Hi All --

I'm assuming I can fit the same Economi decoder that's in my pair of 2-8-0 steamers that came with sound in the tender of my 4-6-0 DCC (item 51458 lacks sound) tender but don't know (1) how to open either tender nor (2) what decoder and speaker should go in.  Looks easy but without Xray vision I need help.

Assistance appreciated.   

-- Chuck

Added information:  Decoder Pro indicates the decoder in the tender is a Bachman EZ Command decoder so it's pretty old.  I can get the tender shell off but haven't messed with the boards (plural) or wiring.  Would be nice to find a sound decoder that fits.  I popped the shell off one of my 2-8-0 locos but can't find the information for what decoder is in there.  Tender shells are identical.

Reply mainly to see if there are any other "doodle buggers."

I just purshased a NIB doodle bug last month (Jan '23). Interested in a sound decoder assuming this model keeps running.  I'm unable to remove the body shell to lubricate the gear drive which is noisy and my last doodle bug died a couple years ago due to motor/gear issues..

-- Chuck

Thanks, I've set CV113 to 10 on a trial basis.  So far, so good!

Added:  Got 5 out of 6 fixed.  The 4-6-2 K4 "Sound Value" doesn't want to cooperate and starts breathing hard as soon as the layout if powered on.  CV113 is not documented in the spec sheet for this loco I downloaded from Bachmann.  All the others locos stay mute when the power is switched on until told to do something so it's at least livable.  

More added  :  Located the Econami user's manuals and technical manuals:

https://soundtraxx.com/manuals/econami-digital-sound-decoder

CV 113:Quiet Mode Time-Out Period

-- Chuck

Hi Y'all --

Any CV settings to tell a locomotive to be silent after shutdown until I activate it?

Just started with sound equipped locos in DCC. 

Acting like a 12-year old boy with a VISA card I now have several Bachmann sound equipped locos  Every one of them cranks/steams up as soon as I apply power to my MRC Advance2 DCC system.  All the sound is "deafening" (exaggeration) and confusing.  I've figured out how to reduce the sound levels of individual locos and how to turn them off (silent) one-by-one with F8 but what I'd really like is for them to just "shut up" after shutdown until I ask them to do something.  If I do something stupid like derail and cause a short the sound system in every Bachmann loco fires up again even if they were sitting quietly on a siding.

My only non-Bachmann loco has an XL Systems, Inc. decoder that shuts down and just waits patiently and silently until I wake it.  Loco won't even move until I wake it with F8.  Power reset like my weekly derails doesn't bother it nor does powering down the complete system.

-- Chuck

Hi Y'all --

My Consolidation is quieter than the Atlas track it runs on.  Purchased this month.  I run it around the track to listen to bad rail and switch joints (layout is still under very basic construction).  I don't have a lot of locos to compare it to though. 

Sorry I can't answer the implied question "How do I make the loco quieter?"

-- Chuck

Thanks.

The couple is frame mounted on both.  Will the truck mounted coupler fit under the frame/

-- Chuck

Adding on with a question:

I bought an Atlas and a MRC caboose but they have Rapido couplers.  I note Bachmann sells replacements.  But they come in at least three (3) sizes.  What or how do I select the right substitutes?

Atlas?
MRC?

Thanks,

-- Chuck

What are the current Bachmann couplers?  I have a couple of cabooses with Rapido couplers that just sit here 'cuz none of my cars will couple to them.

-- Chuck

Thanks, the 89563 tender is a Spectrum so I'm hoping the DCC decoder from the road tender will fit in that shell.  I'm going to have to get one of the magnifiers with the light.  My last trains (years ago) were HO and gigantic in comparison!  I won't be swapping tenders until I get some trains running reliably.

My current steam engines are Pennsylvania.  Marked, anyway, I have no clue how accurate Bachmann is to the prototypes.  I'm not a pipe or rivet counter, just want to run some trains on rainy Saturdays. The South Shore Line will forgive me I'm sure. 

The South Shore has/had interchanges with all the major railroads in Cleveland and while mainly moving raw materials for the steel mills also handled general freight for several industries on all seven (7) miles of it's trackage.  I expect my mini model will have guest trains from all of them.  The South Shore is reincarnated at present with even more reduced trackage.  The Cleveland trolley car barns were on the SS right of way as well.

I'm pretty much going to stick with Bachmann, at least for now.  Their engines and rolling stock seem to work well together around my single test loop of K-track.

-- Chuck

Hi ya'all.  First message.  I tried the "search" function but...

I have a Bachmann  2-6-0 DCC loco with a "road" tender (51751) and would like to replace the tender with a "yard" tender (to represent Newburgh & South Shore practice).

My miniscule knowledge here indicates the DCC decoder is in the tender and connects to the engine with several wires.  Anyone know if I can swap the electronics in the road tender to the slope back tender (89653)? 

Any tips on removing the tender shells?  I'm not seeing any screws on the bottom of these tiny tenders.

Would like to represent this look which ran on the South Shore up to about 1935.  I know my loco is an Alco and this South Shore Line is a Baldwin.



-- Chuck