Well, I picked up an old Soundtraxx LC decoder cheap at a train show (about $30) so I was using that. It didn;t have any specific engine sounds, but it was closest to a non-turbo EMD. My goal was something like a unit that Bruce used to ahve on his site (Litchfield Station) where he installed two fairly large speakers and a crossover with a smaller one for the highs. I eneded up using the decoder more to experimetn with than anything, I found some old computer speakers that were too large to fit inthe loco but they sounded great hooked to the decoder (not cheap plain round ones found in many computers, these were large ovals with high excursion cones, ones that can reproduce a wide range of sound so you could use the computer without external speakers) so I often just left the whole thing sit on the bench and play sounds. I did get as far as soldering pickup wires to the trucks in the loco, and I brifly ran it with the small speaker I picked up when I got the decoder, just to see how it would work. The wires weren't all soldred together, it was mostly just taped inside the shell so it wouldn;t short out.
The powered A unit, I removed the internal board and hard wired a TCS T-1 decoder. I'm cheap, and not afraid to solder. So instead of spending $5 or so extra to get a harness, I just sodler the wires tot he decoder - the T-1 has a 9-pin JST connector so you can still swap out the deocder if soemthign happens. Or that may be the one I used the 8-pin jumper plug and cut through the traces and made my own 8 pin plug, I don't remember anymore.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy, the one I was planning to start with is a Stewart so you have given me hope I can get it right. Would you mind sharing which sound decoder you used? The A unit has a plug (8 pin I think) so I'd also like to know which decoder you selected for that unit. Many thanks.
There really is no 'standard' way to get power froma dummy loco, because different manufactureres do different thigns when it comes to makign a dummy unit. For example, I had a Stewart F7 B dummy that I was goign to add sound to, Stewart makes it easy - it aldyread had mestal wheels and the exact same trucks as the powered units, minus the gears. So the pickups were already in place, I just had to solder wires to the trucks the same wa they were attached in the powered units. Athearn trypically puts plastic wheels in their dummy units, so you need to either repalce those with metal wheels or install some sort of track sliders to pick up the power. Each one requires a bit of investigation to determine just what, if any, parts need to be added or repalced, and just plain figure out how to go about doing it. The only 'standrd' part is that in order for pwoer to be made available to a decoder, something metal has to touch the track, and there has to be some connection from that metal to the decoder leads. The details of implementing that will likely not be the same from one brand to another. As far as parts to aid in this - Tomar is one manufacturer that has a vaireity of track pickup bits available, another important resource is the actual manufacturer of the loco - in many cases you cna buy parts from the powered versions and retrofit them to a dummy to do the same thing as Stewart does.
Sometimes they can loose their programming and have to be reset. If DC is disabled (Which many do to prevent a runaway train) it won't be an option. Use the reset CV to set the decoder to default for starters. IF you don't know what it is let us know the model and brand of decoder.
Springfield PA
1. Depends on what you mean by 'goes out". In most cases the decoder's motor outputs are burned and it won't run on any type of power. If the memory is scrambled, it might run on DC.
2. I install some type of power pick up on the dummy unit. Some are already set up and just need some wires. Others may need trucks, metal wheels, wipers, etc. I like the dummies that are already set up for rail pick up.
1. If a decoder goes out on a locomotive, will it revert to running DC or not run at all?
2. Is there a 'standard' procedure for getting power from the track to a sound decoder installed in a dummy unit?
Thanks.