While the manual provided with the MTH Protosound Conversion Kit is quite detailed with respect to the specifics of component replacement provided in the kit, it is generic to a particular type of locomotive, i.e. diesel or steam, and cannot cover adaptation issues unique to an individual conversion.  For example, original Protosound couplers differ from Protosound 2.0 couplers and thus 2 Protosound 2.0 couplers are provided with the kit.  What if you have a situation where the original locomotive used a drawbar and wire harness to connect 2 units?  Can you convert to couplers and do you need to retain the harness?  The answer is yes and no.

Lets use the example of the UP #80 Coal Turbine Locomotive (20-2214-1, 1999 Vol 3) equipped with Protosound in the late 1990s.  The unit contains three components, the A Unit, the B Unit, and the Tender.  The B Unit is connected to both the A Unit and the Tender by drawbars and  wire harnesses.  Fortunately the A Unit drawbar and wire harness and B Unit Drawbars and wire harnesses are mounted directly to the trucks.  The tender drawbar and wire harness is mounted to the chassis.  In the instance of the truck mounted drawbars and wire harnesses coupler height is achievable by merely using the same mounting point as the wire harness.  Modification is required to mounting studs used to mount the drawbar to the truck, but the studs are easily ground down with a Dremmel tool.  The Tender requires a little more work to achieve coupler height, but is easily accomplished using a conventional coupler (non proto).  The wiring harness is not necessary since the A Unit and B Unit will both receive a 3 volt board and will lash up as two separate locomotives (you need two kits to do this). You will lose the backup light feature in the tender without a direct connection to the B Unit.

You may also find it difficult, in the case of the B Unit, to mount the recharging jack that is provided with the Kit to recharge the new Protosound 2.0 rechargeable battery.  The difficulty lies in the short tether between the jack, the battery, and the three volt board.  In the A Unit you can use a provided opening in the frame near the front motor.  In the B Unit the openings are near the rear motor, while the 3 volt board must be located near the front motor.  The solution is to create a new opening near the nose of the B Unit.

Each locomotive will certainly present new challenges, however with patience and some inventiveness you should be able to update your Protosound Locomotive to Protosound 2.0 with minimal difficulty and maximum enjoyment.                                                   

timbuk2002

P.S.  MTH has announced a Proto 2 UP #80.  The major difference between the Proto and Proto 2 Model is the deletion of a second smoke generator in the B Unit in the Proto 2 Model.  If you like lots of smoke (3 smoke generators including the converted A Unit) convert the 1999 Model!

P.P.S. This model has a Mars Light as well as a Headlight so you can add a train cam in the Mars Light opening and still keep the Headlight.  See my guide on Conversion Kits: http://reviews.ebay.com/MTH-Protosound-2-0-Conversion-Kits_W0QQugidZ10000000000082487 for more information regarding TrainCam direct current issues.