New sound for dcc sound value

[dougnorfolk]

Hi, I have a 52402 Berkshire with dcc sound value. Is there a way to change the sound board? I don't like any of the whistle sounds available. I had a nickel plate version that had a whistle I liked. Is it possible to buy a different sound board?

[trainman203]

You really should replace the limited sound value decoder with a high end decoder like the Tsunami2-2, which has 90 whistles.  There ought to be a few you like there. 

You'll never regret getting a much better decoder. They take a while to get used to, but they replicate every sound that steam engines made, whereas sound value only makes four.  I have ridden in many steam engine cabs over many years, and the difference between low and high end decoders is astounding.

https://soundtraxx.com/content/Reference/Manuals/Tsunami2/Steam-2_Sound_Selections.pdf

https://soundtraxx.com/reference/sound-samples/tsunami2-steam-sounds


I have the tsunami2-2 decoder in probably a couple dozen of my steam engines.  I myself am very particular about steam whistles and their authenticity to the engine they are on.  I can tell you that big modern engines with high boiler pressure like those Berkshires almost never had very high-pitched whistles, they could easily overblow and squeal very unpleasantly.  They usually had deep toned six-chime whistles or steamboat whistles.  The best whistle on that decoder for a nickel plate Berk would probably be whistle number 71, the Nathan six chime, which is pretty close to the whistle I recall on that engine years ago.  But whistle number 38, a Santa Fe six chime mistakenly called a Nathan five chime, is good  for those engines too, nice and mellow and deep toned.

Listen to all those sound samples at leisure.  Like I said, I'm very particular about correct whistles for the railroads I'm interested in, largely the Missouri Pacific.  My personal favorites in those selections are 5, 9, 15, 19, 38, 39, 63, 66, and 76.  See a pattern?  High pitched five chimes for smaller engines, deep toned six chimes for the bigger ones.

If you get one of these decoders, I'd recommend professional installation. It's expensive, but I'm telling you, you will never regret it.