has anyone ever put a sound decoder in a caboose instead of the locomotive on a train? i cant fit one in a loco as im modelling a light ho scale railway with only small 0-6-0 steam and diesal engines, so it would seem better to put one in a caboose as i would only need 1 decoder and there would be more room for a decoder and speaker.maybe i could also have lights on the back of the caboose too? that would be cool.
if this is a good idea can anyone please recommend a type of decoder i should get?
thanks
Which locomotives do you have? Very few are unable to have decoders and speakers in them.
David
If you are sure the decoder cannot be fitted in the tender of the steamers or somewhere in the diesels, it seems like a boxcar would be a better choice than a caboose. If it’s coupled directly behind the loco, at least the sounds will be coming from the vicinity of the engine rather than from the tail end of the train.
This is a pretty old idea. I think I saw it first in the 1970s, using some sound system that was delivered over the rails (might have been PFM or something homebrew).
But since sound is even being delivered in N scale locos, seems like there would be a way to put decoders and speakers in most HO locos.
Jon
Unless your RR usually runs the caboose right next to the engine, you would be better off putting it in a freight car. I think MRC had a sound system a while back that had a sound equipped stock car you could get. Either that, or if you’re in the diesel era, run a powered engine and a dummy together and put the speaker in the dummy.
IHC/AHM has sound in a gon with crates in it - the sound was hooked to the axel to “match” the loco speed. The sound cattle car is from BLI - still available (grandkids love it!)[:D]
CABOOSE-no
HEADEND CAR-possibly
IN THE LOCOMOTIVE-absolutely.
David