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Mp54 decoder

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  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, August 24, 2018 4:17 PM

Ahhh, I was thinking the MP54 was some sort of decoder number.

Thanks Ed.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Friday, August 24, 2018 1:06 PM

BigDaddy

:tinfoil2:  What sound is the baggage car supposed to make?  I found a youtube video, but all I hear is an loco sound

 

The PRR MP54s are a self-propelled, 11,000 volt AC (originally 650 volt DC third rail) multiple-unit commuter car. They were made in RPO, baggage, combine, full coach and trailer arrangements. They entered service in 1908 on the Long Island and 1915 on the PRR and many variations ran until 1981. In the 1950s there were close to 500 MP54s in service.

There are motor driven air compressors, air whistles, cooling blowers and a motor/gear noise on accelleration or braking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRR_MP54

 IMG_2948 by Edmund, on Flickr

Good Luck, Ed

 

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, August 24, 2018 8:28 AM

:tinfoil2:  What sound is the baggage car supposed to make?  I found a youtube video, but all I hear is an loco sound

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Friday, August 24, 2018 12:03 AM

I did the installation, two in fact, using the dedicated Digitrax SDH164 sound decoder supplied by Con-Cor. It was a waste of money. It is erratic and the motor control is very poor.

I plan to replace them with an ESU Loksound micro-select. I'm nearly certain it will fit above the board but can't say for certain. Recent sugar-cube speaker offerings will make speaker placement easier, too.

Presently, all the select-micros I have on hand are the type that fit onto the "select-direct" board but I can try one of those to see how it fits even though it doesn't have the wire harness.

I'll update when I get time.

My suspicion was correct: plenty of room under the clerestory if you use a micro-select —

 MP54_esu2 by Edmund, on Flickr

I happened to have a roof section that was cut off that shows the space between the Con-Cor board and inside roof.

 MP54_esu by Edmund, on Flickr

Again, this micro is sans-harness and wrapper since it is intended to plug into the Direct "motherboard" but the basic size should be pretty close. The 8 pin harness should plug right in to the underside of the PC board.

Good Luck, Ed

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Mp54 decoder
Posted by ndbprr on Thursday, August 23, 2018 5:44 PM

ConCor sells a sound decoder and speaker that will only fit in the baggage version.  Has anybody installed a decoder in the coach version? If so what decoder did you use and does it fit in the roof area over the PCB?  Thank you

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