# RC Board Identification



## David P (24 d ago)

Hello,

new to this forum (currently modelling in 1:48 scale and firing/driving full size steam & diesel on a heritage railway in Australia).

I've acquired a Bachmann 3 Truck Shay in very poor state and apart from none of the electronics being connected it contained three boards in the bunker, one of which appears to be a RC receiver.

Wondered if anyone could identify the boards from the photos below?

First board with power input and output to motor:











2nd board (RC receiver?) piggybacked on to the board above:










Third board:











Any assistance would be appreciated - if I can identify and track down documentation I can then decide if I utilise them as part of a RC / Battery setup or just start from scratch.

The Shay will eventually be weathered and detailed in a similar fashion to my 1:48 work:










Cheers,

*David Price*

bellarinerailway.com.au
bellarinerailway.com.au/our-trains/

*+61 417 223 130

The Bellarine Railway (ABN 72 004 819 130) is operated by the Geelong Steam Preservation Society (ACN 004 819 130)*


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

2nd board is Crest (Now revolution electronics) Revolution receiver. 1st board is adapter to connect to pins, last board is a Phoenix sound card.

You did not get the transmitter? Hmm...






Train Engineer Revolution


Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers




elmassian.com





Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Hi Greg,

thanks for your prompt reply.

no - didn't get the transmitter - are they still available and are they any good? Also is the Phoenix sound card worth using?

I'm setting up a Garden Railway Supplies K1 Garratt with an Airwire RC system and a LokSound 5XL sound decoder (I've pretty much standardised on ESU for my 1:48 work as I can load specific sound files to suit the loco).

Debating on weather I just start from scratch with the Shay as it has no Bachmann electronics - just a whole lot of chopped wires that weren't even connected to the boards.


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## David P (24 d ago)

whether


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## piercedandan (9 mo ago)

I would stay with the electronics you already know and sell the revo and Phoenix units to off the cost of the new parts and you already have the transmitter you use on the Garret. So just get the airwire receiver and Loksound board.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Still available, still good, and many people use the Revolution system.

You can buy the transmitter by itself.

Did you read my link? There is a wealth of information there.

Here is the manufacturers site: (create a login to get manuals)



https://www.revoelectronics.com/



And here is where you can buy also:


https://www.rldhobbies.com/crestelectronics-2.aspx



Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Hi Greg,

have downloaded the manuals for the Revolution system and just trying to confirm with both Revolution and Phoenix the specifics of the bits I have.

However I may decide to sell the components and stick with the Airwire/ESU combination I have as per "piercedandan's" post - partly to just stay with one throttle but also as I know I can customise ESU sound files (ie: different whistles, pump sounds, etc.) using the Lokprogrammer.

This will definitely be the case if I cannot program the Phoenix card (I tried Digitrax with a couple of 1:48 locos a couple of years ago - sounds were horrible and programming was limited so I moved them on).

dp


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

The Phoenix sound is great. If you decide to sell your equipment you should not have too much trouble finding a buyer.

Remember that the Revolution receiver you have is the original model without sound.

Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Thanks Greg,

wouldn't be keeping the Revolution system if selling the Phoenix - probably best to sell it as a complete lot?

NB: as I haven't powered up the system (bit hard when it is just loose in the bunker with cut wires) - what sound options does it provide for a three cylinder Shay?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

www.phoenixsound.com/library/am_steam/3shay.htm

Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Thanks Greg,

comparing with headphones I suspect the ESU sound file is more comprehensive in its options: LokSound 5 North American and Australian Sound files - ESU

(the ESU exhaust beat sounds more like the Dixiana I drove at Roaring Camp and the #10 at Yosemite Mountain).

I'll get the sound system working if I can (without a throttle?) with a known speaker and test the Phoenix before I make a decision.

I think the board is a Phoenix Bigsound PB17 - looks like I would have to buy the computer interface to program the sounds but reading so far I'm not sure if it will also play sounds without a throttle.

I'm running the ESU file in two 1:48 2-cylinder Shays at present and am reasonably happy with the results. If we ever get the ex Taiwanese Shay at Puffing Billy running I'll record its sounds: Number 14 - Shay Locomotive (Builder’s Number 2549), 22 June 1912

(early plans are in place to get it restored to join the last Climax built - Climax - Geared Steam Locomotive No. 1694, 1928)


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There is little programmability in Phoenix, it's an old product and limited in its customization, basically been that same produce with newer components for 20 years.

Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Thanks Greg,

that's what I've gathered with reading so far - will likely go the Airwire/ESU 5XL route as I'm doing with the GRS K1 Garratt (which is all working outside of the locomotive before I finish building it - speaker will go in the firebox and the battery in the boiler).

Probably makes sense just to use the one system as I am starting from scratch in this scale - bought the Shay basically at a very low price as it had been badly looked after physically (broken universal, missing bits, etc.) as I will be customising and weathering it in s similar fashion to my 1:48 work.

Thanks for your assistance!

Cheers,


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## David P (24 d ago)

As an aside did the Bachmann Three-Truck Shays come with a written manual or only a VHS video? I cannot find a PDF for the Three-Trucker, only the Two.

Would like a circuit diagram to make sense of the colour coding of the wires before I start chasing them with a multi-meter.

As I've said previously just about every wire is cut-off with loose ends in the bunker.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Should be exploded diagram on the Botchmann site, last few pages are wiring diagram. if you cannot find it there email me.

Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Hi Greg,

found the circuit diagram in the parts PDF (was expecting it as a separate document and other locomotives have multiple links to the different parts sections).

Like your spelling of Bachmann....... 😁


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, Botchmann, Aristo-Crap, there are many ha ha.

Trust no schematic from Bachmann, I have found several locos that did not match the schematic, so verify with a meter.

Later locos are better, especially ones that have a socket.

If you get stuck, post here or email me.

Greg


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## David P (24 d ago)

Hi Greg,

No plans to trust the schematic - just use it as a starting point and check all contacts with a Fluke meter (spent 40 years on and off designing and supervising installation of Film & Television video, audio and network systems so familiar with what to look for).

And as for a socket - forget it! Whoever the butcher was that did the "installation"of the so-called RC system had no idea! Boards were loose in the bunker, there are no Bachmann boards and the wiring is all un-terminated and floating loose.

Bought it cheap as it looked rough on the outside but the (commercial) seller claimed it had a complete radio control system. Got a partial refund as it had no battery or hand-herld unit and nothing was connected.

Will be a total rebuild before it is on the tracks - I also have a cheap buy Bachmann Climax but it is New Old Stock still in its box.

Contemplating making it a three trucker to give me plenty of room for a large battery and the electronics.

Cheers,


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