DCC Shop - HO Proto 2000 0-6-0 Steam Locomotive - DCC, Sound and Lighting Install

[@BriansModelTrains]

You are the best train modeller I have viewed in my 20 years playing with trains. Thank you.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Wow... thanks!!

[@seymoarsalvage]

Love the headlight build!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@natejackson8213]

Job well done Dan

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@enriqueaguilar4892]

Great work bringing back the steam 🚂 with loksound technology it sounds better than before

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the results. This locomotive was sitting half broken in a box for so many years, I enjoy seeing it finished on my shelf now. Thanks for watching!

[@NickelPlateRoadExperience]

Proto 2000 Made some of the best plastic steam locomotive models ever made and you succeeded at making one even better.

[@DanielCortopassi]

If this one is any indication, then they are very nice runners. This is one of the smoothest steam locomotive mechanisms I've encountered. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@agwbcfjc2]

That video was awesome, Dan. I wish I had just one tenth of your knowledge, skill and craftsmanship. I'd be a very capable model railroader indeed. Thank you for sharing this video with us and all you do for model railroading--ten enthusiastic thumbs up!🙂

[@DanielCortopassi]

Wow, thanks!

[@freakazoid5907]

that light came out great, I've been looking for a great way to do mine and I plan to copy yours. Thanks for sharing!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you found it helpful. I think the technique could be adapted to a lot of different headlight castings. Thanks for watching!

[@WhetstoneCreek]

Top notch, as always.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

[@donaldkormos5529]

Beautiful work Dan!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@ApartmentRR]

That headlight lens trick is genius! Will be trying it out!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@jhoodfysh]

Excellent video Daniel, I especially appreciate the detail of your videos. They are easy to understand too. Thank you very much!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad that the format I use is working. Sometimes it's hard to know how much to show, is it too much and too long, not enough and too short, etc. So I like knowing when I get it right. Thanks for watching!

[@gacj2010]

Thats Daniel .. man he knows so much about this.... a great piece as always ...Man I wish I knew a tenth of what you know about this subject ... ID be all set

[@DanielCortopassi]

Wow.. thanks so much!

[@michaelcudby787]

Hi Dan.I am super fussy with slow speed control on a loco.This loco conversion , is perfect. I can watch slow moving model locos, all day long.Thanks for the video, Dan. Michael NZ

[@DanielCortopassi]

This one really does run well, which is what made me want to put the work in to bring it back to life. After it was done I kept running it back and forth on my workbench, just because it's such a joy to watch. I am also pretty fussy about slow speed control and smoothness. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@robertmyers5269]

I don't know how the algorithm decided to serve me this video, but thanks. I've got one of these engines that has been sitting around for a while, waiting for conversion. This gives me a nudge in the right direction. TCS Wowsound kit, re-decal for B&O.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm not sure how KZbin's algorithms work either, but you're welcome! I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@wolfen216]

as I sit here with one that needs a tender and decoder im glad to stumble upon your account again.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you found the channel, too! If mine is any indication, yours should be a really nice running engine. Good luck with your tender search and thanks for watching!

[@modelrailfan37]

Thank you so much for uploading this Daniel! I bought one of these for a bit too much from a train show a while back, and it was running poor at low speeds, and needed some fresh oil on the worm gear and motor bearings. I couldn’t figure out how to get the body off though, and thanks to your video, I figured it out and seem to have solved the problem!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@Steamer96]

Wow you're talented, I have many Cal and Precision scale headlights I don't know how to light them

[@DanielCortopassi]

I think the lens making technique I used could be adapted to a variety of headlight castings. Some might need to have a shallower "reflector" so they fit, since I know not all castings are as deep as the ones I used on this model. I intend to try this again since I have a few steam engines that need lenses. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for watching!

[@Steamer96]

@@DanielCortopassi BTW, somewhat off topic but have you ever heard of the GTW 5629? She was a USRA Light Pacific and I own a model of her, after seeing this I plan on to light her like you did to this engine here.

[@FHollis-gw4cc]

What a sweet running little engine! Like everyone else, I'm going to pirate your headlight idea! I have my way of doing dual diesel lights but was never quite satisfied with the single light on my diesels. I think this just might work! So, thanks a whole bunch!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you think the headlight idea can be useful in your models. Thanks for watching!

[@watchtrainsnow1099]

I like your headlights. That is top notch model building!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much, and thanks for watching!

[@BubblyToast]

These videos are great Dan I really enjoy your work. You really inspire me to go back and make older locomotives that I have and bring them up to a modern working standard. Well done.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. Some older locomotives can be really nice with a little TLC. Thanks for watching!

[@aarongumbinger]

Dang you make it look sooo easy! That is such an awesome build and excellent workmanship.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@modelrailwaybackshop]

I wish we had a playlist specifically for brass only.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I created one, though there are only a couple of videos on it right now. I will add more in the future when I do videos featuring a brass model. Thanks for watching!

[@bradyshobbies99]

Really ingenious idea with the headlights! Keep up the good work, I enjoy learning from you

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the idea. Thanks for watching!

[@rathbaster]

Brilliant. I really like the completeness of what you do...it makes me confident that I have a very good guide to working on this locomotive if and when I get one.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the video. These are really nice running engines. They can still be found on eBay and other places that sell used equipment from time to time. Thanks for watching!

[@CBX-en9lc]

Excellent video. I am doing one of the engines for a friend. I agree the tender pickup should be soldered, but it appears they also apply pressure to the shoes to assure good pickup from the wheels. How has yours been as it picks up from the engine too? Also, great idea about making you own headlight lenses now that MV's are no longer available.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I don't really have a permanent layout set up yet, so I haven't had that much chance to run this engine. The pickup arrangement has been working well when I have run it. The ESU Power Pack capacitor also helps a lot. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@HaroldMiller-bg9uo]

Mr. Cortopassi, I have seen quite a few of your videos and you inspire me. I am 19 years old and model HO scale primarily. Your Halloween display shows quite a beautiful house and you have such a great collection. Do you mind if I ask what you do for a living? I am trying to figure out what profession to pursue when I graduate high school in a few months. Thank you so much for the content and your time sir.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad to hear you like the videos I've made. I do the KZbin channel and I'm also a part-time artist, but I guess you could say that I'm semi-retired as far as working goes. Nichole and I feel fortunate that we were able to get the property where we live. As far as a career, I would say to pursue the thing you love, but sometimes that isn't practical. If not then I'd say to pursue something that you don't mind doing, hopefully something that won't expect really long hours, so that you have the time and energy to do the things you love on the side. Sometimes that can develop into a lucrative career over time, but you need to pay the bills while you get there. I don't know if that helps any, but I wish you luck! Thanks for watching!

[@stevenanderson1500]

Great video! Can you answer a question? I have an ESU decoder, I don’t have a programmer. Can you tell me the cv and value to make a rotary beacon to flash? Thanks!

[@DanielCortopassi]

The CV will depend on which output you're using for the beacon. There's a chart in the LokSound 5 manual which you can download from the ESU website if you haven't already, along with an explanation of the process. The mode select CV is the one that sets the lighting effect, like beacon, firebox flicker, etc. There's a different one of those for each output. In my version of the manual the chart and explanation is on page 85. Some of the LokSound CVs are indexed, meaning that you have to set an index CV (I think it's CV32 if I recall) to a certain number to tell the decoder that you're going to be programming lighting effects. I hope that's helpful. These are fantastic decoders, but with that comes some complexity. You might want to consider getting the programmer at some point, as it makes all of this so much easier. Thanks for watching!

[@alexandergreig8946]

A great instructional video as always Daniel. Just wondering, what abrasive did you use for the Paashe Air Eraser?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm using Paasche AEX-5-240 compound, which from what I understand is fine aluminum oxide particles. I've also used the Badger version, which looks like the same thing. Thanks for watching!

[@CM-ARM]

Very nice video Dan. And it sounds great

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much!

[@jdlcdn]

Very educational. Thanks.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're welcome. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for watching!

[@williamptterson3047]

Really enjoy your videos on modeling. Have you ever thought about doing video s on modeling structures.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you're enjoying the modeling content. I do plan to do some structure videos eventually, both for the HO layout that's still in the planning stages and for the N scale Siren Creek layout, which is working but as yet has no scenery. I need to cat-proof that layout before I start putting fragile things on it. I am hesitant to build structures until I have a place to put them, so I need to get both layouts a little farther along first. Thanks for watching!

[@leisureshoot]

excellent video and idea. thanks for sharing

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Your bulbs were great. Nice video !!!!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked them. Thanks for watching!

[@joenewstead4848]

So what happend to you and TSG Multimedia? You used to on that show all the time?

[@DanielCortopassi]

Nichole and I talked about that in the July 2020 "Ask Dan & Nichole" video if you want to watch it. Super short version... after working as a 50/50 co-creator for 13 years to help build that brand, I was basically told I was going to be demoted to a "contributor" and get a pay cut (the pay wasn't much to begin with). I wasn't having it, so after some back and forth, I left. Thanks for watching!

[@mrmrb04]

What throttle do you have that has a playable F2 key? I used to have lionel and they had playable horns. It’s something I miss ever since I went to HO. I think it’d be really cool to have playable airhorns but I’m not yet sure how to program that.

[@DanielCortopassi]

For this video I was using a Digitrax DT402 throttle. It has the playable F2 key. I would say that sometimes the effect is a little weird. I think it works well with this model, though. It depends on the particular whistle or horn sound. Thanks for watching!

[@chadgeissler4544]

Dan I love your videos and the fact you model the SP. I'm picking up a Genesis Mountain this afternoon and it has the customary dead headlight so I want to upgrade them to LED. What LED did you use on this locomotive as I want a prototypical incandescent color and not a bright white.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you're enjoying the channel. I used a warm white surface mount LED in this one, 603 size. They're small enough to fit in a typical HO steam engine headlight casting. If you shop around on eBay there are sellers that offer them with leads pre-attached. You can also get them loose and solder your own wires if you don't mind working on tiny components. The warm white has a more yellowish color that's more like an incandescent bulb. The regular white is usually slightly bluish. Thanks for watching!

[@chadgeissler4544]

@@DanielCortopassi Thank you Dan!! keep up the great work!

[@chadgeissler4544]

@@DanielCortopassi I forgot to ask. Can you use the 603's for class lights and marker lights on the back of a caboose or passenger car or do they require something smaller?

[@DanielCortopassi]

@@chadgeissler4544 603s might be just a little large for class light castings, depending on the design of the casting. There are also 402 LEDs that are even smaller. I'd recommend getting those with the leads attached. For me, anyway, I find them very difficult to solder, while I can handle the 603s.

[@GR10Productions]

What throttle supports the quillable whistle feature?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I was using a Digitrax DT402. I'm not sure about which other ones might also have that feature. Thanks for watching!

[@pacset2]

why not mount the DCC speaker in the Loco instead of in the tender

[@DanielCortopassi]

Space, mostly. This engine's frame fills most of the space inside the boiler. If I did try to put a speaker in the engine, it would have to be a really small one. Using the tender let me use a larger speaker, which has really nice sound. Thanks for watching!

[@traindad77]

Now just paint the driver axle centers black

[@DanielCortopassi]

Yes, I'll probably do that when I get around to weathering the model. Thanks for watching!