Bachmann "DCC Ready" locomotives

[OkieRick]

Another Steam Question...

The locomotive in question is a Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-0 Russian Decapod - Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis® #953 (with cap stack).  It is "DCC Ready."  I had my Russian tender taken apart to see what "ready" looks like.  There was a PCB with an 8-pin socket with a male 8-pin plug occupying it.  The plug has 6 pins - some pins soldered to others.  I'm wondering...does all this locomotive need to becomes DCC is a DCC decoder?

bad photo but...




And after becoming DCC is it a Sound decoder away from having sound and DCC?

thanks-
Okie Rick

[Yampa Bob]

The small board with 6 pins is a shorting plug (dummy plug) which enables the locomotive to operate on DC power.

1.  For DCC...replace the dummy plug with a Bachmann decoder that has an NMRA 8 pin plug attached, and you're set to go with DCC. No modifications should be required on the circuit board.

2.  For DCC with Sound...replace the dummy plug with a Soundtraxx Tsunami sound decoder. Remember from my other post that this requires the adapter harness to go from the JST 9 pin plug on the decoder, to an 8 pin plug to attach to the circuit board. When using the Tsunami, it may be necessary to clip one end of the large orange capacitor from the board for proper speed control.  Try the decoder first, if it works ok, don't cut anything.  If speed control is erratic, then the capacitor has to be clipped.

NOTE:  Looking at the picture and exploded diagram, there might not be enough room for the 1000 series, you might do some measuring and consider the smaller TSU-750 if required.

I have been told that the Tsunami decoder is compatible with Bachmann's noise suppression circuitry without clipping the capacitor, but have not yet confirmed this by actual experience.

You don't need 2 decoders, one or the other. If you want sound now, skip step one and use step two above.

However, and this is entirely up to you, but frankly Rick, until you obtain your EZ Command controller to really enjoy sound, I suggest you put a non sound Bachmann decoder in your Decapod for the time being.  Cost is about $20, and if you do add sound later, it doesn't hurt to have a spare regular decoder on hand just in case.

By comparison adding a Tsunami now will cost about $120. 

Your 2-10-2 Light has a Bachmann decoder already installed, you can remove the shell, unplug the decoder and plug it into your Decapod to try it out.  The 8 pin plug can be installed two ways, one is correct the other is incorrect.  Look for a number "1" on the 8 pin socket on the circuit board.  The male pin that has the orange wire must align with the number 1 socket.  If you get it backward, no damage will occur, simply turn the plug 180 degrees and reinsert.

This will give you some practical experience, and increase your confidence as well. First time decoder installs can be a bit intimidating but after you do one, the rest are much easier.

[Tom McDonald]

Rick,
Just an addendum to Bob's comments,  If you plan to install a sound decoder, your locomotive may need a speaker installed as well.  If the decopod tender does not have a factory installed speaker, you can pick one up where you purchase the sound decoder.  The soundtraxx Tsunami has 2 purple wires coming out of the decoder on the opposite end of the 9 pin JST plug (the plug that connects to the NMRA 8 pin plug into the decoder),  connect them to your speaker.  The tan wire is for using an optional sychonized chuff reed switch.  Based upon looking at your picture of the tender, you could mount the speaker below the coal load in the tender's shell.  Drill some small holes in the coal load for the sound to pass through.

Either way you decide to go, good luck with your install.

Tom

[trainmaster971]

I am in the process of adding sound to my "Stealth" locos so I took the shell off the tender of my decapod to see if I could install a sound module in it. There is not enough space to install the module and speaker.  The top of the installed circuit board is about 1/2" above the floor which leaves less than a 1/2" space to the tender top. Another problem is the light tower in the rear portion and the shell fastening post location in the front cuts the useable space to that of the existing board for module and speaker.

[Yampa Bob]

The Tsunami 1000 series is only 1.68" long X .25" thick. Look to see if the circuit board can be lowered by trimming the mounting posts.

As Tom mentioned, the speaker can go under the coal load.

The other option is to use the TSU-750 Micro Tsunami. It only comes with pigtail leads, either hard wire or solder on an 8 pin plug.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/index.php?p=750.php

[trainmaster971]

The circuit board can be lowered about 1/8" before the components hit the weight. A module would be a tight fit with the board where it is now. However, the speaker can not go under the coal load as that is where the post to fasten the shell to the base is.  The semi-circle at the front of the board is where the post aligns. Does anyone supply a jumper that has 8-pin plugs on both ends (female/male)?  The speaker would fit if the board is lowered but the module would have to be located in a following freight car. Might make for an interesting project.

[Yampa Bob]

Carefully pry out the coal load, there should be space between the coal load and the tender top (where the post is) for a speaker.

I would probably just remove the circuit board and hard wire the decoder, but that's up to you.  Without the board, and by raising the weights, the speaker could be mounted on the tender floor.

Sometimes it all comes down to doing whatever it takes to do the install, including gutting out the tender and starting from scratch.

[trainmaster971]

I thought about removing the weight and lowering the circuit board all the way down. There would not be any metal for it to short out on. Then install a module and the speaker which are about as heavy as the weight. If needed a few stick on lead weights could be applied near the ends.

[Yampa Bob]

Sounds good, and as I said, whatever it takes.  I have "gutted" several tenders, usually to chop them down shorter, then re-arrange the components.

I assume you have the Bachmann Decapod, looking at the exploded diagram and Rick's picture, there isn't much room but I'm sure the install is possible.

Rick.
Hope you've been reading the latest posts, you may have to use the smaller TSU-750 sound decoder, due to lack of room.  You have to decide which decoder you want, then decide how to modify the tender to make it fit..or..choose the decoder that fits the best for the existing room and work around it.

Having a tender that is not "sound ready" just requires some extra planning and decision making, but please don't let it discourage you.

Good luck.

[trainmaster971]

Just thought of one other thing.  I will have to drill holes under the speaker in the front floor area of the tender.

[Tom McDonald]

You should have to drill holes through the coal load only.  The floor area and the surrounding space will form a sound chamber for the speaker. Make sure the speaker has some air space as it needs movement to properly operate.

Tom

[OkieRick]

I planned on trying the 2-10-2 DCC decoder in the Russian Decapod.  I'm not flush enough to afford the 2nd Tsunami right yet and am hoping the Bachmann DCC board works in the Russian.  I ordered 2x of the Digitrax harness and speakers asking for one "they" at Caboose Hobbies thought would fit in a 2-10-0 Russian.  Roger talked to me quite a bit.

The Russian tender innards to be fit with pulled DCC from 2-10-2 then at some later point to be Tsunami-ized.






Thanks folks-
Rick...waithing on a UPS man...or woman.

[Yampa Bob]

I'm glad Roger was in today to take care of you. He has been a big help to me in getting set up with sound.  Whenever I visit the store, he always takes time to visit and answer my questions.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

[SteamGene]

In equiping a steam loco tender for sound, if the speaker is under the coal load it is necessary to drill many TINY holes in the load.  With a Dremel, this is no problem at all.  You also need to drill a hole big enough to get the speaker wires txo speaker and decoder.  I normally drill my hole in the slopesheet. 
Gene

[Stephen D. Richards]

Just FYI, but this past week I managed to install a NCE D13SR JST plug decoder in a Bachmann 2-8-0 Tender and still had more than enough room for the speaker under the coal load.  A sound decoder would not be much if any bigger than the D13SR.  I also installed the wiring harness for conversion to the NMRA 8 pin.  It was the long version.  When I finished I couldn't believe I got all that wire in the tender!  lol  Stephen