# LGB Sound 65001 to Starter 72426



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

Hello, I’m new to model trains and have been trying to outfit my LGB starter train (72426) with sound from sound module (65001). In order to get power from the track for the sound module I had to order ball baring wheels (67403) as the starter tender does not have a plug. I’ve successfully wired the sound module with ball baring wheels, but sound is hit or miss. The sound module should start when low voltage is sensed but takes the train going mid speed before it even starts (usually around speed 3 on dial) making noise. Also the whistle will only blow sometimes and the chugging noises will turn off and on like it’s resetting the noise over and over. Also the sound module Is suppose to make braking noises as it slows and also say “all aboard” at start - I can’t get either of these sounds to work. The wiring is not loose. Is it possible the track and starter controller is not supplying enough power to keep sound unit playing and play all available sounds? Any help or ideas would be really appreciated. Thank you!


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Need to know the power supply sped such as voltage output, amps and VA rating.
Some sets came with a 16 volt power pack and these do not perform well.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

Thanks for your reply Dan. The box says it’s 120V. The control is a Franz Steger (50175). On the control is says 20V AC under input and 0-20V DC=1A under the train icon which I assume is the output. Would this not be enough power to properly operate sound module?


----------



## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

*LGB Steam Sound Module*



Butterz043 said:


> Hello, I’m new to model trains and have been trying to outfit my LGB starter train (72426) with sound from sound module (65001). In order to get power from the track for the sound module I had to order ball baring wheels (67403) as the starter tender does not have a plug. I’ve successfully wired the sound module with ball baring wheels, but sound is hit or miss. The sound module should start when low voltage is sensed but takes the train going mid speed before it even starts (usually around speed 3 on dial) making noise. Also the whistle will only blow sometimes and the chugging noises will turn off and on like it’s resetting the noise over and over. Also the sound module Is suppose to make braking noises as it slows and also say “all aboard” at start - I can’t get either of these sounds to work. The wiring is not loose. Is it possible the track and starter controller is not supplying enough power to keep sound unit playing and play all available sounds? Any help or ideas would be really appreciated. Thank you!


Hi Butterz - I've installed several of these LGB sound units in LGB locomotives but they're designed and work best under DCC/Digital power instead of the DC/Analog power you operate under. The problem is that don't get enough voltage to start at the same time as the locomotive. Also, if you're only using one set of LGB ball bearing wheels, there's going to be intermittant current lapses to the sound unit........you need to install a second set of ball bearing wheels, wire them in parallel with each other (so the polarity matches) and then you'll get more consistent current from the tracks to the sound unit. 

You also won't get the feature "all aboard" on DC current, only DCC. To help with the lack of power at low voltage (when the loco first starts) you can buy the LGB 65011 Sound Unit Power Storage ($71 at OnlyTrains.com) that's like a rechargable battery that connects to the sound unit........after it's charged up after running the engine for a while, it will power the sound unit a few seconds with steam sound after the locomotive stops, or when the loco restarts slowly at low voltage power. Another feature you can connect onto this LGB sound unit is an LGB 65012 Sound Unit Function Trigger ( $18 at OnlyTrains.com) to activate the whistle and the bell sounds when you travel over a magnet affixed to the track ties (right side = whistle; left side = bell). See the photo below......you can buy a small pack of magnets at Michaels or some hardware stores and use removable poster tac to affix them to your track ties. I assume you have the sound unit placed inside a trailing car, so there will be space for the LGB 65011 Sound Unit Power Storage unit there too.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

Thank you! I think I will definetly look into the sound trigger and affix the magnets as you suggested. 

As for wiring a second set of ball bearing wheels...when I ordered the wheels it came with two but I only have one axle wired. If I were to wire that 2nd wheel the same way it could help with the sound cutting out? I have extra power pick up plugs but not enough wire to wire the 2nd seat of wheels unless I cut my existing wire in half. Do you know if this wire can be purchased elsewhere and know the specifications? Can the pick up plugs I have be easily installed onto new wire or existing if I cut?


----------



## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

*Ball Bearing Wheels*



Butterz043 said:


> Thank you! I think I will definetly look into the sound trigger and affix the magnets as you suggested.
> 
> As for wiring a second set of ball bearing wheels...when I ordered the wheels it came with two but I only have one axle wired. If I were to wire that 2nd wheel the same way it could help with the sound cutting out? I have extra power pick up plugs but not enough wire to wire the 2nd seat of wheels unless I cut my existing wire in half. Do you know if this wire can be purchased elsewhere and know the specifications? Can the pick up plugs I have be easily installed onto new wire or existing if I cut?


Butterz - When you only use on axle with electrical pickup shoes, there's only one electrical pickup point on each side of the track powering the sound unit. Locomotives usually have 3 - 4 on each side to ensure good electrical connectivity to the motor, lights, etc. That's why most LGB locomotives have slider "shoes" on each side as added electrical pick up points from the track. The track will always have some dirty spots or rail joints or switch plastic frogs where there's not current, thus the more pickup points the better to ensure a continuous flow of volts to the locomotive or sound unit. Just one axle won't hack it just as you're experiencing. 

I don't fully understand your wiring connection approach or questions but it's easy to add more wire to existing wires by soldering them together and using either electrical tape around the solder joints or heat shrink tubes. Any hobby store will have model trains wire, or you can order it from most online large g scale hobby shops.........but actually for this purpose you could use small gauge stereo speaker wire available at HomeDepot etc. The ball bearing wheels with electrical pickup pins are LGB # 67403 (UplandTrains.com price is $35 which is good)........they come two each in a packet so I don't know how you ended up with only one unit? Okay, I reread your posting, you did get two each ball bearing wheels, so you only need to install the second set and wire them together in parallel to keep the connectivity the same on each set of wires from the two wheel sets.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

How are the pick up pins added to the new wire? Can they be crimped or must they be soldered?


----------



## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

Butterz043 said:


> How are the pick up pins added to the new wire? Can they be crimped or must they be soldered?


It's best to solder them but you might get by with using plyers to crimp them.........strip double the normal length of wire and then bend the wire so it's double thick.......to get a better "bite" on the wire to crimp.


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

I only use heat shrink as tape ages and dries out and unravels. Also heat shrink prevents moisture from getting to the solder joint.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

Update: I purchased some speaker wire and have wired the 2nd set of ball bearing wheels but when I put power to the track the tender goes extremely slow even at full power. It’s like all the volts are being sucked up by the ball bearing wheels. When I take the car with the wired sound module off the tender runs perfectly. I have attempted wiring two different ways: two wires from the two wheel bearings connecting the wires that match the same side of the track, and also wired it with the wheel sets together - two wires from one wheel set, two wires from the other wheel set. Both wiring ways result in this slow speed. The only difference I can tell is the speaker wire I bought is definetly thicker than the wire that came with the sound module. Would anyone know what gauge wire that would be? I bought 18 gauge as it was the smallest width I could find at the store I was at. Thank you!


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Assuming you have just LGB units: (Other manufacturers have motors that consume more power than LGB motors.)



If you have an engine and tender with power plus the sound module then 1 amp is pushing the limits of your power unit. If engine has 2 motors then you are over 1 amp with a powered tender.

2 amps or even more would be much better.
Engines can have motor/light/s, and smoke plus tender has a motor.
Sound unit with just the powered tender should run OK on 1 amp.


----------



## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

Butterz - Dan's conclusions that your existing 1 amp DC power doesn't have enough amps for your situation are spot on. You need to buy a replacement power supply, as Dan indicates, 2 - 5 amps. There are used ones for sale on eBay and some of the online stores like OnlyTrains.com and Pizzatrains.com also carry good condition used ones. I noted that Pizzatrains.com has a used LGB 50111 6 amp AC transformer for sale and then you'd need to buy an LGB 51070 or 51071 Controller that converts the AC current to DC current.......these controllers can also work on a DC transformer. There are also used LGB 5006 2 amp DC transformers sometimes available; you'd need an LGB 5007 DC only controller, or you could use one of the newer LGB controllers already mentioned that work on either AC or DC transformers. Piko also has very good quality transformers and controllers, such as the Piko 35002 Analog Throttle 22v/5 amp (DC or AC input) and Piko 35024 Transformer 24v/5A. Just some ideas for you.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

So wiring a 2nd wheel bearing with proper wire wouldn’t help? It is still only the engine and sound module that I am powering I just would like to install a 2nd wheel bearing to get more consistent sound


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

A second wheel power pick up will help and a cable joining the sound car and engine together will also help both units run smoother. I do this to all my engines.


----------



## Butterz043 (Dec 12, 2018)

I’m confused...I tried to wire the 2nd set of wheels and the train didn’t function properly (ran extremely slow). Is that because I don’t have sufficient amps or because I was using too heavy gauge wire? As I’ve posted above, the speaker wire I used to wire the 2nd wheels was thicker than other wire that came with the sound unit. I’m not sure if my issues stem from the wire’s gauge, how I had it wired to sound unit , or I don’t have sufficient amps. Thoughts? I’m only trying to use one engine, and one sound unit preferably tied to two wheel bearings so hard to believe that would need more than 1 amp. Thank you for inputs!


----------



## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

More likely the wires need to be reversed on one end. Sounds like a short to me.


----------



## LGB333$$$$ (Oct 11, 2017)

Butterz043 said:


> I’m confused...I tried to wire the 2nd set of wheels and the train didn’t function properly (ran extremely slow). Is that because I don’t have sufficient amps or because I was using too heavy gauge wire? As I’ve posted above, the speaker wire I used to wire the 2nd wheels was thicker than other wire that came with the sound unit. I’m not sure if my issues stem from the wire’s gauge, how I had it wired to sound unit , or I don’t have sufficient amps. Thoughts? I’m only trying to use one engine, and one sound unit preferably tied to two wheel bearings so hard to believe that would need more than 1 amp. Thank you for inputs!


Yes, your 1 amp power supply is probably sufficient with only the locomotive and sound unit operating.......if you also had a motorized tender or tried to use a two motor locomotive, the 1 amp would be overloaded. So, I also think it sounds like you have a short someplace on your sound unit wiring. Anyplace where the positive (+) and negative (-) polarity of the wiring touch, even one wire strand, can cause a short........the motor doesn't operate properly, the headlight is dim, the sound unit also impacted. I recently found an LGB ball bearing wheel was electrically defective causing a short. I was installing a Massoth LED lighting strip into an LGB passenger car and couldn't figure out why the power wasn't getting to the LEDs. I finally tested both ball bearing wheel sets and discovered one wheel was shorting out the set up. If you bought brand new LGB ball bearing wheel sets they should be okay, mine was a used one from my spares. Also be sure the two power wires that connect to the LGB sound unit have NO wire strands touching each other (+) and (-). I "tin" the ends of all wires connected to any circuit board to ensure there's solid connectivity. You should buy a simple soldering iron available at hardware stores, Michaels hobby supply, Hobby Lobby, etc, available for just a few dollars, to properly splice wires, tin connecting wires, etc. This will save yourself a lot of frustration you're now encountering.

The larger speaker wire will not cause a short, but without soldering the wires or tinning the ends, you can get stray strands touching something that can cause a short.

You can also use a simple electrical light bulb continuity tester like I have to check wires. For example, I discovered one of my soldering of a push pin connector was defective and found it using this simple connectivity tester. The photo shows one I use which was taken off a replacement LGB motor block.


----------

