I have been lucky enough to receive a pre-release sample of the new Cruise Commander modular product from Electric RR Co.
This new, drop in Cruise Commander product is also tach-less. Installation was really easy. This module replaces the existing DCDR board in your TMCC loco plus there’s one wire to solder - that’s it. No tach tape or “reader” to fiddle with.
I have a Williams E7 which someone had converted to TMCC that I chose to be the lucky recipient.
Here’s the old DCDR on the left and the new Cruise Commander on the right:
Here’s the installation:
The new Cruise Commander module - I used wire nuts which make an easy install that much easier.
In this photo, the lone white wire gets soldered to the 1st pin on the existing RL2C:
Operation is fantastic. It is the most “seamless” cruise I’ve tried. Response is pretty much identical to normal TMCC - there’s no lag or wait time for the loco to catch up with the commands - and when you stop adjusting the speed setting, the locomotive just stays at the last speed you set. It feels completely natural, very smooth. No jerkiness or jumpyness.
Check with Electric RR’s website: http://www.electricrr.com/index.htm for purchase information.
The Cruise Commander modular version will be available shortly and is priced very reasonably.