Sound install in On30 2-6-6-2 articulated

[Kasman727]

Hi all

I received a 2-6-6-2 On30 articulated from a friend as a gift.  The locomotive has no sound, but is DCC and has a 21 pin board with an 8 pin socket connecting the Bachmann decoder to the board.  I would like to put sound in the locomotive.  I know I will have to install a speaker in the speaker housing, but is putting sound onboard as easy as swapping something like a Tsunami TSU-1000 for the factory decoder in the existing 8 pin connector on the PC board?

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Kevin   

[Steve Magee]

Hi Kevin

You can certainly plug a Tsunami in place of the B'mann decoder, and an MRC speaker will fit easily into the cutout for the speaker in the tender base.

But - think outside the square .......

Zimo make the MX645D that already is a 21 pin decoder. Plus it straight onto the board, and the only wires involved are the ones that go from the native board - NOT the decoder - to the speaker. And with the extra space you could fit in a bigger speaker, like the QSI HiBass 1.57" speaker.

Zimo have a list of sound samples on their website (www.zimo.at) just remember to click the English flag at the top. Unless you already speak German, of course :-) and the sound files include a 2-6-6-2 logging mallet - three different varieties. And with all due respect to Tsunami, their motor control is nowhere near as good as the Zimo.

They are a little more expensive, but not appreciably so. A good example can be found at www.mrsonline.com.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Steve Magee
Newcastle NSW Aust

[Kasman727]

I guess my original question still stands:  Can I simply swap out the Bachmann decoder for a Tsunami TSU-1000 decoder with sound in the 8-pin connector on the existing board, and connect up a speaker in the provided housing?

[fm_tx]

I have put a TSU-1000 in the tender of an On30 2-6-6-2.  Yes, you can remove the 8-pin Bachmann decoder in the tender and substitute a Tsunami.  The TSU-1000 does not have the 8-pin plug on it, however you can carefully  trim back the edge of the purple shrink-wrap and change the wiring harness to one that does have the plug.   Just order the harness with the plug at the same time you order the Tsunami & speaker.

If you plan on using the two extra function wires off the TSU-1000 (firebox flicker, cab light, classification lights, etc.) you will need to make your own provision for the wires from the tender to the locomotive as the Bachmann wiring doesn't provide for any "extra" functions.

You will also have to add a speaker and connect the wires from the TSU-1000 to the speaker.   There is a speaker grill molded into the floor of the tender....measure it and get a speaker to fit.

All in all, it is an easy change.

Paul

[Kasman727]

Thanks fm.  That is basically the info I was looking for.  I am now contemplating whether to do an "easy" install as you describe, or pull the entire assembly to get a mega bass speaker in the tender.  I want to try the high bass speaker, but it is 3x the height of the normal speaker, which means I will need to pull the bachmann board and replace it with the Tsunami.  ah... decisions, decisions.

Thanks all for your input.

[rmoench]

i had asked a similar question and got a great reply but it disappeared before I could print it out.  The answer was yes and he even specified the speaker mount to get.  I believe Soundraxx has a special Bachmann page.  Add a \Bachmann on their web address I think.