OK, my Allegheny is dcc ready wherein I can install an engine decoder in the boiler (literature says the unit is dcc ready as long as decoder has NMRA plug attached). This I can handle.
What I really need help with is how to install a sound decoder in the tender. Are there any web pages out there that document this installation or one similar. I want to tackle the job but want to know what I’m getting into. How do I power the decoder in the tender? Do I just tap into the tender axle power lines running to the engine? Any help, including parts listing, is greatly appreciated.
It would probably be easier to install the complete decoder in the engine and then run just the speaker wires back into the tender(plus any pickup wires the tender already has for power pickup). Look for a decoder with a separate speaker like the MRC Brillance for steam sound. You might want to look at what Soundtraxx(www.soundtraxx.com) has also. In any event, you want to use 2 speakers for this locomotive. One speaker would be a downward mounted speaker on the tender floor and the other speaker would be mounted facing upward under the coal load. You will have to drill very small holes in the coal load to allow the sound out of the top speaker.
You may have to drill holes for the floor speaker too. Either way you want to baffle the rear of both speakers for the best sound reproduction. For ease in separating the tender and the engine, I would also install mini plugs(see the R/C airplane section of your favorite hobby shop for these) Look at the DCC Corner in Model Railroader.
I just did the installation you want to do. Here’s how:
I considered putting in two decoders, but decided against it. The
Soundtraxx Tsunami has great capabilities to control the movement,
lights and sound, and there would be co-ordination problems with
two decoders doing some of the things that the Tsunami alone can do.
Check this out by going to www.soundtraxx.com and downloading the
Steam Sound Users Guide. If you become a believer, you will want
the Heavy version.
A sound decoder is too big to go under the boiler. Instead, I glued
the Tsunami to the front left floor of the tender so that its 8-pin
connector is about where the original smaller connector was. This
will allow separating the tender and loco without unsoldering
anything, but requires taking the shell off the tender. You could
get around this if you’re willing to make the access hole bigger and
trim the harness connector shorter (since the brown and green wires
aren’t needed).
I chose to mount a single speaker centered in the floor. It is an
oval speaker, the Intervox S11X16VNS, ordered from Allied Electronics
catalog, p.1179, p/n 623-2085. This is about the biggest speaker
that will fit. After removing the original board, weight and
protruding plastic, I filled in any gaps in the floor where the
speaker rim was going and drilled as many 1/8th" holes as I could
within the cone area. I glued the speaker with some goop, making
sure that all of the rim was glued. I did not use a baffle, as I
considered the tender shell to be tight enough to serve as baffle.
After mounting the speaker, I stuck weights on top of it.
The path that carries the original three wires under the left-hand
cab chair can accomodate the six decoder harness wires needed by
enlarging the floor hole slightly. The leads are easily long enough
to reach the NMRA eight-pin socket. I used a plu
I’m going to be attempting this over the next few days and was scratching my head. It’s unfortunate that no one (and if they did they don’t advertize it) offers a two part harness that would allow a quick disconnect between tender and loco.
You can “circumsize” Tsunami’s plastic wrap slightly, remove the
harness connector, and chop the ends off it to shorten it to
the six leads you need. Then you should be able to enlarge the
access hole enough without butchering the tender that you can
position the Tsunami right behind the hole and remove/replace the
plug.
I don’t know where to buy a smaller two-piece six-wire harness, but
if anyone does, please advise.