Hitting The Brakes With SoundTraxx Decoders (178)

[@wasatchrangerailway6921]

I would be willing to bet that I am the only knucklehead out there that has real working electric brakes on some of my rolling stock! YUP!!!! real working brakes! MOTOR OPERATED!!! The motors are very small, and they are battery operated with extra small limiting switches for both set and release!

[@peterjhillier7659]

Thanks Larry, great Video as usual, these modern Control Systems are amazing, I remember my old DC Controller that I used when I was a Tacker back in the 50’s, you wouldn’t have believed what would become available in the Space of 70 odd Years or so. Keep Safe.

[@TheDCCGuy]

I should have mentioned that SoundTraxx now sells Econami decoders in both UK steam and diesel versions. All my UK steam locos have ECO-100 decoders and when I got my GWR Flying Banana I used a Econami 21 pin UK diesel decoder. Fortunately they included Derby DMU sounds and those locos used the same AEC diesels as the old GWR locos. It was a lot cheaper than buying the factory sound version or from a UK supplier. It is interesting how different the US and UK markets are with sound decoders. Over here all decoders come with sound included but in the UK they sell the decoder and you pay extra for the sound package. That adds as much as £20 to the cost of a decoder. That makes Soundtraxx UK decoders a cheaper option.

[@wjp_20]

I was just doing this on a locomotive today, great timing. The tsunami manual is great but this video really helps. Thanks Larry

[@enriqueaguilar4892]

DCC n sound technology is worth investing money into ho locomotive's n Lionel, n g scale locomotives

[@jerryfbarnes5228]

Do you have a list of CVs for f# to set all my Diesel locomotives. This so I can run them together. I have herd you say you had a list for fleet.

[@TheDCCGuy]

No, that is something that will be unique to each combination of locos. See my videos on speed matching.

[@ricter591]

Thanks Larry, 🐾🚂 BearCreek RR, KY.

[@rayhalling4451]

Hay DCC Guy when i worked on the railroad if the engine brakes squeeked to loud it needed new brakes.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Were those composite or steel shoes?

[@rayhalling4451]

Ok mr.DCC Guy ON most of are engines had steel shoes the composite are on rolling stock cars..

[@frankhellman6879]

Good stuff. The SoundTraxx how-to video series on their web-site is also an excellent reference.

[@claytons8263]

Hi again Do you have any idea what sound decoder has lights braking and coupler slack?

[@TheDCCGuy]

I am not exactly sure what you mean by coupler slack-the sound of it and in a UK or US context?

[@claytons8263]

@@TheDCCGuy Us version it's when the loco pulls forward or reverse the couplers contract or extend and they bang (take up the slack)

[@TheDCCGuy]

OK, just about all sound decoders offer a sound function called coupler clank. Of course that would be something where you would need to hit a function button each time you want to hear the clank sound.

[@claytons8263]

@@TheDCCGuy I totally understand thank you for you time sry to be a pain just trying to learn all I can.

[@TheDCCGuy]

Not a pain, that’s why I do these videos.

[@j6sj7]

Great video Larry. I still have an old Atlas Mantua 4 wheel trolley from my boyhood train platform that runs and I'd like to convert it to DCC. I've figured out how to isolate the motor brushes from the frame and now I'm considering decoders. Can you recommend an economical, basic non-sound decoder that will play nice with the old open frame LBJ-era motor in my old trolley?

[@TheDCCGuy]

It likely will draw a lot of current and be a 3 pole straight wound motor so don’t expect it to run like a modern loco. As a minimum I would use a decoder rated at 2 amps however you could narrow that down by checking the stall current, see my video on stall currents. Have fun with the comversion.

[@anthonyferrara2222]

Any suggestions? I installed a Tsunami Sound Car decoder. If I use a magnet I can get it to make the clickly-clack and wheel squeal but I can’t get it to consist with the engine. So I get no bell and whistle. Thanks

[@TheDCCGuy]

Odd, I installed one of these for an article about 5 years ago and had no problems consisting then. My only suggestion would be to recheck your consisting steps and make sure you got it right.

[@anthonyferrara2222]

@@TheDCCGuy I’m sure I’m doing it correct. Yes, it is strange. Thanks for the reply.

[@donaldshroyer8633]

I don't understand this. And I'm talking about Econami as that's what I have. If I set a braking rate up to 127, applying a brake will slow the loco down at a slower rate than just reducing the throttle, because the brake rate is added to the deceleration setting?

[@TheDCCGuy]

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. In the demo I only used the F11 button to stop the train and left the throttle setting alone. I used a small value in CVs 3, 4, and 117 because I had a short area in which to shoot the video so that is why it slowed fairly quickly and started up fast again. You can tweak the locos stop and start behavior by using a combination of settings in CVs 3, 4, and 117. That is why I suggest trying out various combinations to get a feel for what you like best.

[@donaldshroyer8633]

Why would anyone want to apply a brake and slow down over a longer time than just coasting to a stop??

[@TheDCCGuy]

Maybe because thats the way a real locomotive or train behaves. I know folks who do all the same procedures as a real engineer would go through in running a train and this braking procedure adds to the realism for them.

[@donaldshroyer8633]

My point is that braking should stop faster, not slower.

[@TheDCCGuy]

But real trains don’t work that way. Once you get 100+ cars strung out almost a mile behind a set of locomotives it takes a long time to bring all that mass to a stop. And the faster they are going the longer it takes. Unless you have your momentum set real high using a throttle to stop a train is far from prototypical.

[@dkaustin98]

I use TSU-2 Steam decoders. Do you know if this applies to the steam version too or will I have to play with it to find out?

[@TheDCCGuy]

I don’t think I have any Tsunami2 decoders to try out but I will take a look at the steam manual and see what they say.

[@goaliegeorge]

The Tsu2 has all braking (independent and automatic) on all formats.. the exception is functional dynamic braking only applies to Diesel. The Econami has the independent brake in both steam and diesel. Contact me at support @ SoundTraxx. Com for details and check out our SoundTraxx KZbin video for more details. We’ve covered it in several videos. Thanks!

[@TheDCCGuy]

George, thanks for adding that info on the TSU steam functions.

[@richardhale5026]

Absolutely awful sound. Can't hear a thing apart from and unrealistic engine drone.

[@Fyrfotog2]

Must be a problem on your end. Sounds fine on my computer and phone!!