# Lionel Legacy/TMCC combined with MTH DCS



## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

I am confronted with a dilemma. There are several questions I have and am looking for answers.

My layout was built for command operations. Multiple switches (42), freight sidings (8) not counting sidings in the freight and engine yard (12). Train operations require command to work with a single operator. Conventional operations would be painful. So there is a commitment to command.

Problem 1. Recently my Legacy command system bit the bullet for the third time. Once per year it develops a quirk which is indicated by the notice "Failure to find Base". It is a failure of the PCB/COMMUNICATIONS BOARD. Part # 6913295002. Lionel honors the warranty and I have shipped it back for repair (third time). I have told them that I want it fixed to last more than a year and/or send me a complete replacement.

Question 1. Has anyone else had this issue?

Problem 2. Lionel does not make a P42DC Genesis. I acquired an MTH P42DC and it works wonderfully in conventional mode. I sent it off to one of my tech friends and he was going to replace the PS2 system with ERR components. The parts were never shipped and he returned the engine to me. Ergo, no command for the P42DC. My dilemma is, do I order the MTH DCS system and make it compatible with the Lionel command system or do I find parts for TMCC and rebuild the Genesis. These are my questions.

1. Can I purchase a used Legacy/TMCC engine and gut the unit putting the parts into the MTH Genesis and make it run on TMCC? Will the sound board be compatible? Can I put Legacy in it or am I restricted to TMCC?

2. If I purchase the MTH DCS system, which I know will run TMCC, but will it allow Legacy features? The most important feature of Legacy is running units at the same speed.

3. Can you run MTH and Legacy without combining them? Simply by hooking up the two system separately.

4. I followed the advice of a number of people who told me to put drop wires every 6 feet on my layout. Does that screw up the signal for DCS which calls for a Star Pattern wiring, whatever the heck that is?

5. I just read MTH is no longer providing a hand held remote. How will the new system work and can you combine Legacy/TMCC with it, as it now does?

Thank you for passing on any info you feel would be helpful. I have zero knowledge of the MTH DCS system so please keep it simple.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Truthfully, if you jump into the DCS pond, then you open up your options of what you can run. I converted a Premier Genesis to TMCC, but if I get more MTH stuff that I want to run, it appears it'll run in DCS mode. I have both systems, and both have their good and bad sides. I prefer Legacy/TMCC, but that door has been slammed in my face. hwell:

You can buy Lionel parts and "build" a TMCC locomotive, it's a bit more difficult to do than the ERR stuff. Lionel does have a back-EMF cruise module, at least last time I checked, and it's basically the Cruise Commander M.

You can't do an MU of a DCS and a Legacy/TMCC locomotive, that's pretty much doomed to failure. However, the cruise will allow the TMCC/Legacy locomotives to run at a constant speed.

As for rebuilding your Genesis, the sticking point is the sound, it clearly would be replaced when you converted to TMCC. There is no Legacy upgrade path, though some early Legacy hardware is now available from Lionel. Again, the sticking point is that Legacy requires the Legacy encoder on the motor, something that is going to be a challenge to do for a non-Legacy locomotive. I've contemplated making a module similar to my Chuff Generator that outputs Legacy compatible signals from a tach tape, that's probably not a huge undertaking. However, the issue there is I have no idea how many of them I could reasonably sell, so that leads me to proceed cautiously. Also, building a whole Legacy engine from parts would be quite expensive, probably not practical, especially if you're also paying for someone to upgrade it as well.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

I will leave setting up DCS to the experts. I run them both but my layout is small. The bigger and more complicated the layout, the more involved it will be to get good signal everywhere.
You can run them both at the same time on the same track.
You can still buy complete DCS systems. A system will probably cost what a conversion to TMCC would be. 
DCS has many plusses with regard to loco control. Its only the intial setup that can be a pain.
How big is your layout and how many feet of track (roughly) and number of switches?

Pete


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Truthfully, if you jump into the DCS pond, then you open up your options of what you can run.
> 
> *I believe that is true, just by looking at catalogs. MTH offers a much larger rang of locomotives.*
> 
> ...


*After reading the "Is Lionel FS post" I worry about Legacy in general*



Norton said:


> You can run them both at the same time on the same track.
> 
> *Thanks, that is important*
> 
> ...


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## Bill Webb (Sep 14, 2015)

Wood thank goodness you are going to jump into this now. Please make careful notes. We made the decision to buy MTH two years ago because of their better selection and now have 6 - 8 of them. We plan to run DCS, conventional, and Legacy.

But you are ahead of us. We start bench work Monday so we will follow your lead.

Have you gotten Barry’s book? It does a good job (I think, amidst my fog and confusion) of explaining how the system works and how to install it. MTH sells the book or you can search on OGR and find it. May cost $20 or so.

MTH is going to smart phone and tablet control. I took my I-pad with me to York April, 2017 and had our grandsons. They walked up to Mike and asked him to show them how to run the trains. Within 60 seconds everything was downloaded and Austin (age 5) was running the train. He had done so once before at York for about five minutes.

You grandkids will take to it like a duck to water and they will show you how to work everything.

Rick Batista has an excellent set of DVDs and he uses mostly MTH but has a fair amount of Lionel. His videos will be helpful and are interesting to watch.

Steve Nelson (Mr Muffin) in Indiana also uses MTH control. He has been helpful to us and we have spent quite a few dollars with him.

Good luck.


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## Rocky Mountaineer (Sep 19, 2015)

I'm almost 6 months into operating Legacy/TMCC combined with DCS on my Dunham Studios Allegheny & Pacific Rwy layout. As GRJ indicated, both systems have their good points and both seem to have gremlins that surface once and awhile. 

I much prefer DCS for controlling layout accessories, and the new iPad APP is superb for controlling trains. I really enjoy double-heading and triple-heading locomotives on my layout, but I've found DCS to be a bit "buggy" with lash-ups. And nothing drives that point home more than when I power down the layout, wait a minute or two, then restart the layout... and voila!!! Things work as they should.  So that's certainly a sign that it's NOT operator error, and signal strength is fine throughout the entire layout. The wizards at Dunham Studios observed the same behaviors, which they admit was puzzling them on many a Friday afternoon... only to have everything work just fine the next Monday morning. 

We've pretty much concluded that while DCS and Legacy/TMCC "can" live together, they don't live together well enough to be completely ready-for-prime-time or bullet-proof. And I just have a sixth sense that both systems are stepping on top of each other from time to time in the world of digital zero's and one's, which occasionally is cause for unexpected surprises.  That's my layman's way to describe what's happening. 

Regardless of your ultimate preference (DCS vs. Legacy/TMCC), I would recommend NOT tossing the remote handheld of either control system. I find Lionel's CAB-2 is much more enjoyable to use than MTH's DCS hand-held remote. But then the MTH DCS WiFi App evens the score and works nicely whether you have a DCS locomotive or Legacy/TMCC locomotive. HOWEVER, their are a couple of Lionel functions that the DCS WiFi App doesn't yet handle for Legacy operations... and the TRAINLINK function is one of those. That's the function that allows the CAB-2 to flip/flop between controlling the locomotive(s) in a train and activating StationSounds features on the Legacy or TMCC StationSounds dining cars. (I think that may also be the case with FreightSounds-equipped cars too, like the Lionel reefers w/FreightSounds that were released a couple of years ago.) I've been told a new level of firmware/software for the DCS WiFi App will address this short-coming, but no definite time-frame has been mentioned.

So hang on to the native hand-held remotes of BOTH systems, as you'll want to have the insurance policy of always being able to access 100% of the all functions for locomotives/trains of either control system: Legacy/TMCC or DCS.

David


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Bill Webb said:


> Have you gotten Barry’s book?
> 
> *That's my next step*
> 
> ...





Rocky Mountaineer said:


> I much prefer DCS for controlling layout accessories, and the new iPad APP is superb for controlling trains. I really enjoy double-heading and triple-heading locomotives on my layout, but I've found DCS to be a bit "buggy" with lash-ups.
> 
> *There are multiple lash-ups on my layout*
> 
> ...


Thank you both for your info.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

DCS works best when isolated blocks are used and each block has “home run” or “star” wiring back to a terminal block. It’s also best to have each wire run (each point of the star) approximately equal in length. Each block should have 12 or fewer sections of track.

If you are not set up that way, DCS might still work, but you may get some anomalies. For example, if the blocks are not isolated, you might send a command for a crossing signal and get two longs, a short and a long followed by another two longs, a short and a long since the loco is getting the command twice (from two different wires).


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## Rocky Mountaineer (Sep 19, 2015)

Wood said:


> ... I am interpreting that you are saying Legacy linked to the DCS TIU can be a bit buggy. But, if you have Legacy unlinked from DCS TIU and using two remotes they run normally. Correct?? ...


Can't say for sure, Wood... since I've never separated Legacy from the DCS TIU. However, between the two systems linked together, Legacy seems to behave "better" than DCS. My layout is not that complicated from a wiring perspective. Both the lower and upper levels are essentially isolated simple loops (although the upper level is a figure-8 but nonetheless isolated). The middle level is admittedly more complicated. 

However, even on the lower level (i.e. the simplest isolated loop of track), I encountered problems running a DCS lash-up that consisted of two identical MTH diesel locomotives (i.e., 2 CP ES44 locomotives with the same road-number for my CP Holiday Train). Both locomotives were added to my DCS hand-held remote individually, so they occupy two separate memory ID's in the remote. But even to this day, I won't bet hard-earned money whether the lash-up will work on any given day: Some days it will A-OK. Other day's it won't without a lot of tinkering -- and sometimes not at all.  Talk about twilight zone!

OTOH, I've had very, very, VERY few issues with Legacy in the combined Legacy/DCS environment. Legacy isn't perfect, but there have been FAR fewer "scratch your head" moments with Legacy than with DCS.

But dang.... I do like the DCS WiFi App for controlling trains. I just wish there were ONE and ONLY ONE control system for running our trains. And that point doesn't get driven home any more strongly than when both systems are trying to operate together without stepping on each others toes!!!  More days than not... I get the impression that having both systems running together "flawlessly" is nothing but pure fantasy!!! :dunno:

David


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Lehigh74 said:


> DCS works best when isolated blocks are used and each block has “home run” or “star” wiring back to a terminal block.
> 
> *This is one of the things that worries me. I have 4 isolated blocks. Each block has a bus bar or 2 and it leads back to the transformer. The common "U" connection is common to all the blocks. What is "home run" or "Star" wire?*
> 
> ...



Thank you Lehigh


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Rocky Mountaineer said:


> However, even on the lower level (i.e. the simplest isolated loop of track), I encountered problems running a DCS lash-up that consisted of two identical MTH diesel locomotives (i.e., 2 CP ES44 locomotives with the same road-number for my CP Holiday Train). Both locomotives were added to my DCS hand-held remote individually, so they occupy two separate memory ID's in the remote. But even to this day, I won't bet hard-earned money whether the lash-up will work on any given day: Some days it will A-OK. Other day's it won't without a lot of tinkering -- and sometimes not at all. Talk about twilight zone!
> 
> *I have heard this comment about DCS from multiple people. *
> 
> ...


My Legacy system has had some electronic problems internally, but on the layout it is the simplest thing to hook up and it operates trains superbly. I would hope DCS will work superbly.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

John, One more question for you. 

You said "However, the cruise will allow the TMCC/Legacy locomotives to run at a constant speed."

The question is can you set a speed for your TMCC locomotive by pressing a button or do you have to visually guess it is running at 40 mph? On Legacy you can set a speed step for each engine and you know they are going to follow each other at that set speed. I don't want to guess it is running at 40 mph I want to know it is not going to rear end the forward consist. Will the DCS remote perform this function for a TMCC/Legacy unit?


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## Rocky Mountaineer (Sep 19, 2015)

Rocky Mountaineer said:


> ... The wizards at Dunham Studios observed the same behaviors, which they admit was puzzling them on many a Friday afternoon... only to have everything work just fine the next Monday morning.
> 
> ...


I certainly don't want to discourage anybody out there. I'm simply relaying my experiences along with those of the pros who built my layout. I vividly remember one telephone call I received on a Friday afternoon from Clarke Dunham, and he sounded SO frustrated as he tried to explain an issue his team was debugging around DCS. Time is money to folks who make a living providing products and services, and they tend to like "well defined" projects so they can allocate their time accordingly... and with predictability. So I reminded Clarke that I spent the better part of my Corporate America days dealing with computer issues, and I understood all too well what they were encountering in terms of those DCS "head-scratching" moments.  I think Clarke felt better knowing that I had an appreciation for what his team was observing, and that made it a little easier for him to enjoy that weekend (I think).  

In the big picture, the anomalies that Team Dunham encountered never really "delayed" the project from my perspective. But I'm sure those anomalies chewed up valuable time. So I definitely got the impression Clarke would prefer to go with ONLY Legacy or ONLY DCS -- but not both -- in their future layouts. It was just turning out to be too much of a wild-card some days. And the unpredictability factor of when a gremlin might rear its ugly head was just too high. 

Overall... from an operational perspective, I'm finding most features of both systems seem to work just fine. But I do find myself shaking my head a bit more than I'd like to on the DCS side of the house. 

So proceed accordingly.

David


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

My layout is 100% DCS WI-Fi wired with the star pattern and isolated blocks. The blocks must be isolated as previously mentioned so as to avoid 2 different signals going to the engine. It took a while to work out the bugs but I get 10's around the layout with only 1 TIU & 1 Wi-Fi all updated to the latest revision.
Get Barry's book. It explains everything quite well.
Just give me a call if you have any questions.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

As usual David, you have given some very complete answers to my questions. Thank you very much. It appears they both work well and they both have some small quirks. 

At this point it is a wiring concern. I have no idea what "Star" and "Home run" wiring refers to. In another thread Traindiesel (Brian) posted this:



> Never had a DCS signal issue because I didn't do any fancy wiring. Using the Rev. "I" TIU's, I wired the layout bus style all around the room starting from the TIU for each of six loops, about 135' each. At the end of the bus wire (almost near where I started at the TIU) I attached an 18V light bulb. As Bullwinkle would say "Pristo!", full signal all around the layout.


What's with the lightbulb?

Norton (Pete) posted this:



> Brian, can I assume when you ran your buss wiring you ran a separate common and hot for each loop?
> Our club modules have separate hots but only one common for each of our three mainlines. DCS only works on our layouts smaller than about 10 feet square.
> 
> Pete


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Spence said:


> My layout is 100% DCS WI-Fi wired with the star pattern and isolated blocks. The blocks must be isolated as previously mentioned so as to avoid 2 different signals going to the engine. It took a while to work out the bugs but I get 10's around the layout with only 1 TIU & 1 Wi-Fi all updated to the latest revision.
> Get Barry's book. It explains everything quite well.
> Just give me a call if you have any questions.


Spence, The book is ordered, haven't received it. I'll call tomorrow after lunch. Thanks,


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

Wood,

It’s good that you ordered the book. I have the second edition. It has 5 or 6 pages that detail the ideal wiring configuration and explains the star configuration better than I could.

As I said earlier, you may be able to run DCS even if you don’t follow all the wiring recommendations. I ran conventional before I added DCS. The wiring is kind of a star pattern and some of the blocks are not isolated. DCS works OK, but I do get some quirks like duplicate signals.

The magic light bulb improves the signal by adding an inductive load. It is not needed with current model TIUs.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

Wood, good you ordered Barry's book. As it is I didn't need to as my 75 feet of track works off one TIU output with one connection.
Thats why I asked how big your layout is. You will likely have to use more than one track connection as Denny has.
Consider if you had a single 100' loop of track. With home run wiring you would have one connection from the transformer as is common and it runs the entire length of the loop. With star wiring that loop would be broken up into two or three sections. A wire pair would run to each segment from the TIU. On very large loops, after about five segments or so you would have to use a second or third TIU output. Each one connected to 2-4 segments. A TIU has four outputs so one should handle you layout.

As for "magic" light bulbs I am not sure they are still needed with the latest Rev L TIU. I use a substitute Deats filter, resistor capacitor combo, which does the same thing but mine works without them as well. Light bulbs and filters were used to terminate a run. Its based on transmission line theory and wave reflections but thats for another discussion.

Pete


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## TexasSP (Sep 8, 2011)

I run my DCS with bus wiring like I had when I did HO DCC. Has worked fine for me, no signal issues. I have two loops on one channel in a 12 x 14 room. I solder my track connections and have no signal issues. 8-10 all the way around.

Lash ups do act weird as Dave said, and sometimes weirder through the app. However, with the app it's much easier to create lashups and run them. I don't have Legacy. Originally when I went buy Lionel Locos with Legacy and purchase a base was when Lionel couldn't source parts for the Legacy base and they were selling used for over 450. Forget that. Then when I came back around to the idea Lionel prices started skyrocketing and quality issues became much more common. I do like Legacy though, it seems to work and sound great.

As of now though I am contemplating moving away from either system and into DCC. Also contemplating doing N Scale for my home layout and working with some locals on a 2 rail O modular layout.

DCS is really simple to use, and I highly suggest the app as others have said, but also keep the controller just in case. They are expanding the app, but it takes time. I believe MTH R&D is working hard on this.

Also note that a PhD EE over on OGR has found a solution it seems for the giant layouts with signal issues. GRJ can expand as he's been all over that thread obviously understand the under workings more than most of us.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We're actually going to be testing my solution to TIU signal generators getting killed by some mystery transient. I have parts ordered, and I believe a couple other people have as well. This is a little module that will mount on top of the four signal generator chips, one for each TIU channel. The object of the exercise is to prevent the transients that are getting through and degrading these chips and killing the DCS signal for the channel. Adrian over in that "other" forum came up with a different and much larger solution that seems to work, so we kicked it around to try to come up with a more universal solution.

These modules are perched on top of the IC and soldered directly to the leads of the 74ACT244 chips that generate the DCS signal for the channel. These modules are .3" x .5" in real life, they look bigger here.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

Norton said:


> Wood, good you ordered Barry's book. As it is I didn't need to as my 75 feet of track works off one TIU output with one connection.
> Thats why I asked how big your layout is. You will likely have to use more than one track connection as Denny has.
> Consider if you had a single 100' loop of track. With home run wiring you would have one connection from the transformer as is common and it runs the entire length of the loop. With star wiring that loop would be broken up into two or three sections. A wire pair would run to each segment from the TIU. On very large loops, after about five segments or so you would have to use a second or third TIU output. Each one connected to 2-4 segments. A TIU has four outputs so one should handle you layout.
> 
> ...


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## DJones (Oct 19, 2015)

As I recall, someone reported from York that Mike Wolfe announced he would not be discontinuing the handheld remote. I believe he would be making mistake if he did.

Secondly, I run both DCS and TMCC/Legacy simultaneously on my layout (17 x 40) without major issues. (there always seems to be the ENGINE NOT FOUND from time to time but usually when battery has been allowed to get weak). I like having the two systems. I have learned to operate the MTH remote with my left hand and the Legacy remote with my right. I can operated four trains this way without having to look at a remote or search for an engine

I love command control and feel it has kept me more active in the hobby but if I have to start using a tablet or phone, I am out of here!

Don


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I think Mike is rethinking the idea of dropping the remote, lots of pushback on that one.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I think Mike is rethinking the idea of dropping the remote, lots of pushback on that one.


That's the way it works. After hearing that the hand held DCS remote would be discontinued, I bought a spare one. So of course, MTH will probably keep making it.

I don't have a smart phone or a tablet and don't plan to get either one.


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## Rocky Mountaineer (Sep 19, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I think Mike is rethinking the idea of dropping the remote, lots of pushback on that one.


I'm sure there's nothing the importers would love better than to lose the hand-held remote by this point in time and go with smart-device technology... if for no other reason than the remotes are a liability to manufacture. That's what caused all the raucous a few years back when Lionel's overseas factory couldn't source a component for the Legacy CAB-2. 

10 years (Legacy) seems like an eternity at the rate of today's technology treadmill, and DCS is older than that. Most other industries (i.e., audio/video comes to mind) that supply hand-held remotes update them constantly almost year after year with new products. We haven't seen that phenomenon in our little corner of the world. But toy trains aren't manufactured in the volume of consumer electronics either. 

I actually prefer the CAB-2 over the DCS remote, whose thumbwheel is the real fly in the ointment. Even on a good day it can be quite pesty and unreliable. So I would have no issues waving good-bye to it. But given that nothing's really changed which would necessitate an updated DCS remote (in terms of function), I suppose Mike could just bite the bullet and manufacture a bunch of them for posterity now while he can! 

David


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## Traindiesel (Sep 8, 2015)

Wood, please do not be discouraged about adding DCS to your layout. As you've seen with Legacy it is so much fun operating in command mode.

I'm not sure if your question was answered, but "Star"or "home run" wiring is a method where the wires from a DCS TIU output go to a multi connection terminal block, then separate feeder wires are connected to that terminal block to the track in as many connections / blocks you desire or need.

DCS can work in different ways on different layouts. I had six 140' mainline loops but I experimented with just one before I wired the rest. Here were my trials and tribulations with my first shot at wiring DCS:

I did as you are and asked questions. It was drummed into my head to do star pattern wiring. On my around the walls layout I was skeptical of the wire lengths. Having short two foot wires to start and 75' wires to the other side of the room from the terminal strip. I ended up with 16 pairs of various length wire connections at the strip. I couldn't imagine doing this five more times for my other loops, but I gave it a try on the first one. In short, it failed miserably. I couldn't get more than a 5 for signal strength after weeks of tweeking. I pulled it all out.

Without changing the track at all, I tried the bus wire method where I ran a 12Ga. pair around the perimeter of the layout, connecting them end to end. Where they were connected I attached the wires from the TIU output, then attached feeder wires from the track to the bus. I also insulated the center rail five track joints on either side of the track connection. Fired it up and still had bad signal reception. I them attached 18v. light bulbs at each feeder connection to the bus. Very minimal improvement. I was thinking my layout was too big for DCS.

Then a friend of mine came over to run trains. He saw the issues and suggested I disconnect all the bulbs and disconnect the bus wire where they joined end to end. We then put a single bulb at the far end of the bus wire and *POW!*, a full 10 signal all around the layout. I refined it a little and started the bus wire right from the TIU output, around the layout with a bulb at the end of the bus. Perfect signal strength ever since! Trains ran magnificently as I was also meticulous with my track work.

So I recommend running a bus wire to connect to the TIU and add your feeder wires to the bus and connect common wires to both outside rails. I've since been told you don't even need to insulate the center rail doing it this way, but I'm going to try that on my next layout. With the latest TIU you don't even need the bulbs because the signal strength has been improved. To connect all feeder wires to the bus wire I used Posi-Tap connectors. They are so easy to use and can be reused over and over. Not a drop of solder is ever on my layouts.

After that is when I added Legacy when it was first introduced free with the purchase of the first Legacy Big Boy. After ironing out some ground plane problems I was operating both Legacy and DCS with no issues. I was a happy railroader!! Then we moved and I had to tear it all down.

As far as the lash up issues, I believe the most recent upgrade or a coming one is suppose to fix it. Refer to the OGR DCS Forum for further details.


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## superwarp1 (Dec 13, 2016)

Welcome to the World of trying to get DCS to run on your layout. Thankfully with a rev. L TIU I didn't need to do homerun wiring. All bus on my layout. I have the WIU and the APP but I find myself using the App less and less. There's just way to many(i wouldn't say bugs) anomalies. Specially with running Legacy if you have your TIU connected to the Legacy base.

Be prepared for constant updates of TIU( at least once a year) as they been trying to fix the software since day one and ad the APP at the same time.

Oh and don't get me going on the lashup issues.


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## Wood (Jun 9, 2015)

The 3rd edition book is arriving today and I will get to review it tonight. I spent a lot of time talking to people and reviewing my layout this weekend. I understand the "Star" wiring to be a bus bar arrangement. TIU to bus bar and bus bar to drops. It also is stated you must have isolated sections. 




> Traindiesel wrote: So I recommend running a bus wire to connect to the TIU and add your feeder wires to the bus and connect common wires to both outside rails. I've since been told you don't even need to insulate the center rail doing it this way, but I'm going to try that on my next layout. With the latest TIU you don't even need the bulbs because the signal strength has been improved.



Due to the use of Gargraves switches, which do not have pass through power, there are multiple isolated locations on each of my blocks. It appears to me this may work. 

I have not purchased the system, yet. 


Thank you all for this information.


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