I bought this christmas set in 02. I was told it was up-gradeable. So now we have dcs and whatever the new version is. So can I upgrade or is it not worth it>
It runs great , i got a deal on more track. but I only have a remote and no throttle. would I better off buying a new set and if so will it run loco 2?
I have dcc in ho. I am an electronics tech so I can install decoders.
so whats the best plan
it is typical… i am laid off so have lots of time but little money.
when i have money I have no time…
John, MTH just announced yesterday(December 23) that the new PS3 consumer programmer downloads are now available…follow this link and read it over, to see if your model will work:
http://www.protosound2.com/
Not clear if Loco sound is compatible for upgrade
Hi John,
What you are looking to do is upgrade “Loco Sounds” to “Proto Sound 2.” The Loco Sounds decoder is a sound decoder with motor cruise control, but no command receiver. There was a time in O-gauge when this was a popular combination, but today virtually all MTH O-gauge starter sets come with Proto Sound 2. It is possible to upgrade from Loco Sound to Proto Sound with a hardware upgrade kit. The kits come in two versions for steam or diesel engines, each costing $180 ($150 w/ MTH club membership, which costs $25/yr). The steam kits are item #50-1901 and the diesel kits are #50-1902. MTH hasn’t had a new shipment of upgrade kits in several months, but some dealerships keep them in stock.
Because the kits are relatively expensive, it’s usually worth the price to upgrade steamers but not diesels. You can get some pretty nice RailKing Scale engines with factory installed PS2 for $300 ($250 street price). Steamers are more like $350-$400 for an entry level engine. Personally, I’m rather partial to the USRA 0-8-0. It doesn’t have a lot of detail, but it is scale proportioned and an excellent puller. The engine and tender weigh about 8 pounds.
You said in your first post that you have DCS. You also said you have a remote but no throttle. If the remote to which you refer is the DCS remote and you also have the TIU (Track Interface Unit) that comes with a DCS set, then you do indeed have a conventional throttle. The TIU has four channels. The two outer most channels are “Variable Channels.” Pressing the “TR” button on the remote will allow you to address these channels as “tracks,” and control their voltage from the remote control. You might be better off leaving your Loco Sound engine as is and running it in conventional mode with the built-in throttle. That way you can save the cost of purchasing a PS2 upgrade kit and put the funds towards a factory PS2 engine.
Hope that he