Hello board....a few years ago I purchased a bowser vo-1000 switcher. It's a very nice model that runs very well but it is a dc model. I am looking into a dcc upgrade and for some reason I can't seem to find the decoder I thought was a direct board replacement. Does anyone have some suggestions on a simple plug and play version?? Thanks!!
Rich
I did a couple of these a few years ago. There were no drop ins unless you say a TSU-1000 is a drop in, hard wire. Not a big deal. I might have posted the instal here at the time.
I just checked the SoundTraxx site. They have a recommened decoder. I used a 25mm x 35 mm speaker over the rear truck.
At the time, Bowser was selling then with the TSU-1000.
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.
The VO-1000 used an unique motor and I'm pretty sure Loksound was the only decoder manfucturer to have that "Thud...Thud...Thud...Thud" sound. But A few were powered by EMD motors. So you'll probably want to check your road name to be sure.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
I had to strip down my locos to grind the frame some to fit the oval speaker. Probably not necessary today with some speakers.
LokSound does have little better running characteristics. I use a couple in other locos but I like how I can make the sounds a little better with the Tsunami. All decoders have their pros and cons.
Repowered ones are obvious - EMF 645's didn;t fit under the Baldwin hood, so they had to put an EMD long hood on them. They are very distinctive, with an obvious EMD hood and an obvious Baldwin cab, at least on some railroads, such as the Reading. So far Bowser hasn;t made a repowered version, that's strictly a DIY job at the moment.
I bought one of the replacement sound chassis with a Loksound Select and swapped on my shell. It really sounds great, when compared to videos of the real things running at SMS. There's that unique thud thud thud, plus Baldwin switchers had an air throttle system with no distinct notches like EMDs and Alcos. Thing was somewhat self regulating, too, in that you could be pretty ham-handed on the throttle and not spin the wheels or rip out drawbars. There's an article with a good explanation of how it worked on the Baldwin Diesel Zone web site, if you are interested.
--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 would definitely opt for the Loksound for your VO-1000, Rich. The sounds are great and the Loksound decoders really allow your switchers (or any locomotive) to crawl - like they should.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Rich,
Generally you can order a Loksound Select decoder from an online vendor and they will program it (install the correct sounds for you) for the locomotive you will be installing it into - no charge. Usually this is done at the time of check out. Litchfield Station and Ulrich Models are both reputable vendors and I've had very good experiences at both places.
Hope that helps...
Hmmmm...Looks like Litchfield Station doesn't sell Loksound. Ulrich Models does for sure and here's the direct like to their Loksound decoder page. FYI: You'll also need to purchase a speaker to go along with it.
You might want to consider the sugarcube speakers - excellent sound in very small packages: http://www.sbs4dcc.com/sugarcubespeakers.html
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
tstage Hmmmm...Looks like Litchfield Station doesn't sell Loksound. Ulrich Models does for sure and here's the direct like to their Loksound decoder page. FYI: You'll also need to purchase a speaker to go along with it. Tom
Don't know where you got that information. I just checked Litchfield Station and they still sell decoders for LokSound. Check again.
You're right, Rich. I looked on the left side under "Categories" and didn't see Loksound listed so I thought LS didn't carry them anymore. I just rechecked the site and noticed the ESU icon on the right side and clicked on that. Sure enough their decoders and speakers, etc. are listed there.
Yeah. Have not been there lately and thye re-did the site.
And Bruce Petrarca is no longer the owner. I believe he does installs for the new owners though.
SS ExpressIt's a pennsy in Tuscan that I purchased about 6-8 years ago. A very nice running piece. Rich
Bowser hasn't (yet) made a repowered version - they have different hoods, the EMD prime movers did not fit under the Baldwin hood so when they were repowered, the hood was swapped out for an EMD hood. So not only do they sound completely different, they look completely different.
Here's a pair of former VO-1000's repowered by EMD:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=830091
This photo is from just after Conrail but these units are still in their Reading paint. Rebuilt by EMD in 1959.
Randy, thanks for the link to that pic of the two baldwins. I need to take a closer look at my model as far as the hood design goes but one distinct difference I noticed is that my model has four stacks as opposed to the pic which shows only two per unit.
Check here for pictures.
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/rdg_rstr.html (if you have a Reading one)
Baldwin was very inconsistent. 1 stack, 2 stacks, 4 stacks - it all depends on the production date.
The Bowser model is definitely one still powered by a Baldwin prime mover.
The original VO series was fairly early on, so in some cases they were as much experimental as standard production units, which is why there were so many variations. All things Baldwin can be found here: http://baldwindiesels.railfan.net/contents.html
There is a nice internal Baldwin document on the VO series under the 1939 heading on the right.
VERY cool link for the Baldwin locos, Randy. Love the internal pics and partially-built units. The top-side views of the hood are quite nice, as well. I'm defintitely bookmarking that one.
The 660 units are considerably different from the VO-660 series diesels. Was this a prototype unit for those? (It looks more like an elongated Alco S- with the front headlight and side vents.) The front grill on the VO-1000 is also more open. Again, perhaps prototype shots for the article?
The prime mover went through some changes - the early ones, the oil sump was part of the loco frame, later on it was a more 'traditional' engine design witht he oil sump part of the crankcase and the whole prime mover bolted to the frame deck. If you read through the stuff on the Baldwin Diesel Zone site, you can see some of the changes and how they tout them as new and improved. There were two variations of 1000HP units as well, 8 cylinder NA, and 6 cylinder turbo. Standardization? What's that? We used to build steam locos! That's also why, at least witht he ones I got, which were all still under the Stewart name, they included the stacks seperately so you could install the proper ones for the prototype you were modeling. Same railroad, same class, could have different stack arrangements. 4 offset, 1 centered, 1 offset, there are a lot of variations. Need to work from pictures to get them right, if you care about such details.
Those early VO 1000s had a problem with overheating. That's why you see some with supplemental radiators.
rrinker That's also why, at least witht he ones I got, which were all still under the Stewart name, they included the stacks seperately so you could install the proper ones for the prototype you were modeling. Same railroad, same class, could have different stack arrangements. 4 offset, 1 centered, 1 offset, there are a lot of variations. Need to work from pictures to get them right, if you care about such details. --Randy
That's also why, at least witht he ones I got, which were all still under the Stewart name, they included the stacks seperately so you could install the proper ones for the prototype you were modeling. Same railroad, same class, could have different stack arrangements. 4 offset, 1 centered, 1 offset, there are a lot of variations. Need to work from pictures to get them right, if you care about such details.
Yea, that's what I did with both my VO-660 and VO-1000: On the NYC the VO-660s had one stack (nearest the cab) and the VO-1000 had two stacks; both toward the front of the hood.
Grateful for websites like Fallen Flags where these sorts of pictures can be found. My New York Central System Diesel Locomotives book has been invaluable, too.