Hi, I am new to this hobby, just don't seem to be able to get it out of my blood. I am planning a layout using steam engines and working from the late 19th century throug the mid 20th. Does any company have digital control and sound to work with steam engines? Any and all help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
I can only comment on two brands of locos and one controller.
I control them with a NCE Power Cab.
Spectrum has steamers with Tsunami decoders that are great.
Athearn/Roundhouse has steamers with Tsunami decoders.
Some of both may not be available right now. I suspect they are in a shipping container on the way from China. I buy from Caboose Hobbies, Micro Mark, and one or two other online dealers. You do not have to pay full price but that is up to you.
Be careful. Some Roundhouse steamers are around that have the MRC decoders which are problematic.
It is cheaper to buy the locos with sound decoders. I have bought DCC ready and installed my own sound decoders and more expensive that way. Search the Internet for the companies I have mentioned. You will find a lot of information.
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.
Hi!
Welcome to the Forum - and THE Hobby!
To be frank, your time period is very broad. You would have slim pickins for locos built in the late 1800s, but would have a plethora to choose from for locos built in the 20s and 30s.
The first questions you have to answer is what scale will you be working with (O, S, HO, N, ?), and what railroad (s) do you prefer?
If you are after steam with sound, Broadway Limited (BLI) has a bunch, as does Bachmann Spectrum, Athearn Genesis, Lifelike (Walthers) Proto, etc. These are all HO. I currently have 3 BLI and 1 Spectrum steam loco with sound, and at 65 years old, that BLI ATSF 4-8-4 whistle just makes me smile!
My advice to you is to first hit the local hobby shop, buy a few of the Kalmbach "how to" or "primer" books, a copy of Model Railroader, and study them. Read all you can, ask a lot of questions, visit a club or train show, and get all the education you can BEFORE you spend the bucks.
Trust me, some front end research will definitely pay off.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Here is a photo of the Spectrum 4-4-0, circa 1913. The Roundhouse 4-4-0, circa 1900.
Roundhouse 2-6-0
Spectrum also comes in a 2-8-0 which might be 1920. There are various opinions on the time frame.
Some say the Roundhouse can be as early as 1885. By the way, the Roundhouse 4-4-0, 2-6-0, 2-8-0 are identical in size.
Bachmann has a 4-4-0, circa 1875 or so but is a tender drive with a drive shaft into the loco. Not so good. Any photos you see in online ads about this loco do not show the drive shaft between the tender and loco for this very reason. Also, no sound or dcc in these locos though I have converted a few to DCC, no sound.
Bachmann also has a Spectrum 4-4-0 with DCC and sound. The Spectrum line is not a tender drive like the cheaper Bachmann Standard line 4-4-0. It is a model of a modern Richmond 4-4-0, which ran on some railroads through the 1940's.
http://www.micromark.com/BACHMANN-SPECTRUM-HO-STANDARD-GAUGE-RICHMOND-4-4-0-AMERICAN-MODERN-WITH-SOUND-PAINTEDandUNLETTERED-,9039.html
Try to get the Spectrum 4-4-0 with low drivers and wood cab. Although they are advertised as high boiler and low boiler, the smaller drivers give it an appearance of "low" boiler. This one comes with the small Baldwin tender.
If you really want to back date it, below is a link to what someone did.
Stephenson valve gear is installed with square counter weights on the drivers.
http://www.cwrail.com/index.html
You can install DCC and sound in almost any model steam locomotive. The Soundtraxx Tsunami and QSI Revolution are two excellent choices of sound generating decoders. There are many choices of speakers and enclosures from which you can choose, too many to list. The installation isn't too difficult, although the first one or two will challenge you. Don't think you have to be confined to just the few locos that come with sound already installed. If you need help or advice I recommend the good folks at Tony's Train Exchange as well as those at Litchfield Station. And of course you can always rely on this forum, too.
The last time I ever looked at the QSI Revolution it was not available for steam locomotives. And I have installed some of them into diesel locos and know that one would never come close to fitting into a Bachmann tender. Even the Tsunami TSU-1000 is too big for some Bachmann tenders. I had to use a Micro Tsunami last week for a Bachmann 2-10-2 tender.
The LokSound Micro is about the same size as Tsunami Micro.
LokSoun 10mm 28 mm 5mm Tsunami 12.5mm 25mm 5.5mm
I use the Tsunami in Roundhouse steamers and the Spectrum 4-4-0 and 4-6-0.
I use the LokSound diesels in a Spectrum 44 ton and 70 ton.
The LokSound Micro steam or diesel comes with a 100 ohm 16mm X 25mm speaker. You might have to buy a different size speaker.
The Tsunami you have to buy 8 ohm speakers.
I buy from Litchfield and Bruce installs the sound I want before shipping.
Below is a photo of what can be had in the LokSound Micro.
Both are very good decoders.
I am a happy Litchfield customer. There are other online DCC companies. Search the 'Net for dcc companies.
Your best bet, price wise, is to buy factory installed Tsunami locos if you can.