I honestly don’t remember what I did back in 2018, lol. I’m pretty sure 21-pin decoders are a universal standard so any 21-pin decoder should work in any 21-pin socket. But, yeah, maybe ask at a train shop (if there are any still in business – there are none, zero, zip, zilch, nada, near me any more).
What kind of locomotive do you have? Steam? Diesel? Electric? If steam, then yeah, you absolutely need sound. If Diesel, it’s a coin toss, use a silent decoder and pretend your railroad put a muffler and sound deadening equipment on the prime mover, lol. Electric locos are pretty quiet except for the bells and horns.
It’d be for a steam locomotive, so I’d certainly want sound if possible.
There’s no hobby stores near me but I may try calling Tony’s Trains as they carry a lot of DCC products and ESU decoders, they might have some familiarity with these older Trix locomotives, in my case from 2009… I may also just try emailing ESU directly they might also know what can/can’t be substituted in for it.
Yes! I love Tony’s Trains. I once bought a Shinkanssen imported from Japan and then sent it to Tony’s to have it converted to DCC. They did an excellent job!