How I make my locos run quietly on EZ-Track.

[Desert Rose]

I like operating in a big 45 x 15+ room with no windows, with stairs going down in the middle of the plywood floor.  I like to run heavy trains on HO scale E-Z Track, No.1 main four Bachmann DD40AX with eight motors pulling 60 to 100 cars with Intermountain 33" Metal Wheel sets at 100 smph.  No.2 main four Bachmann DD40AX with eight motors pulling 60 to 100 cars with Intermountain 33" Metal Wheel sets at 101 smph going the opposite direction on 170 feet of E-Z Track with supper elevated curves, it gets so loud it hurts my ears. Unfortunately, when metal wheel set were introduced, the metal wheel sets on metal rails produced a high pitched frequency in the E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed which is very unpleasant to listen to. You have to wear ear plugs with a noise canceling headset.
     
Due to the fact that the material in the HO scale E-Z track molded plastic roadbed has approximately a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of 0.00, the best that can be done is mask the noise.

DDA40X/E-Z Track sound dampening.
Woodland scenics O scale track-bed ST1476 directly placed on the ply wood floor, the modified HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed drilled with No.# 25 holes in the road bed. This is done to remove the high pitch sound and keep the low pitch sound.



DDA40X/E-Z Track sound dampening test 02, rolling stock with engine sound muted.
Woodland Scenics O scale track-bed ST1476 directly placed on the ply wood floor, the modified HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed is drilled with alternating No.# 25 holes in the road bed. This is done to remove the high pitch sound and keep the low pitch sound. With engines sounds muted, you can hear sound levels of the wheel sets on the rails. Rolling stock modifications:

Accurail Roller Bearing Trucks P/N: 165.
Intermountain 33" Metal Wheelsets P/N: W40050.

The train runs up from step 0 to step 28 on the first lap. On the second lap the train maintains 101 scale miles per hour (smph). On the third lap the train coasts down from step 28 to 0.

I was surprised this brought down the noise of the rolling stock to where you could have a normal conversation with the trains running in the background, it does not hurt your ears anymore. No more ear plugs, no more noise canceling headsets, however the engines are really loud now.

Adjusting DD40AX sound levels:

We took each consist of four Bachmann DD40AX Sound Value Equipped Prime Movers and adjusted the CV's

Engine No.1:

CV33 F0(f) Output Location to a value of 01.
CV34 F0(r) Output Location to a value of 02.
CV115 Horn Selection to a value of 02. (Leslie RS5T)
CV130 Bell Volume Control to a value of 64. 
CV131 Exhaust Volume Control to a value of 70.
CV133 Dynamic Brake Volume Control to a value of 150.

Engine No.2, No.3, No.4:

CV33 F0(f) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV34 F0(r) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV115 Horn Selection to a value of 02. (Leslie RS5T)
CV129 Horn Volume to a value of 00.
CV130 Bell Volume Control to a value of 00.
CV133 Dynamic Brake Volume Control to a value of 150.

The DD40AX Engines No.1, No.2, No.3, No.4 are placed on the programing track he sets the CV2 start voltage to a value of 00 on all of them at the same time. He sets the CV5 Vmax to a value of 00 on all of them at the same time.
The DD40AX Engines No.1, No.2, No.3, No.4 are placed on the main line with 60 89 foot TOFC flat cars in tow, at step 1 the DD40AX's are pulling the 60 89 foot TOFC flat cars smoothly, he takes the consist of 4 DD40AX's pulling 60 89foot TOFC flat cars up to step 28.

DDA40X/E-Z Track sound dampening test 03, rolling stock with engine sound.
Adjusting Bachmann DD40AX sound levels: Woodland Scenics O scale track-bed ST1476 directly placed on the ply wood floor, the modified HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed is drilled with alternating No.# 25 holes in the road bed. This is done to remove the high pitch sound and keep the low pitch sound. With engines sounds on, the train runs up from step 0 to step 28 on the first lap. On the second lap the train maintains 101 scale miles per hour (smph). On the third lap the train coasts down from step 28 to 0.

DDA40X/E-Z Track sound dampening test 04, Fast forty sandwich.
Adjusting Bachmann DD40AX Sound Value Equipped Prime Movers sound levels for a Fast forty sandwich: Woodland Scenics O scale track-bed ST1476 directly placed on the ply wood floor, the modified HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed is drilled with alternating No.# 25 holes in the road bed. This is done to remove the high pitch sound and keep the low pitch sound. With engines sounds on, CVs set to:

Engine No.1:

CV33 F0(f) Output Location to a value of 01.
CV34 F0(r) Output Location to a value of 02.
CV115 Horn Selection to a value of 02. (Leslie RS5T)
CV130 Bell Volume Control to a value of 64.
CV133 Dynamic Brake Volume Control to a value of 150.

Bachmann SD40-2 Engine No.2:

NCE BACH-DSL Decoder P/N: 05240139

CV5 V max to a value of 00
CV33 F0(f) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV34 F0(r) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV116 torque kick rate to a value of 2.
CV117 torque kick strength to a value of 12.
CV2 start voltage to a value of 98

Bachmann DD40AX Engine No.3:

CV33 F0(f) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV34 F0(r) Output Location to a value of 00.
CV115 Horn Selection to a value of 02. (Leslie RS5T)
CV129 Horn Selection to a value of 00.
CV130 Bell Volume Control to a value of 00. 
CV133 Dynamic Brake Volume Control to a value of 150.

The DD40AX Engines No.1, No.3 are placed on the programing track. CV2 start voltage to a value of 00 on all of them at the same time. CV5 Vmax to a value of 00 on all of them at the same time.

The train runs at step 28 maintaining 103 scale miles per hour (smph).

Now the Engines are sounding quite nice, however the four Bachmann 5 Amp boosters have annoyingly loud cooling fans.
       
We installed a Noctua NF-A6x25 Premium fan with Flow Acceleration Channels mounted on Anti-Vibration Mounts running at 1600 rpm in each booster.



Now the 5 Amp boosters are sounding quite nice, you can't really hear the boosters running anymore and the trains sound like the real ones zipping along.

For future layout applications:
HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed drilled with No.# 25 holes, will sit on a Woodland scenics O scale track-bed ST1476 track-bed.
For train yards the HO scale E-Z Track molded plastic roadbed drilled with No.# 25 holes, will sit on a Woodland scenics ST1477 track-bed super sheet.
The E-Z Track and track-bed sits on Homasote® 440 sound barrier for best sound dampening.



NOTE: The DD40AX sound value decoder CVs can be quickly reset to their factory default values using the following procedure.
1. Place the locomotive on a powered section of track. Program CV 30 to 2 (or CV 8 to 8) using either Service Mode or Operations Mode.
2. Cycle power to the decoder by turning power to the track off and then back on.
3. After power is restored to the track, there should be no indication of activity other than the power LED turning on for a period of 6 seconds. If sound comes on immediately upon restoring power, the
    decoder did not reset. Repeat steps 1 and 2. (Bachmann DD40AX Sound Value decoders do not have a power LED).
4. Once the 6-second period has elapsed, the sound should come on and the headlight, backup light will blink 16 times indicating that the CVs were successfully reset.
5. Tsunami sound value decoder should now respond to short address 3 just as it did when it was new.