I just purchased a Bachman Spectrum 2-8-0 and installed a sound decoder. Steam sound is awesome, and I want more, but the selection of steam locomotives suitable for my line (B&O) is limited. IHC seems the best source. I must rely on mail order, as there are no good train shops within a days drive of my home. I certainly don’t want to purchase a loco only to find it cannot take a sound decoder. Has anyone out there installed a DCC sound decoder in an IHC steam locomotive?
Fred
I have installed regular decoders in my IHC 4-8-2 mountains, and seeing the room that there is in the tender, I would think it would be a relatively easy install. You would have to build/buy a speaker enclosure.
One word of advice, use very flexible wire (I get 30 gauge from Radio Shack) from tender to loco. I had to change to this because the IHC’s do not like any kind of bind and would derail the rather light tender.
IHC steam is pretty easy to add sound to, considering the frames are plastic, and power’s routed through wipers and wire. Everything’s pre-isolated for you. Go to www.wiringfordcc.com for an online tutorial on adding DCC to an IHC steamer.
As for B&O steam, unless you go the brass route, your choices are really limited. The P2K 0-8-0 will work, as will the Rivarossi 2-8-8-0, various USRA light 2-8-2s, and the old Mantua 4-6-2. If you want to semi-freelance, go ahead and use the IHC Mountain for the backbone of your B&O fleet. They run and pull surprisingly well, and are easy to superdetail/kitbash.