Soundtrax in IHC steam locomotive

[WilmJunc]

I'd like to have at least one steam locomotive on my layout since I'm modeling the transition era, and unfortunately, I'm really hooked on sound. Currently I cannot find any BLI or P2K steam locomotives with Northern New England road names. I am considering buying an IHC locomotive and installing a Soundtrax system into it.

Would I be crazy to spend the +/- $140 to install a Soundtrax system into an IHC locomotive? Has anyone else done this?

[SpaceMouse]

I may do it on some of the older IHC's but why $140, I think the generic steam sounds are going more in the $80 range.

As for is ti doable. I have DCC installed on one small steamer and it looks very straight forward. There shoud be plenty of room in the tender for a speaker.

[cacole]

The SoundTraxx decoder and speaker can be mounted in the tender and you can add a 2-conductor mini-plug and wires to feed power to the motor from there. The headlights on IHC models are usually wired to the front set of drivers and I leave them that way instead of connecting them to the decoder. That just means that the headlight will always be on instead of being able to turn it on and off with the decoder. While you're at it, you can add a backup light to the tender if it doesn't already have one, and that light can be decoder controlled.

I've installed decoders into several IHC steam engines and all of them were simple to do because IHC uses can motors that are already isolated from the frame. I was able to put all of the decoder into the boiler, but a sound decoder is too big for that and must be placed in the tender.

I just completed decoder installation into an IHC 4-6-2 Pacific using a Lenz decoder the size of a dime stuck to the top of the motor. I initially tried to fit a TCS T-1 decoder into it, but the weight would have had to be ground or cut down to make room for the decoder, and I didn't want to lighten the locomotive that much so I selected a smaller decoder.

Installation was really simple -- unsolder the wires from the motor and electrical pickups. Solder the decoder's orange and gray wires to the motor, and the red and black wires to the pickups. Locomotive disassembly, decoder installation, and reassembly can be accomplished within 30 minutes.

When you purchase the SoundTraxx system, check into Miniatroncs ultra-miniature plug and socket sets with wires attached -- two conductors if you want only motor control, and 4 conductors if you want to also re-wire the headlight for decoder control.

I've used these Miniatronics wire and socket sets in G-scale for the interconnection between passenger coaches to control interior lighting with a DCC decoder in the locomotive.

[WilmJunc]

Does anyone have experience with the MRC sound decoder for steam? My LHS recommends the less expensive ($75) MRC unit for the IHC 2-6-0 instead of the more expensive Soundtrax.

[SpaceMouse]

I have no experience with the MRC, but it has a bad reputation. Soundtrax makes a generic steam sound decoder. 820001: for steam locomotives $99.99 Retail, $79.99 at Tony's Train Exchange.

http://www.tonystrains.com/products/soundtraxx_dsd100lc.htm

I have a lot of IHC locos that may get this decoder.

[mikebonellisr]

I had tony's train xchange install a lenz,bemf decoder and soundtraxx into a super detailed ,IHC Mogul.It operates and sounds great.

[scole100]

I had Tony's install a Sountraxx decoder in a IHC 2-6-0 for me. They did a great job and the loco works, and sounds, great.

[cacole]

The MRC decoder is really generic, and you have little control over the sounds it makes. They make only one instead of customizing them for a specific type of locomotive like SoundTraxx does, so there is only one whistle and one type of bell sound. One function key sounds a short whistle blast and another key a long whistle blast of set duration, that cannot be changed. With SoundTraxx, the whistle sounds as long as you hold the key down, so you have total control over it; so whether to choose MRC or SoundTraxx depends on how realistic you want your train to sound.

[WilmJunc]

Scole100:

Which model Soundtraxx did Tony install in the Mogul? I reviewed the Soundtrax web site, and it looked like the sound decoders were designed for big steam engines.

[Anonymous]

Why not get an undec engine with sound and letter it for your favorite road? Seems to me to be a much cheaper and easier idea. The work has already been done for you in the right way. Many locos these days are offered painted but with no lettering. That's how I try and order mine. My BLI C-16 2-80 in On30 with sound came this way.

Bob Boudreau

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

Why not get an undec engine with sound and letter it for your favorite road?
Bob Boudreau

when BLI or someone else releases a 4-6-0 , 2-8-0 or 2-6-0 with sound i'll certainly think about buying one . for now it's got to be Bachmann or IHC + Soundtraxx

[SpaceMouse]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

Why not get an undec engine with sound and letter it for your favorite road?
Bob Boudreau

when BLI or someone else releases a 4-6-0 , 2-8-0 or 2-6-0 with sound i'll certainly think about buying one . for now it's got to be Bachmann or IHC + Soundtraxx

No that I see closer to what you are looking for, I can make a suggestion. MDC makes nice 2-6-0's DCC ready that are much better runners than the IHC. They are earlier models late 1800's. I have gotten two ot them. You have to look around though but they are a cut above the IHC's.