# The sheer joy of a first successful install!



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

All,

My first experiment at adding sound and DCC motor decoder to a Bachmann Shay was a complete success! I had an old Bachmann Shay that had the old trucks on it and just didn't run well so I decided to tackle it.

I started with modifying the trucks (per many of the tips found here) so that they would support a separate motor pickup from the wheel pickup. While I was modifying the trucks I made the change of putting key lock tumblers in the place of the ball bearings which worked great. I then added the extra wires and feed them back to the coal box.

I then put in a Soundtraxx DSX board (with the sounds for a Shay) and added an NCE 408SR decoder for the lights and motor (both of these were picked up at a train show for about $60 total). Finally I took off the rear and front lights and hooked them up to the decoder. To make programming simple ( yes, I know I could have used a consist but....) I added two micro toggle switches hidden below the coal box and above the trucks. If I want to program each decoder separately I simply turn off power to the other decoder. Cheating way but it works. 

Finally i got the chuff rate to sync ith the motor decoder and all is well! Needless to say that when everything. Was put together finally and it all worked I was ecstatic. I can't wait to retire and do more of this! Thanks for listening.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Perfect... and even though it sounds crude, the separate toggle switches have proved to be very helpful for me. 

Once you get over the hump of the first one, you are raring for more! 

Congrats Rich! 

Greg


----------



## MrDCC (Dec 27, 2007)

Congratulations, Rich. Welcome to the fold! 

A suggestion on dual decoder installations, where decoder locking is not supported by both decoders. 

Program each decoder to a different 2-digit address, but the same long address. Normally run the loco on the long address. When you want to tweak the decoders, set CV29 to 2-digit mode. Then you can consist the two decoder addresses and run them together, but program them on the main independently. When you are done, clear the consist and write CV29 back to its original value in each decoder, using the 2-digit address. Now the loco will run on the long address again! 

Love the switches for use on the programming track! 

A side note, occasionally, I see folks on various lists talk about duel decoder installations. I always get a chuckle!


----------



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Thanks Bruce, 

The dual decoders are because they were cheap, plain and simple! They cost me $60 for both of them so it was worth playing around a little bit, plus I learned a lot more about how two decoders can operate at the same time in the same engine. Thanks for your tip on the dual decoders. For some of my lower end engines I hate to spend over $200 to get a higher end motor and sound decoder that is used in an engine only occasionally. Hence, I am even experimenting with the MRC's (I know the Flash Gordon stories so I am taking precautions). I picked up a bunch of the MRC AD324 (supposedly 8A but...) for $12 each. Now when I add the diodes ($2 for 14 of them, seven each way) to guarantee my reduced voltage (another trick I learned here) they seem to operate just fine. MRC also has a new Sound Decoder for $35 (street price) so for under $50 I can add sound and motor control to a bunch of my low end engines. I do like the cool features of the higher end units but I will put those in when I get my new Accucraft in! (By the way, I don't even have one on order!  ). This was just to put a bunch of engines on the line at low cost. The switches were the way to guarantee I did not have to open the engine back up if I screwed up doing the programming and they were cheap ($1 for both). Now the Shay above I used the better modules of Soundtraxx and a NCE decoder (very safe and solid). What is nice even with the switches I can program on the main as well (with my NCE). Either way this is way too much fun.


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I have some engines I regard the same way--they don't get run that often and when they do it's usually for kids, so I'm always looking for a less expensive alternative. Will you post a review of the MRC unit when it's installed? @import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Good idea on the review, I will.


----------



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Ok, more joy today, my wife said, "Go play with your trains", so ...... Anyway, I actually modified my LGB Mogul to accept DCC. I separated out the motor (I am slowly learning how to disassemble these engines because of the need to put DCC in all of them, another great learning experience in and of itself) and ran an extra plug to the tender for the pickups. I also ran motor (left the flicker box and smoke attached to the motor) leads back via one more four pin connector. The second part of this connector I used to separate out the headlight. 

Now I kept the old sound system in the tender and finished ll of the wiring. I found I could fit the decoder in the top part of the tender (it actually has two layers). After playing around with a few missteps almost everything works. If I wiggle the ribbon Cale the sound will sometimes kick in. His anyone had any experience with this ribbon cable? Thanks


----------



## rreiffer (Jan 14, 2009)

Ok, figured out the issue with the ribbon cable. Over the years of taking it apart from the tender the ribbon cable had broken inside the connector. Simply took apart the six pin compression connector, cut the ribbon cable and recompressed it on the ribbon cable again. Now all is well.


----------

