Installing DCC

[DonLaw]

Any tips, recommendations, advice on how to install DCC control and sound in a HO scale Fairbanks Morse H16-44 Diesel Locomotive. I am going to do this install eventually,  but doing research as to how to do it, best method, and tools or parts needed.  Some have said DCC is a pain in the a-- to install in this model, others have said that it is a simple task.  What is Bachmann's recommendations.

[bapguy]

The hardest part is finding room for the speaker. The motor needs to be isolated from the frame. Take the frame apart, solder a wire to each of the brush contacts, cover this with tape. For the decoder, I would use a Tsunami # 828047. This is a board style. Looking at the parts diagram, it looks like there might be room for a small speaker at the rear of the unit. I have a GP30 that I put sound in. I put in a .63" speaker with a baffle in the rear of the loco where the frame had a step. I don't know if this frame has the same feature. I know MR did a story on putting in a non sound decoder in this unit as part of their Virginian project rr. On this unit, I think the trucks contact the frame halves to get power to the motor. I would see if there was a way to solder wires to the trucks for better pick up.  Joe

[richg]

I did some Google searching for Bachmann Fairbanks Morse H16-44 tsunami install and found a couple people have put the board type Tsunami in that has the FM sound. They put the speaker with a baffle above the rear truck and had to modify the frame a little. Did not find any photod yet. I would recommend doing photos when you do yours. I am sure the MRR community would appreciate it. Many Lone Wolves still do not realize there is a huge community.
I think a 16mm x 35mm oval speaker would fit.
Splitting the chassis and isolating the motor contacts will probably be the toughest part. Watch out for all the parts when you do this.
I did a Proto FM and had to isolate the motor frame with Kapton tape. Much better tape that black electrical. The motor frame halves are in direct contact with the brushes and had to use nylon screws to secure the motor to each frame half. Your mileage may vary. A ohm meter or visual inspection will tell you if your motor is the same. I do not recommend doing "any" DCC work without a multimeter.

Rich

[bapguy]

If you search GP7 sound install  by user bapguy using the search button above, you will see my install on the Bachmann unit that is DCC on board. I milled out a slot for the keep alive caps to fit into. I did a similar slot on the GP30 Bachmann unit as well.  One thing I always do is put a thin piece of plastic on top of the frame to rest the decoder on. Yhis prevents a short and blown decoder. Joe

[MR.PID]

Any tips, recommendations, advice on how to install DCC control and sound in a HO scale Fairbanks Morse H16-44 Diesel Locomotive. I am going to do this install eventually,  but doing research as to how to do it, best method, and tools or parts needed.  Some have said DCC is a pain in the a-- to install in this model, others have said that it is a simple task.  What is Bachmann's recommendations.

try using a soundtraxx tsunami 2 #885016 decoder very easy to install I have done lots of them

[Len]

It can be done, as this video shows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xI_-Vz8iXU

Expand the replies to some of the comments for hints on how it was done.

Len