Throttle Cases are Here!
This is not a long update, but it is a MAJOR one. After months of problems and slowdowns with the UWT-100 case design process, we finally recieved the cases for the first production run of the UWT-100 Universal WiFi Throttle! We were so excited that we put together another unboxing video! Click to watch it below:
Now that the final pieces are in place, we're excited to finish production and begin shipping out throttles in February! If you're attending the Amherst show this weekend in West Springfield, Massachusetts, be sure to stop by and give our throttles a test run!
TCS is heading to Amherst!
TCS is attending the Amherst Railway Society 2020 Railroad Hobby Show on Friday Jan 24 - Sunday Jan 26! The show takes place at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Considered the biggest show on the east coast, the hobby show spans multiple large buildings and hosts hundreds of vendors, OEMs, club layouts, and more!
TCS will be presenting two clinics on the much-awaited UWT-100 Universal WiFi Throttle. We'll cover the basics of connecting to WiFi and simple locomotive operations. We'll also tackle a few in-depth topics like in-throttle consisting and introduce some new features that will be available in UWT-100 throttles at release.
TCS Clinics: Friday 2:30pm | Friday 4:00PM
Learn more about clinics and register here: http://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/clinics.php
You can find TCS in the Better Living Center (Booth 45) throughout the weekend. We'll have a layout set up to demonstrate throttle units, so feel free to come by and give them a try. The layout is the NMRA LCC development layout, so please ask us about LCC and the cool things you can achieve with this emergent technology in the hobby. We'll also have samples of most of our decoders, trackside devices, harnesses, and more. We are not bringing product to sell during the show, but would be happy to help you place an online order from our booth and ship it right to you.
The TCS technical support staff will also be present to answer your questions and provide guidance about specific installations. If you pick up some models during the show, stop by and get a firsthand recommendation on decoder fit!
We're quite excited to see everyone this weekend! Will we see YOU there?
New Arrival: Decapod with WOWSound and Chuffinity™!
We're proud to announce that our latest collaboration with Bachmann Trains is now available: The 2-10-0 Russian Decapod locomotive from Bachmann, which features TCS WOWSound factory-direct. This locomotive is also the second release to feature Chuffinity™ technology, which produces hundreds of realistic, diverse chuffs - just like the real thing.
From Bachmann: With the advent of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the Baldwin Locomotive Works was forced to stop shipment of over 100 Decapod 2-10-2 engines originally bound for Czarist Russia. These “orphan” locomotives later found homes with American railroad companies and helped relieve a scarcity of motive power after WWI. They are now part of a new revolution in model train sound realism, equipped with a TCS WOWSound® CD-Quality 16-bit 44,100Hz decoder with Audio Assist®. This decoder allows easy configuration without programming CVs as well as a Keep-Alive® device for uninterrupted operation, even over dirty track. It also features Chuffinity™ technology for amazingly diverse and realistic chuffs and a WOWSound® steam locomotive sound package that includes bell, whistle, blow down, cylinder cocks, water fill, coupler close/release, brake release and application, grade crossing quill, depot sounds, and more.
Features include:
* DCC sound-equipped for sound, speed, direction, and lighting control
* true CD quality audio in 16-bit 44,100Hz sound
* Keep-Alive® device that keeps your engine running during power interruptions due to dirty track or loss of electrical contact
* voice-guided Audio Assist® programming tool for easy set-up of almost all decoder functionality
* dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder
* operating headlight
* completely hidden drivetrain
* cog V-belt flywheel drive
* precision motor
* precision balanced brass flywheel
* metal motor bearings
* separately applied stack, domes, and cab
* separately applied parts including bell, whistle, pop valves, cut levers, handrails, and stanchions
* separate sanding lines
* highly detailed cab interior
* painted crew figures
* siderods blackened per prototype
* die-cast finescale driver spokes
* tender with all-wheel electrical pickup, detailed coal boards, and metal handrails
* E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers, front and rear
Performs best on 22” radius curves or greater.
Visit Bachmann's Online Store to see all available models and learn more!
Throttle production is underway!
We hope your 2020 is off to a great start. As you no doubt have heard, TCS has been navigating the Universal WiFi Throttle project through the maze of hurdles standing between us and throttle production. The past few months have been an absolute blur! There's a lot of excitement and energy around TCS these days, in no small part due to the fact that the final case samples have been approved, and the production phase is officially underway!
I pre-ordered a UWT-100 unit. When might I expect it to ship to me?
It's still a bit early to give a precise date. Between the processes of board production, assembly, printing, testing, packaging, and shipping, there is a fair amount of wiggle room. Some stages could take longer than expected, and some might progress more quickly. Our personal goal is to have throttles ready to take with us to the Amherst Railway Society Railroad Hobby Show at the end of January, and to begin shipping pre-ordered UWT-100 units at the same time. You can expect them in your mailboxes come February.
I didn't pre-order but very much want to get my hands on one.
We are producing many more throttle units for our first production run than were pre-ordered. This means that we will have stock available directly from the TCS web store, and from dealers that are planning to carry the UWT-100. These throttles will be available for sale once pre-order throttle units are dispatched from TCS.
We are very excited to finish this project and release the UWT-100 throttle units. TCS has received a lot of interest and helpful feedback from the model railroading community so far, and we've learned some hard lessons along the way that have grown us as individuals and as a company. Thank you for your continued patience - the production phase is on!
Best regards,
Stephen - Marketing Director, TCS
UWT-100 Tutorial Videos are here!
We're excited to share our first few Universal WiFi Throttle tutorial videos. In this series, we'll review basic throttle actions and operations to give you a head-start on your UWT-100. You can view these videos here in this blog post, or head to our Videos page.
In this first video, we review the steps needed to get your throttle up and running right out of the box: Install the batteries, power the unit on, and connect to a network.
In this next video, we examine several ways to power the UWT-100 on and off.
The third video in the series provides details on navigating the main throttle menu and where to look for help if you're in need of it. (Hint: It's right at your fingertips!)
Keep an eye out for new videos in this series over the next several weeks. We can't wait to show off everything the Universal WiFi Throttle has to offer!