was surprised that they didn't move.


Strasburg has it covered  The fake ones even have smoke machines in the stacks to make it seem like they're working. I've only seen the real one, and that was one I was pretty little so I can't remember much except for how big of a crowd was there. I think that was the first year Greenfield Village did it.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The one I saw rolling on the pike had it's eyes shut.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

big ed said:


> The one I saw rolling on the pike had it's eyes shut.


Look out cows!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Some criticism was leveled at Thomas for not having sufficient visibility backing up, so I was forced to add a backup light. Thanks to Sean's suggestion to use an SMD chip, I could fit it in behind the sound board.  I think the Thomas project is finished!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

And THAT, my friends, is one VERY happy Thomas!


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## infernisdiem (Nov 12, 2011)

pop the angry face on, put some red leds behind his eyes, and give him a paint job, and you have a demonic thomas lol


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That may be too extreme for my grandson.


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Not sure how new this item is but Dan's Drumheads now has a headlight lantern for Thomas. 

http://dansdrumheads.angelfire.com/Thomas.html


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I've kinda' solved that problem with the lights up in the cab. Also, since my Thomas is TMCC now, the LED is driven directly from the TMCC electronics, so their extra components would have to be removed anyway.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

infernisdiem said:


> pop the angry face on, put some red leds behind his eyes, and give him a paint job, and you have a demonic thomas lol


Wanna hear something funny? The other day my kids HO Scale Thomas took a header to the floor and the face broke off. All that was left was the eyeballs on the front. He comes walking up to me I said "Check it out" and put the face of Thomas up close to his. HE FREAKED OUT TERRIFIED! It was like the ghost of Thomas had attacked him.

I felt so bad, but it was hard not to laugh about it.

I have to admit - he does look creepy with just eyes and no face.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's pretty funny!  The face was broken on this one too, JB Weld to the rescue, good as new.


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## callmeIshmael2 (May 28, 2012)

All Hail John! Your command of electronics is inspiring for me, but I have my hands full just managing postwar basics. I still have my KW sitting on the bench, staring at me, no, actually glowering at me in disgust, because it's been sitting there for weeks. 

What I really would like to find out is the likelihood of putting a smoke unit in a Thomas or the like. Has anyone had success with that (without having to do a complete re-do)?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I looked at that, but there is simply no room in there for a smoke unit. Maybe without my electronic package...


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