I have the S-4 myself. All you need to do is remove the couplers by removing the screws that hold them in place and then you just lift the shell away from the frame.
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Show posts MenuQuote from: jonathan on September 27, 2017, 10:48:38 AM
Bob,
Consolidations run great! as a rule.
The newer consolidations come with DCC on board. So it's simply a matter of pulling the plug on the old decoder and plugging in a DCC/Sound decoder, like a Tsunami.
Also, the newer versions already have a speaker mount in the tender. If memory serves, a 28mm (1") speaker fits.
You will probably have to solder an 8-prong plug to the decoder wires, and solder a speaker to the decoder output wires.
This should be a simple conversion, as conversions go...
Once in a great while, on eBay, one can still find "sound onboard" connies.
Call me biased, but you are starting off with the best all around HO steamer.
Regards,
Jonathan
Quote from: Berkshire81 on July 28, 2017, 01:38:24 AM
Thank you for your help.
This does sound a lot more positive. Its just that I bought the Hornby points and its a lot of money to lose I'd the Berk cant negotiate the curves.
I was actually looking at the Atlas turnouts myself.
You have no issues running DCC Locos over them?
Quote from: jonathan on July 27, 2017, 07:20:31 AM
Welcome B81!
In comparison to other steam locomotives, my Berkshire was quite reliable when moving through turnouts. That being said...
My only experience with Hornby has been their small turnouts that appear to have quite a short divergent rate, something along the lines of a #4 turnout with other brands of track. That would probably be too tight for the berk and too tight for the Mikado. Does Hornby make longer turnouts I am unaware of? If so, you'll want to use the longer turnouts. I use #6 turnouts off the main line and smaller turnouts in the yard areas.
The Berkshire runs reliably on curves with 22 inch radius or larger. Sorry, I don't know the metric equivalent. I think you'll have a tough time keeping the berk on the rails through small turnouts.
Regards,
Jonathan
Quote from: Rickenbacker 325 on May 19, 2017, 01:54:16 PM
Thats great to hear!! Hope to see some more unique roadnames in the future! Maybe some NKP silver and blue cars, or Norfolk Southern to match the full dome.
Quote from: Warflight on April 22, 2017, 04:50:28 AM
Fantastic! I thought about doing that (the holes in the coal) but there is a hole at the front of the tender where the coal would be shoveled, so, once I do sound for it, I plan to experiment. Try a smaller speaker there, and see how that sounds before doing any drilling, or, like you suggested, under the water tank... I'm curious, because of that hole towards the front, and the hard plastic construction of the shell, if maybe the tender itself might act as a sort of baffle for the sound, and give a rich sound from that hole? But, that's going to be half the fun... experimenting, and seeing what I can get from it.
I recently had a bad experience with a cheap decoder, so I'm doing some research into DCC (and I do want to start doing sound on everything I can) so I'll be looking into that Tsunami decoder you mentioned.
Quote from: Warflight on April 06, 2017, 08:54:40 PM
GOOD NEWS! I have it fixed! NOW it's running like a champ, and now I see why so many folks love the 2-8-0 "Connie"! I just had it pull seven heavy cars on the test track, and it's beautiful!
So, my solution was to use some lock-tite on the loose gear, sealing it to the fly wheel (they touch anyway, so why not?) I figured if I was replacing the motor unit anyway, worse case, I ruin a already broken motor unit!
At first, I didn't think it worked... it was still slipping an hour after the repair, but today, I attempted to check it again, and it was sealed tight! (the gear, that is) Seems it just needed to cure over night. Plus, it's quite possible that last night, when I did the repair, I may not have lined everything up proper, as it was rather louder than before, but today, after getting it all put back together, it ran... on the cradle. So I applied some finger pressure to the wheels, and it still ran! So, I got out some q-tips, and some alcohol to clean the drive wheels (it was a bit greasy work, after all, and wanted to make sure they were clean) and oiled the spots that needed lubing (I have some machine oil specifically for plastic... no more "bug juice" for my trains, thanks to the suggestion from Hunt... I'll be buying the specific Bachmann oils this week) Set up the test track along my desk (I run about six feet of test track along the desktop with two 18" curves, a bunch of straights, and a slight incline towards the end) and it ran BEAUTIFULLY!
Then, to test fate, I hooked up six cars... it pulled them... then seven... then realized I didn't have a lot of room left for movement, and cars... but it still pulled them!
I am quite happy with the results.