Lionel Railsounds Commander User manual

Railsounds Commander
Instruction Manual
Revised: October 2009

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Railsounds Commander Kit
Cool Features
Combines Railsounds 4.0 standard hardware with next generation technology
Compact size, uses Railsounds Audio Board only, no Power Board required
Multiple trigger options for chuff and diesel ramp up/down
No adjustments required
Provisions for battery and Railsounds/Signalsounds switch
Fully compliant with TMCC standards
Conventional and Command mode operation
Easily interfaced with other Electric Railroad Company products
Only 1.95" L x 1.25" W x 0.95" H
Overview
The Electric Railroad Company RailSounds Commander is the smallest, most full
featured, highest performance RailSounds 4.0 upgrade available for your locomotives.
This innovative upgrade utilizes Lionel Railsounds 4.0 technology, combined with a
single power controller that supports Command and conventional mode, including
battery backup. The RailSounds Commander operates standalone, or in conjunction
with the full product line of Electric Railroad’s TMCC upgrades. The small size and
interface flexibility is unparalleled in the marketplace, so just about every locomotive
can have a high performance sound system.
Railsounds Commander Railsounds Audio Board

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Parts Included
•Railsounds Commander circuit board
•Railsounds audio circuit board
•Speaker & baffle
•3 Position to 4 position power & data cable assembly
•4 Position Battery & RS/SS switch cable assembly
•Mounting hardware
•Heat shrink tubing
•Cable ties (2)
•Instruction manual
Additional Parts in Diesel Kit:
•2 Position VCO cable assembly
Additional Parts in Steam Kit:
•3 Position trigger cable assembly
•Reed switch assembly
•Magnet
Recommended Tools
•Low wattage soldering iron
•Rosin core solder
•Heat gun
•Small screwdrivers - phillips & flathead
•Small wire cutters
•Small long-nose pliers
•Wire strippers
•Zap-A-Gap CA+ glue or equivalent (for steamer installations)

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Reference Diagrams
At the rear of this manual are the following diagrams which may be removed and
placed nearby for easy reference while performing the steps in the instructions:
¾Railsounds Commander Connector Pin Designations
¾Wiring Diagram for Conventional Diesel & Electric Units
¾Wiring Diagram for Conventional Steamers
¾Wiring Diagram for Cruise Commander in Powered Diesel & Electric Units
¾Wiring Diagram for Cruise Commander in Powered Steamers
¾Wiring Diagram for AC / DC Commander in Powered Diesel & Electric Units
¾Wiring Diagram for AC / DC Commander in Powered Steamers
¾Wiring Diagram for Mini Commander 2 in Powered Diesel & Electric Units
¾Wiring Diagram for Mini Commander 2 in Powered Steamers
Important Notes
If the project will involve drilling, cutting, or filing of metal parts, it is important to
protect any installed electronics from metal debris. De-burr holes that will contain
wires to prevent chaffing. Special precautions should be taken when working on and
around Magne-Traction equipped units that will attract and collect metal debris.
Leave circuit boards in their anti-static packaging until ready to be installed.
Dissipate any static electricity before handling by touching a grounded metal object.
Avoid working on carpeted floors in cool dry areas and, if possible, use an antistatic
wrist strap. It’s best to hold circuit boards by the edges and avoid touching contacts
and components.
Take care when connecting or disconnecting cables and plug-in circuit boards. When
disconnecting a cable, always pull on the cable connector, not on the cable itself.
The wire colors used in locomotive production may vary over time and differ from
what is pictured in this manual. Tracing individual wires to their end point to verify
identity is highly recommended.
Pictures of products may vary from actual products received. The Electric Railroad
Company reserves the right to improve the products on successive manufacturing
cycles.

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Installation
Before beginning, please take time to read through all the instructions and plan out your
installation. If other Electric Railroad Company products are being installed together
with the Railsounds Commander, familiarize yourself with each one, as well as how
they connect together.
Overview
The installation process involves mounting the Railsounds Commander circuit board,
mounting and connecting the speaker, and then making the other necessary connections:
power, serial data, as well as trigger or motor sensing. Most important of all the steps,
is placement of the speaker and use of a baffle. These are absolutely essential in order
to obtain the highest quality sounds.
Preparation
If existing hardware is being replaced, begin with an examination of the unit to
determine what to keep and what parts will not be needed. For some projects, existing
parts may still be useful. Although this will vary, depending on the project, possible
candidates include slide switches, triggering mechanisms/switches, and mounting
brackets. Note that existing speakers will generally be lower quality than the one
provided with the Railsounds Commander kit. However, a larger oval, unusual design,
or recently manufactured speaker may be acceptable if still in good condition and rated
at 8 ohms and at least 0.5 watts. When handling existing wires, be careful not to flex
soldered connections excessively.
Mounting
Before mounting the new parts, it’s important to spend some time trying out different
placement options. Consider where chassis holes exist or could be drilled if needed.
Don’t forget to check the shell for obstructions and, of course, ensure it can be
reinstalled without coming into contact with newly installed parts or wiring.
1. A high quality speaker and matching baffle are included in the Railsounds
Commander kit. As shown in Figure 1, the baffle may be mounted in a variety of
ways, using the mounting ears, with double stick tape, or a small hole may be drilled
and a self-taping screw used.

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Figure 1 – Speaker & baffle with mounting options
If possible, mounting options that direct the sound downward will give the best
results. Ensure that there are plenty of holes in front of the speaker to enable sounds
to be radiated outward. With other mounting options, ensure that there is an
opening in the shell, such as open windows.
Carefully install the speaker in the baffle, ensuring that wires are routed through the
cut-out and will not be pinched. Snap the speaker into the baffle by applying
pressure on the rim of the speaker only.
2. After test fitting the Railsounds Commander & Railsounds Audio Board together,
carefully unplug the Railsounds Audio Board and set it aside before permanently
mounting the Railsounds Commander circuit board. Refer to Figure 2 and, when
ready, use two layers of double stick tape 1 ½ inches by 1 inch to mount the
Railsounds Commander circuit board.

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Figure 2 – Circuit board mounted
Wiring
The appropriate wiring diagram and connector pin designation drawing may be
removed from the rear of this manual for easy reference while performing the following
steps. Take your time while wiring. Wires may be trimmed to remove excess length,
but don’t overdo it. Strip wire ends ¼ inch and then twist the exposed strands before
making connections.
The Railsounds Commander is a very flexible design that can be used in a wide variety
of applications. As a result, all of the steps that follow will not be required to
successfully complete a specific project. Therefore, each step includes ‘Applies To’
information to help you determine the appropriate steps that apply to your project.
1. Speaker connection.
Applies To: All powered, un-powered, conventional, and TMCC applications.
Refer to Figure 3 and plug in the 2 position connector at the designated point on the
Railsounds commander circuit board.

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Figure 3 – Speaker connection
2. Motor Sense (VCO) connections.
Applies To: Powered diesel and electric units, conventional and command (TMCC),
with AC or DC motors. This step is not needed for Steamers or un-powered diesel
& electric units that require an external trigger for chuffing or to detect motion.
Locate the 2 position VCO cable assembly which has two gray wires. Refer to
Figure 4 and connect each wire to one of the motor brush wires or connections. It
does not matter which wire goes where. Plug in the 2 position connector at the
designated point on the Railsounds commander circuit board.

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Figure 4 – Motor sense (VCO) connections
3. Battery and RS/SS switch connections
Applies To: All powered, un-powered, conventional, and command (TMCC)
applications.
A 9 volt battery will enable sounds to keep playing when the power is low or is
interrupted. This is recommended when some or all operations will be in
conventional mode. For command mode operations, use of a battery is optional.
The RS/SS switch enables selecting between full Railsounds (RS) and Signalsounds
(SS), which includes only horn & bell sounds. Installation is optional and a switch
is not included. Without the switch, the full compliment of Railsounds is always
enabled.
To use these features, refer to Figure 5 and locate the 4 position Battery & RS/SS
switch cable assembly. Plug in the 4 position connector at the designated point on
the Railsounds commander circuit board.

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Use only a standard (non-rechargeable) 9 volt battery and do not allow the metal
case to contact circuit boards or other electrical connections. To provide for future
use of a battery, install the cable assembly and then cover the battery clip, as shown
in Figure 5, so that the contacts do not accidentally touch other internal parts.
Figure 5 – Battery clip installed with protective cover
If installing an RS/SS switch (not included), connect the blue wires to the switch.
When the two wires are connected together (SS - switch closed) the Railsounds
Commander will be in Signalsounds mode and only horn and bell sounds will be
played. In the opposite position (RS - switch open), the full compliment of
Railsounds will be played.
Caution - If installing an RS/SS switch, both of the blue wires must be connected
directly to the switch. Any connection from the switch to the chassis or to a chassis
(AC) common connection will result in a destroyed Railsounds Commander.
If no switch is being installed, either cut the blue wires at the connector or take
measures to ensure no exposed wires will come in contact with other internal parts.

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4. Trigger connections.
Applies To: Steam locomotives, as well as un-powered diesel & electric units,
conventional and command (TMCC). This step is not required for powered diesel
units.
Steamers require a sensor switch to trigger the chuff sounds. Un-powered diesel &
electric units can also benefit from this set-up to determine whether or not they are
in motion, so diesel ramp down/up and other motion dependent sounds occur at the
proper time.
For steamers, the Railsounds Commander will typically be mounted in the tender
and the chuff trigger installed on a tender truck. To have synchronized chuffing, the
chuff sensor switch will need to be installed in the locomotive, either on a wheel or
the smoke unit lever on a piston type smoke unit. A tender truck installation is
shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 – Chuff trigger installation
Note that the magnet on the wheel is located inward from the flange edge, almost
touching the axel in order to provide the clearance needed for switches and
crossovers. Allow about ¼ inch clearance between the magnet and the sensor, as
the wheel set will normally have some lateral play.

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For best results the sensor switch should be positioned slightly off center from the
magnets path, otherwise a double chuff may be generated as the magnets north and
south poles move past the sensor switch. Use Zap-A-Gap or similar adhesive to
mount the sensor and magnet.
Locate the 3 position trigger cable assembly and connect the orange wires to the
wires from the reed switch sensor. It does not matter which wire goes where. While
referring to Figure 7, plug in the 3 position connector at the designated point on the
Railsounds commander circuit board.
Figure 7 – Trigger connection
Caution - Both of the orange wires must be connected directly to the reed switch
sensor wires. Any connection from the reed switch sensor to the chassis or to a
chassis (AC) common connection will result in a destroyed Railsounds Commander.
5. Power and Serial Data connections.
Applies To: All powered, un-powered, conventional, and command (TMCC)
applications. Track power must be available in the unit where the Railsounds
Commander is being installed. Serial data is only used during TMCC operations.
Refer to Figure 8 and locate the 3 position to 4 position Power & Data cable
assembly. This provides a simple direct connection between the Railsounds
Commander and other Electric Railroad Company products that have a 4 pin
connector for power and serial data output.
Figure 8 – Power & Serial Data cable

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NOTE: If interfacing the Railsounds Commander with an Electric Railroad
Company Cruise Commander, please refer to Addendum 1 (located after the
installation instructions) that describes installation of an alternate cable assembly for
board version 3.4 (V 3.4) or earlier. Addendum 1 does not apply to Cruise
Commander boards that are revision 4.0 and later.
For other TMCC projects, such as interfacing with the Electric Railroad Company
Mini Commander 2 , simply remove the 4 pin connector and connect the red (AC
Hot), black (AC Common), and violet (Serial Data) wires to the appropriate points.
For conventional-only projects, the serial data (violet) wire is not needed and may be
removed. Figure 9 shows the original Power & Data cable assembly modified for
use in a conventional only project.
Figure 9 – Power cable for conventional only
After the power and, if needed, the serial data connections are made, plug in the 3
position connector at the designated point on the Railsounds commander circuit board.
Figure 10 shows an example conventional only connection and Figure 11 shows a
typical Railsounds Commander to TMCC driver board connection.
Figure 10 – Conventional-only power connection

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Figure 11 – Power & serial data connection
Caution – Do not connect the AC Common (black) wire in this cable assembly to
any other common connections on the Railsounds Commander circuit board. This
will result in a destroyed Railsounds Commander.
6. All necessary connections to the Railsounds Commander should now be complete.
Before continuing, double check all wiring and verify that there are no exposed wire
strands that could cause a short circuit.

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Final Assembly
1. Locate the Railsounds Audio board and, while referring to Figure 12, gently place it
on the double row of pins on the Railsounds Commander circuit board. Take care
to ensure that the Railsounds Audio board is properly aligned with all the pins before
pressing into place.
Figure 12 – Railsounds Audio board installed
2. Locate the provided cable ties and, while referring to Figure 13, use them to secure
the chassis wiring. Wires should be positioned so they will not be pinched between
the chassis and shell or other parts. Avoid placing wires where they will be directly
in front of windows for a better appearance. When complete, cut the cable ties to
remove any excess length.
Figure 13 – Installation complete

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3. Adjust the on board volume control to the fully clockwise position. Since the
volume can still be adjusted using a CAB controller during command (TMCC)
operations, this should suffice for most installations. However, if desired or if
operation will be primarily in conventional mode, test run the unit with the shell
temporarily in place. If adjustment is needed, remove the shell, adjust the volume
control, and re-test. Repeat until the desired level is reached. When running in
command mode, a CAB controller can be used to adjust the volume between this
(maximum) level and no audible sound.
5The Railsounds Commander kit is now completely installed.

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Addendum 1
Interconnecting Railsounds Commander
And Cruise Commander V 3.4
If interfacing a Railsounds Commander and a Cruise Commander, refer to Figure 1
and locate the Cruise Commander board version information. If the Cruise
Commander is board version 3.4 or earlier then follow the instructions below. This
Addendum does not apply to Cruise Commander boards that are version 4.0 and
later.
Figure 1 – Cruise Commander circuit board
1. Interconnecting the Railsounds Commander and a Cruise Commander, board version
3.4 or earlier (like the one shown in Figure 1), requires a special buffer cable assembly
as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 – Buffer cable assembly

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The yellow wire must be connected to + 5 volts, which is available at Pin 19 on the
R2LC board. While referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4, carefully solder the yellow
wire on the back side of the board. Notice that Pin 19 is the second pin under the “C“
in C21 and the third pin from the left edge of the board. Make sure that no excess
solder or wire strands touch other pins or traces as this will damage the board.
Figure 3 – R2LC board
Figure 4 – Connection to R2LC board Pin 19

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2. While referring to Figure 5, plug in the buffer cable assembly 3 position connector at
the designated point on the Railsounds commander circuit board. Next, plug in the 4
position connector at J3 on the Cruise Commander circuit board.
Gently place the R2LC board on the double row of pins on the Cruise Commander
circuit board. Take care to ensure that the board is properly aligned with all the pins
before pressing into place.
Figure 5 – Buffer cable installation complete
3. Once the buffer cable is installed, continue to follow the remaining steps in the
Installation section of the Railsounds Commander Instructions.

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Operation in Command Mode
The Railsounds Commander will normally remain silent when power is applied to
the track and a solid TMCC signal is present. If a TMCC signal is not detected
within 0.5 seconds then the Railsounds Commander may start up on its own. This is
normal behavior.
Sound Features & Commands:
Whistle/Horn
Bell
Brake Squeal
Coupler Release
Air Release
AUX 1 +
1 - Sound volume increase
2 - CrewTalk
3 - Commence start-up sequence / Steam blow off / RPM increase
4 - Sound volume decrease
5 - Commence shutdown sequence (if at idle)
6 - Steam release / Air horn / RPM decrease
7 - TowerCom announcement
If the optional RS/SS switch is installed, it should be set to the RS position to enable
the full compliment of Railsounds . In the SS (Signalsounds) position, only
horn/whistle and bell sounds will be produced.
Although not required for command operations, installing the 9 volt battery will
enable sounds to continue in the event of momentary power interruptions.
Additionally, when track power is turned off, the shutdown sequence will start and
play to completion.