Good evening,
I have a B&M Atlas Master GP40-2 equipped with a Loksound Select V5. I want to change a couple CV's and I'm getting multiple answers to which CV's control what and the values. I have a NCE Power Cab currently but one day I'll upgrade to JMRI.
The CV's I'd like to change are what would be in a Maine Central GP38. I'd like to change the prime mover and the air horn to a nathan k5lar. I'm pretty sure the rest are correct.
Samuel Robinson
Lewiston,Maine
While Soundtraxx decoders store a selection of prime mover sounds, maybe a dozen or so, Loksound holds only one at a time.
To change a GP40-2 sound to a GP38 sound, you'll have to replace the one sound file with the other. I believe a Lokprogrammer is needed for that.
The horn might be an option on the sound file you have.
One of the Loksound sound files that should work is S0777. It includes a K-5LA and a K-5LA-R24 horn sound.
You may already have this covered, but normally a GP40-2 (the apparent model you have) does NOT sound like a GP38. Perhaps it might if the turbo is removed. Is that what you're doing?
Ed
Samuel,
If your Loksound 5 is installed with a EMD 16-645 prime mover, CV163 contains the various horns. Entering a value of "8" gives you a Nathan K-5LA and "9" gives you a Nathan K-5LA-R24. You can see the various CV choices if you click the "more..." link in the body of the text of any of the sound files listed on this Loksound 5 sound file page.
After doing a quick google and I may be wrong, it appears that both the EMD GP38s and the GP40-2s used the same prime mover. The difference is whether the MEC GP38 was a turbo or not and whether your B&M GP40-2 is the same as the MEC GP38. If one is a turbo and the other is not (or vise versa), you would need to have a different sound file installed in your Loksound 5 decoder to play that prime mover. The only way to do that is with a Lokprogrammer. If you don't have one then you would need to send the decoder to a vendor who can install the sound file for you.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
tstage After doing a quick google and I may be wrong, it appears that both the EMD GP38s and the GP40-2s used the same prime mover. The difference is whether the MEC GP38 was a turbo or not and whether your B&M GP40-2 is the same as the MEC GP38.
After doing a quick google and I may be wrong, it appears that both the EMD GP38s and the GP40-2s used the same prime mover. The difference is whether the MEC GP38 was a turbo or not and whether your B&M GP40-2 is the same as the MEC GP38.
Yes. That was very much what I was trying to convey:
GP38's were delivered without turbos.
BO40-2's were delivered with turbos.
They sound different.
If a GP40-2 had its turbo removed/bypassed, it would probably sound the same as a GP38.
How a B&M diesel would turn into an MEC one is a little more difficult. It might be noted that MEC's GP38's were delivered new, hence not having much chance to be B&M GP40-2's.
The cheap way to 'deturbo' a GP40-2 is to reroute the exhaust so it doesn't go to the turbine (usually with the two rather large round stacks you see on many rebuilds instead of the smaller oval ones on Roots-blown 38s) and pin the overrunning clutch on the gear drive so the turbo compressor provides proportional scavenge air.
Retrofitting two Roots blowers and their gear drive to a turbo 645 involves a lot of work and parts; I suspect it might be cheaper to switch in a 'native Roots' prime mover if you have that capability and you want positive-displacement blowing rather than centrifugal.
I think MEC just had 'native' GP38s from 1966 and 1967 -- these would use the standard Roots-blown 645 sound.
7j43k tstage After doing a quick google and I may be wrong, it appears that both the EMD GP38s and the GP40-2s used the same prime mover. The difference is whether the MEC GP38 was a turbo or not and whether your B&M GP40-2 is the same as the MEC GP38. Yes. That was very much what I was trying to convey: GP38's were delivered without turbos. BO40-2's were delivered with turbos. They sound different. If a GP40-2 had its turbo removed/bypassed, it would probably sound the same as a GP38. How a B&M diesel would turn into an MEC one is a little more difficult. It might be noted that MEC's GP38's were delivered new, hence not having much chance to be B&M GP40-2's. Ed
I model a freelanced shortline and second hand deturboed locomotives would be a staple. When railroads deturboed the PMs, they also tended to add 4 exhaust stacks and a paper airfilter box where the single exhaust stack used to be.
This is one reason why I prefer Tsunami2 over LokSound, because you can simply select the nonturbo 645 in place of the turbo 645 via changing the value of CV 123.
Also, you could remove or reduce the turbo sound in QSI by CV setting, because the turbo sound was simply a digital overlay.
Loksound requires a complete download of a new PM via the Lok programmer, or simply buying a new non turbo decoder.
There are rebuild programs where railroads simply remove the turbo and keep the single exhaust stack. These still have the annoying high pitched "turbo" whine but much less pronounced than a GP40-2. I don't think there is a good replication for it in sound decoders.
You are simply trying to replicate an as delivered GP38. With Loksound, you need a completey new PM download.
- Douglas
What can I say but thank you!!! I use primarily Tsunami2 products so Loksound is still green to me. I was pretty sure I could change the horn and been told I could the prime mover but only had 2 choices. I wish Loksound decoders had more choices and were easier to work on. I've never had any reply or call back from them when I've reached out for help while the folks at Soundtraxx always call back and email quickly. I'll see if I can switch up the horn for now. I'd say it's time to place a order with my decoder sales friend for some more 21-pin 8 function tsunami2's....can't beat 85 bucks a piece!!!
Yes, you can do that.
In case you don't know, I will mention that you (or someone else) can choose from 155 different North American locomotive sounds from Loksound, and put ANY of them in that decoder you have. And when they have a new one, or they improve one they already have, you can install THAT one, too. If, for some reason, you want to move that decoder to a steam engine, you can load steam sounds. Many of them.
I've called Loksound and talked to them on the phone--they answered.
Samual,
If you REALLY want that non-tubine GP38 prime mover in your GP40-2, contact one of the DCC vendors who sells ESU decoders and ask them to install the sound file you want in the decoder because they should more than likely have the Lokprogrammer. They will probably charge you a nominal fee for the service and the cost of shipping it back to you. And cheaper than a new Tsunami2...
The manual for your loco should describe what CVs are user-changeable, and the values.
Can new sound files be loaded into an ESU Select decoder? I've been trying to do that with an Intermountain ES44 and the LokProgrammer says the decoder is not a V5 or V4.
Mark Vinski
Mark.
The select version is a lower cost version of the Loksound V4. You can replace the sound set with another Select sound set only. In the Select decoder there are a number of horns/whistles, bells, and prime movers. Those are the only choices of customizing the sound set besides volumes.
Pete.
wrench567 Mark. The select version is a lower cost version of the Loksound V4. You can replace the sound set with another Select sound set only. In the Select decoder there are a number of horns/whistles, bells, and prime movers. Those are the only choices of customizing the sound set besides volumes. Pete.
If this is true, can you share the CV and the Values for changing Prime Movers in an Atlas OEM Loksound decoder?
For either V5 or V4 or both, plain and simple CV changes listed here would be appreciated.
Douglas.
The version 4&5 Loksound decoders only have one prime mover installed. You need a programmer to download a new sound set to replace the sound set already installed.
The Loksound Select decoder (no longer offered) was generic sounds that was offered in steam and diesel.
Most OEM (Athearn, Bowser, and others) use either a version 4 or version 5 Loksound decoders.
Hope this clears up some confusion.