Last year about this time I purchased an American Models F7 on Ebay.

The unit was DC powered, and when I checked into the prices of electronic reverse units I decided to take a different branch. At that point in time I was really enjoying my Flyonel Mikado, and decided to check into some TMCC board prices. I had become familiar with Electric RR products while doing some conversions last year using Carl Tuveson's Mini Drive Board.

This experience led me to contact Jon at ERR right at the beginning of my thought process on the project.

Following a little research I ended up purchasing an Electric RR Mini Commander.

My mini commander is setup like the one described on Carl Tuveson's web site with special firmware for engine functions. To see Carl's conversion of an SHS F3 click here.

For me the great thing about the Mini Commander is if all you want is a conventional electronic reverse, it will perform that function. But when a TMCC signal is present it will operate as a TMCC locomotive.

Click on the thumbnails and you will see higher resolution images, use the back button to return to this page.

As you can see in the image below the Mini Commander is as small as or smaller than most electronic reverse units. It fits easily within the shell of the F7, and I have considered installing a sound board. I think the key element would be finding a speaker with good audio qualities that will actually fit in the space available.

The top view shows clearly the length and width of the Mini Commander. The installation is a snap and I have had no overheating issues and the TMCC signal has worked perfectly even with the small loop antenna that is on the far right edge of the circuit board. I suspect that if I sent an e-mail to Carl he could place me on the trail of a speaker that would be adequate, as he has done a conversion like this to an F7 and can be seen on his web site here. One difference is that Carl's conversion was done with an LCRU, a board that I believe is no longer available. At the time I did this conversion I had every intention of fabricating a mounting bracket that also performed as a heat sink, but given that I have had no issues in over a year of operation I have decided to leave well enough alone. If the triacs were closer to the shell I might be more compelled to fabricate a heatsink.

I don't know if optional gearing was available with these units, but the low speed operation is great, and I suspect with the low gearing this unit has and limited traction of the metal wheels very little heating of either the motor or the electronics could occur. This locomotive is definitely traction limited when it comes to pulling freight.

Well I hope you enjoy looking at my project and the next time you are looking for an electronic reverse, think about TMCC. The investment may not be any higher, and you will have great fun expansion potential in the future.

If you are interested in seeing more click here to take a look at my Flyonel NYC PA TMCC conversion.