I’m considering some Bachmann 0-6-0 (w/tender), 2-6-0, 2-6-2 and 2-8-0 locos as additions but will want them to wind up with DCC/sound. The ideal engines would be Spectrum, UP road name, with DCC/sound already but few of those fit all those desires. I have purchased mainly DCC w/sound locos so far, but have upgraded one DCC ready loco (Kato RS-2) to DCC w/o sound (simply plug in chip). My choices on the small steamers will be better if I can upgrade them myself but would appreciate your comments on the approach for some different cases.
a) some are not noted as DCC ready. I presume adding a decoder (and speaker) to them would be most challenging as it is not plug in ready for a decoder, so I would avoid that degree of challenge for now.
b) Some are DCC ready, so I presume a plug in decoder job, plus adding the speaker and enclosure. I assume the lighting does not have to be modified and the decoder will handle that?? Not too difficult I presume??
c) Some are DCC, but without sound. I presume to add the speaker and sound that the original decoder should be replaced, versus adding a 2nd decoder for the sound? Is the original decoder likely wired in or just unplug and plug in the new DCC/sound one and wire the speaker?
Thanks for your insight. I’d like to try some not too challenging upgrades but want to understand what approach would be needed before I order locos.
I have Tsunami-ed both the Consolidated and 4-6-0 ten-wheeler, the latter being a bit tight but I’d strip out any power only chip to make room for the speaker. I’ve also got an undec 4-6-0 and decal’d to my own road.
A If there is no loco to tender plug & socket forget bit, unless you are a dab hand with an iron.
B Would be your best bet with a small cube speaker, they take up less space and are a reasonable sound.
C If there’s a socket, get a sound chip and speaker and plug in, if not, m e, I’d find out which was pickup (usually the left pair), which of the others are motor and which are lighting , a DC controller set at minimum will tell you that and hard wire to the wires from the loco plug &socket using a Tsunami or similar. Hope this helps.
I have both the 2-8-0 and 4-6-0 with factory DCC and sound (soundtraxx) and they are both excellent sounding and running engines. One point I might make though is that both have the same sound decoder and same sounds; whistle and bell. When I am running both locos I can’t tell them apart by sound. Just a thought to consider.
If you download the SoundTraxx Technical Reference manual from their web site, you should be able to change the whistle and bell on one or both of those locomotives so they don’t sound exactly the same.
Let us not forget the new Bachmann 2-6-0 with the value sound. I have a couple of these units and am very impressed with these engines. They are not Spectrum models, but then again they are still excellent running, would recommend these.
I also have some 2-8-0’s and 4-6-0’s and would not hesitate to recommend either of these two engines. Bachmann having two versions of the 4-6-0’s the low driver version with the 52": drivers and the high driver version with the 63" drivers have created in my opinion an early 4-6-0 and a modern 4–6-0, As I said great little engines.