# Piko BR 218



## arthur (Dec 27, 2007)

Hello to all. I saw a you tube video of one of these with all the bells and whistles. Can't believe I said that! It looks pretty good. Our local train shop is starting to bring Piko in, but not yet much in the way of G gauge. Right now I am on DC. If I got one of these with sound, what would I hear. Without the DCC, am I going to be disappointed. Thankx, Arthur


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Arthur;

My Piko locomotive is a Reading camelback, but I would hope that the electronics are almost identical with the German model. 










I use the MRC 10 amp pack, and have not had any problems running my locomotive on straight DC. If you have an AristoCraft power system, make sure to set it to linear. My locomotive blows two long toots for forward before it starts, or three short toots if set in reverse. Magnets will activate either a standard crossing whistle signal or the bell, depending on which side of the track (inside or outside rail) they are set under. I simply harvest the magnets from used Sonicare toothbrush struts. I stick them to a tie with 3M blue poster mounting putty.

The system is "smart" enough to tell whether it is getting straight DC or the AC used for DCC systems.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## MyMiniatureWorlds (May 3, 2015)

I think PIKO provides two kinds of solution for sound:
- analogue sound working on DC layouts with some effects activated by magnets on the tracks
- digital sound with some effects working (automatically) also on the DC layout

I think - and please correct me if I'm wrong - the analogue modules are available only for some of the steam engines. For BR218 you would need to go full digital but I think it would still work on your DC layout (automatically and only to some extent).


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## Beddhist (Dec 17, 2013)

You could use a sound-only decoder, like the Massoth eMotion S and buy it with the correct sound pre-loaded. Many dealers will provide this service for free. Not having a DCC system you cannot program the decoder, so you need this done to your requirements as well. (Like which function is connected to the track magnets, etc.)


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