Thanks for the responses.

Steve, I got into the tender shell this morning before work.  The problem was not the capacitors.  I think it is the decoder itself being crammed in with the dcc plug, wiring harness, PCB, and tender wiring.  The end of the the tender with the tabs will not completely close, but it is only 1/8 or 1/16 inch.  It closes fine on the drawbar end with the screw.  There are 3 weights.  I am thinking seriously about removing the top one, and trimming the mounting posts for the PCB a corresponding length.  Has anyone else ran into this problem?  As I mentioned above, the Connie #1359 was no problem, but the PCB's are slightly different.  I don't think there is much difference size wise between the Tsunami and Tsunami 2.

Trainman203, there are a few 5 chime whistles to choose from.  I'm looked at some L&N Mountain photos in Prince's book, but honestly cannot tell what type they are.  I grew up alongside the L&N in southern Illinois, but steam was gone when I was 2 or so.  I do like to be prototype correct when possible.

I went ahead and completed the install.  First thing I discovered was I had the plug backwards!  I corrected it.  The Bachmann 4-8-2 Mountain with the Tsunami 2 is nice. I did not get into programming it beyond changing it to long address and setting up basic configuration.  The sounds are loud and crisp, and the default whistle blasts!  I also noted my NCE Power Pro programming track with PowerPax booster will not read the Tsunami 2, so I had to do that basic programming on the main, which always makes me nervous. 

Thanks again for the help, and further input, especially on the tender, is always welcome!
Gary

Thanks Trainman.  The Tsunami2 2200 steam version I purchased has over 60 whistles, including L&N passenger and L&N freight.

The issue I'm having has to do with those 2 capacitors on the tender PCB that prevents the tender shell from closing all the way on the rear with the decoder plugged in.  I clipped one lead on each capacitor.  What I need to know is, can I totally remove the capacitors so the shell can close.  I did not want to start a new thread on this.  Help, please.

I have the Tsunami2, and TCS 1361 harness into the 8 pin plug-in.  The speaker firing up through the coal load is not a problem.

Thanks,
Gary

I should have said that I clipped one end of each capacitor on the Mountain's circuit board. What I need to know is if I can clip the other ends to totally remove the capacitors.

Thanks

I got delayed on this project due to major family illness.  I got the Tsunami Light Steam version (purchased earlier) installed in the 2-8-0 #1359 shown in the pic quickly with no problem.  By the time I got around to the 4-8-2 Light Mountain, the Tsunami 2 was on the market and I got the 2200 version from Tony's.  I worked on it Saturday and again this evening, and cannot get the tender shell to close all the way.  I did clip the 2 capacitors shown in the lower right corner.  Can I remove these all the way??  I think they are in the way of where the decoder needs to sit.  As I mentioned in the pic, the 2 circuit boards look totally different.

Thanks
Gary

Thanks, Roger.  Appreciated your help in 2008 and appreciate it now.  Sometimes I overthink things.  I'll get the Southern Steam version decoder and do the speaker firing up through the coal load.

Thanks, Hunt.  It's been a long time since I've posted on the forums, let alone tried to add a pic or link.  I discovered my photobucket account had been deleted due to inactivity!

It looks like I would have to totally remove the weights to do the downward firing speaker, thus reducing pulling power.  Has anyone installed sound in this particular tender configuration?  I'm nervous as I totally butchered my first 2-8-0 install several years ago, to the point Bachmann felt sorry for me and sent out a new one with DCC sound.  I have since installed a QSI Revolution in a Atlas RS3, so maybe I'm not totally inept.

The Southern steam decoder sounds like the way to go for the Light Mountain.  I have a Light steam version for the 2-8-0 pictured, just need to do it. 

http://s1075.photobucket.com/user/shawneehawk1/media/IMG_0585_zpsyvgabulu.jpg.html

Hope this worked.  The Light Mountain tender is at the bottom of the photo.

Thanks so much for the links.  After studying the application note shown from Soundtraxx, my tender PCB for the Mountain looks very different from their note, and different even from another 2-8-0 I have.  The Mountain PC board is mostly tan, without much on it compared to the 2-8-0.  It does have the DCC plug however.  This must be an older Light Mountain.  Will the bottom firing speaker still work, or would it be easier to put it under the coal load? 

Hi all,

I just acquired a 4-8-2 Light Mountain, lettered for the L&N, new in the box from a online hobby shop.  I need to get DCC and sound installed in this.  What works best for this particular loco?  A google search and search of this forum turned up little.

Thanks, Gary

I have plugged the Tsunami back in, and the Connie is running good on DCC, except it looks like the pilot is coming into contact with the top of the rails at times.  I may have to try to adjust it up?  Other than this, the Connie runs very smooth.  I found out during this process that my soldering skills need improvement.  Oh well, practice makes perfect, right?

I have recently picked up another Connie, and have had a Russian for 2 or 3 years.  They will both need converted to DCC soon.  Again, thanks to all; this is a really good forum.

I wanted to post a follow up on progress with the Spectrum 2-8-0.  I received the H11408 chassis assembly, but did not get around to it until this evening.  Once it was in place, I tested the Connie on DC and ran it in forward and reverse for 15 minutes each.  It runs very smooth, and there is no stalling or binding.  Tomorrow, I'll put the Tsunami back in; if I've learned anything at all, it is not to overdo it when it's late and I'm tired.  That's how it ended up in the floor the first time.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me, and I'll post my progress.

Jim and ryeguyisme, I appreciate your help and comments.  I've had issues with this Connie since fall of 2008.  After getting the initial problems figured out, the loco fell off the edge of the layout one night when I was working on it too late and too tired.  Then my cats got the mechanism again a few days ago upstairs on the work bench.  I have almost 60 locos and this is the only one that has ever been dropped.  I cannot figure out the binding problem, and have to believe it's a hangover from those 2 trips to the floor.  Fortunately, Bachman still stocks the chassis assembley H11408, so I've ordered it and hopefully the Connie will return to being the fine runner that it once was.  I'll post my progress after the part arrives.

Ryeguyisme, I'd like to hardwire a Tsunami  in and totally bypass the other plug.  I would say that it should be easy, but don't want to jinx myself.  Good old Murphy has been smacking the heck out of me lately.   

I soldered the red and black wires between the loco and tender, and put the loco on my DC portion of the layout to test.  It ran good in forward and reverse.  I then put the Tsunami back in and moved over to DCC.  Again, it ran (and sounded) good in both directions.  Initially.  Then it started stalling, at first briefly, then it stopped running.  I finally was able to determine that there was binding in the mechanism, and traced it to the siderods and crossheads.  I attempted to make some adjustments, but am not sure I got the valve gear positioned correctly.  Correct or not, I did get the Connie running again.  It did good in forward, but stopped again shortly after going into reverse.  I am able to see that the crosshead on one side is coming off the guide.  I don't have the eyes or patience to work on it any more tonight.

I am concerned I may not be able to get the rods/crossheads straightened out on my own.  I don't want to part with the loco as it has my own custom paint and lettering.  So what are my options at this point?  Is this particular mechanism still available?

Jim, I appreciate your reply.  After much searching, I located my digital multimeter and checked for continuity.  I snipped the other end of the plug on the loco and verified that the red wire matched up with the right wheels, and the black wire with the left wheels. 

On the tender, the red wire went to the right wheels on the front truck.  I could get no reading on the black wire and rear truck wheels.  I had earlier installed a Kadee  washer on the back truck, as the screw head is not large enough, and sometimes both the wiper and truck would slip off.  After I removed the washer, I was able to verify continuity between the black wire and the left wheels on the rear truck.  I am going to have to find some other method of keeping the rear truck and wiper on.  Could this have been some of the problem of the Connie starting then stalling?

So in theory, the fix is simple.  I should solder jumper wires between the locomotive and tender.  I will admit that I like the idea of the plug, so that I can remove the tender.  I read some previous threads, and it does seem like a lot of people leave the loco and tender attached.  I will do my soldering later this afternoon or this evening and post my findings.

Thanks again.
Gary 

I might add that this is one of the earlier Spectrum 2-8-0's.  ca. 1999, or at least that's when I bought it new; so it's not one of the later releases with the factory installed Tsunami.  I don't know if that makes any difference or not.  It was a great runner; I installed a Tsunami myself in the fall of 2008, then had a devil of a time with the loco but not the decoder shorting out; there's a lengthy thread on this forum about that.  To make a long story short, I got the Connie running smooth again on DC and DCC.  It returned to it's box and did not run until recently, and again ran erratically.  I was in the process of removing the Tsunami and replacing the jumper plug in the 8 pin socket so I could test it on DC, and that's when the small 2 pin plug pulled loose from the tender, and the pins broke when I tried to reattach it.

Suggestions?  Help, please!