Anybody have any ideas on the best choice for a decoder for a first-run Rivarossi Allegheny HO locomotive? It fits under the boiler (8 pin) and there isn't a lot of room. I need to order just ONE decoder, and I want to be sure it fits under there. Anyone tried this? Thanks!
Mike C.
I put the Tsunami "heavy steam" version in mine five years ago. It works well, sounds great....nothing not to to like.
However, I am now a strong advocate of the QSI Titan-U (for universal). My last two steamers have the Titans, and they are simply astounding. I don't know that I would rate their slow-mo drive control as good as LokSound, but it's darned close. But what do it for me, being a sound geek, are the excellent sound files. I deal with Tony's, and they have been very helpful, including emailing me back about alterations to my order based on my erroneous assumptions about which version/sound files I wanted. Call or email and ask them which sound files would work for the Allegheny, and I am quite confident you'll have a decoder you like very much in jig time. Worth the cost IMO.
Crandell
PS- forgot what you said about under the boiler. My installations are always in the tender. It is easier. Plus, you should probably remove that cubed weight in the tender. I found the tender to be heavy with it.
Crandell, at this point, I'm not too interested in sound. Right now, I only want to assign it an address and run it with my other DCC stuff. Is it difficult to transfer the DCC socket to the tender? I do have an unused QSI soundboard and speakers that came out of a BLI Class A. I had thought about putting this in the tender one day, and just changing the chip to something with a more appropriate whistle (whatever that is). But right now I'm just looking for a small basic decoder that will go easily under the boiler.
Hey Wobbly-
Check out the TCS DPX series decoder: http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Products/Decoders/HO-Scale/DP-Series/DP-Series.htm
Just to give you an idea of what these Alleghenies sound like check out this install with a Tsunami: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135S282Utvg
Erik
Erik Fiske
I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder