I have recently changed over from HO sets to Lionel for my grandson and have started off with the new Legacy controller. It works well with Legacy engines and pretty good with TMCC but I just got the new Southern Crane car and there were no instructions in the box, so the only thing I can do is raise the small hook and large hook, can’t rotate the cab or rotate the boom. I am having some real problems using tmcc items with Legacy and can’t find any useable instructions. I hate spending big $ for stuff that doesn’t seem to work. Anyone else having the same problems? Is there a user’s guide that is useful?
Yeah they were a bit short on instructions.
If you got no paper work i’ll try to help.
First open the cab door on the left side next to the boom. You will see a small gear in there. it is on a spring loaded shaft. gently push it in to engage the larger gear. then while you hold it in position you will see a lever, move the top of the lever back towards the gears. this locks the cab rotation drive in gear.
Do the rugular legacy “eng” number assignment and add your name etc.
After returning the run/program switch to run, everything shoud work (fingers crossed)
Cab rotation: throttle dial. as long as you are turning the dial the cab will rotate.
Boom up/down: press “1” then use the boost/break slider for up and down.
Big hook: Press “2” then use boost/brake for up and down.
Small Hook: Press “3” then use boost/break for up and down.
Rear headlight: Toggle on and off using “4” (I may have the two lights switched)
Front headlight: use “5” to toggle on and off.
Outriggers: Press and hold “6” until all six pop out. There is no stow function for the outriggers, you reset them manually.
Hope this helps.
Here’s a link to the instruction manual
http://www.lionel.com/products/productnavigator/InstructionManuals/71-9899-251.pdf
In any case, when operating with Legacy, be absolutely sure that the crane is being controlled in CAB-1 mode. To do this, enter the number into the Legacy remote. Then, hit the “info” button, and press the button under the “info edit” block. Then, scroll over to the “control” tab, and set this to “CAB-1”. Otherwise, the crane won’t work properly.
In my, admittedly limited experience, control of the crane is easier with a CAB-1 than with Legacy. You may eventually want to pick up a TMCC command set, which runs around $100 discount. It’s really easy to set this up to work with Legacy-the Legacy manual will tell you how to do this.
Another important thing is to make sure that your Legacy unit is the upgraded version. If a new upgraded version from the factory the base will have a small silver dot on the back and the CAB-2 in the battery compartment. If its a unit that had been returned for upgrade it should show software version 1.2 when started. Also if using with a modern ZW a chip in the ZW may have to be changed out if communication problems occure.
At the store I still use the CAB-1 to run our demo crane, I’m more comfortable with it and I don’t have top toggle between the engines that might be running with Legacy and the crane.
Don’t forget to stand on your left foot and hop 3 times while saying “Legacy is better”[:-^].
Kinda makes you wish you had your HO stuff again doesn’t it? [(-D]
He most Definitely Wouldn’t be having this problem in HO, because to the best of MY knowledge there are no DCC controled operating cranes available. I am a multi-scaler, and I personally don’t think that DCC is any less confusing/complicated than Legacy is, of course, straight analog DC control is less confusing/complicated, but you don’t have the command functions available either. Don’t even get me started on what I have heard Digitrax is like to program in HO DCC either, I haven’t tried it, and from what I have read/heard, I don’t care to.
Doug
I resisted fuel injection for cars for a long time and eventually I saw the light. For some folks it just takes longer to get pulled kicking and screaming into the 21st century. I sure wouldn’t trade an electric starter on my car for one of those old style crank ones!!! [(-D]
@challenger3980 in h0 there are dcc operated cranes, made by Roco in Austria. Märklin makes them for motorola, it’s DC equivalent Trix makes the Märklin cranes for use with DCC. They don’t have sound nor lights, but do rotate and lower/rise their hooks and boom.
(sorry for the off topic…)
WOW!! Imagine how tiny the motors must be in those!!! [:O]
Thanks for the heads-up Daan [:)]
the companion boom car came in late last week. got to say 1) pretty neat! 2) overpriced.
The addition really brings the TMCC crane to life. Lots of dialog, a horn and sounds of the engine, gears and what not.