I was at my LHS today and asked about having some of my engines converted to DCC with sound. I was told it would be $45.00 and hour and to figure on one hour per engine.If it's and older engine it could be two hours. Is this a good price or what? I did not ask about what type of decoder of sound since I don't have a clue as I am now getting back into the hobby after 20 years. I have a few Proto 2000 and Spectrum engines. Any info would be greatly appreciated. This is HO scale.
Which LHS did you go to?
There's a shop in Lansdale called Lins Junction that does conversions. A quick call can get you a price.
Here's a link. Good People. Dont' correspond with email. Phone is the way with them.
http://www.linsjunction.com/dcc.html
Springfield PA
Some of those older engines may not be worth the time and expense of trying to convert to DCC or sound. You need to learn how to do your own installs if you have that many locomotives and really want to convert them to DCC. Once you do one or two, it's not really that difficult. When we installed DCC onto our club layout, several of my older locomotives just wound up in a railway museum static display setting instead of trying to convert them.
My advice is to have one or two done and then study what was done and just do the rest yourself. It's really not that difficult. There are also tons of install pictures at various places, the biggest collection is on the TCS web site. You can use those pictures and instractions even if you don't use TCS decoders, but they are very good decoders.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I got that price at Joe's Train Station on Street Road. I am aware of Lin's Junction, I was going to stop there next week, as my daughter lives in Lansdale. Thanks.
I was at my LHS today and asked about having some of my engines converted to DCC with sound. I was told it would be $45.00 and hour and to figure on one hour per engine.If it's and older engine it could be two hours. Is this a good price or what?
Really, What do you consider your own time to be worth? Don't forget to add in overhead and some profit so you'll still be in business next year. $45/hour is reasonable.
Martin Myers
It is reasonable. It's hard for people to justify taking a 100 loco and spending 150+ to upgrade it including labor and sound. For a few bucks more you can have a new loco with sound included.