Ok my girlfriend won me a bowser PRR HO 4-4-4-4 duplex..Its all diecast.. I need some advice on setting up a sound system in it when I get it..It has no sound system in it..
You should check with Bowser on that one. Their web site is at http://www.bowser-trains.com/ where they list their phone and e-mail contact data.
The proublem with the BLI is there not in stock and with no do date in restocking them plus there ABS plastic..The bowser has a motor exchange programe with that T1.. for a new up to date motor.This is the zinc nose version T1 not the lead nose version..talk to a lady there but she didnt know squat...whats the different in the DC and DCC? would like to have a simmlier to the MTH T1 Duplex sounds..
how good is the MRC system?I want to know whats the easyest system to install in the train?
Thats for the heads up on that...I'm going to call QSI and see what they charges for these sound system..would like to know what maker of the BLI duplex sound system?
Anyone used or had or heard of ESU sound system?
None of the sound decoders you have mentioned will handle the currrent load necessary for something as heavy as the Bowser 4-4-4-4 without remotoring it as David first mentioned.
The first thing you should do is get a Volt-Ohm-Milliammeter (VOM), put the locomotive on a DC track with the throttle turned up full, and measure the current draw of the motor under a heavy load by pressing down on it until the drivers are almost stalled. I doubt that any HO scale sound decoder is going to be able to handle it. You may have to go with an O scale decoder and hope there's room for it.
Many of us here know about all of the different brands of HO scale decoders you have mentioned, and none of them will handle a current load of more than 1 Amp continuous, 1.5 Amps peak.
Go to a site such as Litchfield Station, Tony's Train Exchange, Ulrich Models, or others that perform custom decoder installations and sell DCC systems and decoders and check their information about the various brands.
http://www.mr-dcc.com
http://www.tonystrains.com
http://www.ulrichmodels.com
thank for the info..I think ESU has a bord for old motor to help drop the amps down.. But I'm going to check tomarrow with bowser.. I saw some were on there site for motor exchange program,to put upto date motors in there trains..If I have to remotor it ,then I will do it if needs too.Ok how do I post the link??? I clic the link and it said to select a link...
You might check with the below site. I have purchased from him.
http://www.micro-loco-motion.com/canmotors.html
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
If I remember wright it said some were on bowser in a trade in program/ motor upgrade..Trade in our old out dated motors for new updated one that you can runDCC with..I'm going to call bowser tomarrow to see..As for getting a BLI?? Good luck in getting one..there out of stock plus there made of ABS plastic,Not cool in my book if you have running lights and smoke unit ,thats=melted plastic in those areas..If I'm in the ball park of the BLI on this train,Then I'm cool with it.. at least I have a better construcked train that will out last the BLI..If I'm going to blow 349+shipping at one time I'll get a MTH O scale S2 turbine......At times some of us dont have fat wallets to blow all that money..Most of use are on a buget,aspaclly with today ecommony..So I'll be buying one thing at a time for it..this will be a maybe a fun project..I just cant believe the HO's cost..O at times seens prommissing to me and other guys..I cant afford a O gage of the T1..Wished I did..for now on this type of train I'll have it in HO...plus living in a small appartment too makes a differents too...Dave I'm not trying to get you mad at me or upset you... I'm will try to do this train wright if possible..hay it could be a first with DCC in it? Unless theres one out there I didnt hear about??,,oh forgot I just got the train today!!!!! I'll try to post pics tonight or for sure tomarrow...
Dave I would like your help and advice..I would like to pimp my train..like pimp my ride..lol!!!.BLI is great for someone how cant do mods or have not much machicial exp and dont have the pations or time to do a project..I do body& paint and some machanical work for aliving....it slowed down thow thanks to the big three..I never like plastic trains.. Was raised around lionals trains..=all diecast...heres the pics of it.." mce_src="">" mce_src="">
Dave I havent ran her yet..Dont have any track or transformer..I got two friend that I'll asked if I can barrow them from..They do have a upgrade motor for them at bowser,there can brushless cost 45.00 each..I'm woundering if I can find a similar motor that would cost less?I'd talked to QSI about there sound systems..They have one that handels 2.0 amps..for 139 the other is 93.00 at up to 1.0 amps,I think?
You need to face reality and forget about the sentimental value just because your girl friend bought you something without realizing what she was getting, and use the 4-4-4-4 only as a display model. Bringing it up to DCC standards is going to cost more than its original price and you may even burn up several decoders in the attempt.
dude the train costed less then a 100.00..So I'm not going to give up easly eighter..I wont burn up any decorders..I'll probley use a O gage one since Bowser said it should fit under the tender on that model..I have a friend who's good at electrical work that will test to see how much amps the motors pulls..Just found out from bowser that these motors can be updated...Just buy a plate piece to go on the motors and siodering a wire on the other side of the brushes so the motor will have two wires..This train has alot more detial then the BLI version..Found out from 2 guys that the BLI version cant get any replacement parts for them..Now I see why they have a two year waranty program on them...
..
I will guarantee that even with the superdetail kit, the Bowser kit will NOT be as detailed a the BLI version. Not even close.
Even if an O scale decoder fits and safely handles the motor current - there's stillt he issue of the DCC system handling it all. If you run a 5 amp system and 3 of them are used up by this one loco, that limits how many other locos you can run. Maybe that's not an issue for you.
It's sort of like comparing old brass to some modern plastic stuff - specifically in my case the NJ Custom Brass Reading T1 vs the PCM model of the same. Settign them side by side, no contest, the PCM plastic ,model was better detailed. The more recent Overland brass T1, that one IS better than the palstic. But for the price of that Overland, I could buy 3 or 4 PCM models. The Bowser stuff is just old and a bit on the crude side, With the superdetail kits plus a basket full of additional details from Cal-Scale and others, you can certainly amke a very nice lookign model. Running qualities, however, will be poor at best. My ex father-in-law headed straight for eBay to get rid of his Bowser units to repalce them with the same model from BLI when they came out and never looked back.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Do you want to bet on that the Bowser has is more detailed then the BLI.? This not the old lead nose duplex. that was crude... this is a newr kit.. it has a date 1998..zinc body..
Joseywales, Here's my 2 cents worth.
I purchased a Bowser T1 kit about six or seven years ago and painstakingly put it together over a three month period. I changed nothing from the factory specs and it ran like a Swiss watch. It would pull your Chevy up your drive way. A couple of years back I decided to upgrade my layout to DCC and also many of my locos including the T1. The two motors in my T1 were already electrically isolated so didn't need any modifications. I did the AMP Draw test and at stall the motors drew approximately 1amp. I then installed a Digitrax DH163 (non sound) decoder. This decoder is rated at 1.5amp continuous, 2amp peak. With this decoder installed the loco would creep at about 1.5 smph and would run smoothly at full speed. It did this until the day I sold it. I sold the loco because I wanted sound and was not prepared to spend any more money on it. I did end up buying the BLI model at a blowout price. The detail on both models is comparable. The only thing I did not like about the Bowser T1 was the metallic hollow sounding noise when it was running. I did paint inside the boiler with auto body deadner which helped a bit. I mounted the decoder in the boiler (very tight fit) so I would not have to run wires from the tender. However there is a great deal of space in the tender, "just four screws to access it". I guess if you want sound you'll have to look for a sound decoder with a 1.5 amp continuous rating. That could be hard! However after saying that the motors only draw 1amp at stall. So the best way to run the loco with a 1amp sound decoder would be to"not stall it".
Best of luck.
Aussie Jim.
I did see a MRC sound decorder with 8 amp's...I'd called bowser and they told me my motor can be updated...just by adding a plate and soilder a wire on the other side of the brushes..the older DC 71 one had one wire soilderd one the motor..here's what bowser listed on there site.HO - Other ProductsDCC Information
To isolate the motor brushes on an OLD Bowser DC-71 motor (Old DC-71 had only one wire and half the brush plate is brass) a new brush plate (#22193) required to replace the brass plate on the motor.
All our kits using the DC-71 motor have the DCC compatable motor. Skew wound armature, straight polished shaft, new magnet material, double insulated brushes for easy DCC.I like an O Scale DCC module for Bowser Steam Locos. They will fit in the tenders.
OK I have the train 3/4 put together.. Going to finish off the side rails and two puttly things up today..Talked to my friend about testing the amps on the motors..He will help me out in this..somtime the end of the week..then we'll go from there...One sound deading the tender,,why didnt you line the box with thin maybe 1/16 or thinner balsa plywood..
I'm not going to buy anthing from bowser..the kit is a 1998..the motor had one wire to it..the newer motor has two wires to there the motor one on each side of the brushes..the guy told to soilder a wire on the other side of the brushes on my motor to make it a two wire motor..I havent done anything with it..even my friend told me to do nothing until he does a load test on my motors..I'm lising to you.I will do some resurch on MRC..Heres what I want.. All I want is a sound system that I turn the train on you can hear the air and steam pimps and enginer saying somthing to the passengers and bell binging and a botton to blow the steam whisel..like my MTH challanger did in 94..I have not DCC layouts..All I want is a train with sounds not gimics or gagets....I've been gluing brass parts on the train and installed the other motor..no moding anything yet....
So just what is DCC and what does it do? I've been out of modeltrains 11 years thanks to a devorce...trying to understand new things..I do like the BLI Duplex sounds and starts and chugs...Isnt the BLI comes with sound but no DCC but its DCC ready..would like to have the sound system thats in MTH T1 duplex..can anyone explane this to me please about DCC? I'm sorry about the confusion...