N Scale Kato Big Boy 126-4012 with ESU LokSound installation

[@ghewitt94]

Almost like an old Concor, but with two motors. Thanks for the insight and now I know where to start if I ever buy one.

[@jacklapointe4400]

Kinda surprising how this locomotive is not very DCC friendly considering the FEF-3 accepts a drop in decoder.

[@markthomas2029]

Nice work. Thank you for confirming my thoughts on this one. I had ordered a DCC version of the Big Boy but cancelled it after the delays started creeping in, figured it wasn’t as DCC ready as Kato claimed. Went another direction. 15:21

[@transcon_bnsf51atsf68]

The speaker used is the ESU 50340 dual sugar cube with sound baffle enclosure

[@transcon_bnsf51atsf68]

Also getting ESU super thin #36 wire in several colors

[@robertbrooks8449]

Kelley - nice precise work on the install. Thanks for posting the video! BTW - Thanks again for the excellent work you've done for me in the past installing sound in my Alaska RR Kato SD70's and E8/9's. They turned out great.

[@transcon_bnsf51atsf68]

The decoder I am getting is the ESU loksound 58941 with the SO516 UP 4-8-8-4 big boy sound file

[@louismclane51]

Sorry this 58941 won't work

[@seanpacificrailroad3700]

Sweet looking locomotive 👍

[@TRUCKAMIONES]

que luces puedo comprar para usar en la version dc, para el tender; mil gracias

[@TRUCKAMIONES]

como se desarma el tender, muchas gracias y saludos desde colombia

[@AtomHeartMother68]

Nice.. I did my own conversion with the tsunami big steam. Biggest challenge for me was wiring the motors so they didn't interfere with driver articulation. Reassembly was tedious... I certainly wouldn't want to convert multiples of these ! I did leave the headlight constant on simply to avoid running wires all the way back to the tender. Added a red light above the rear tender light as well. It is a nice runner though. If I ever wear a motor out I'll probably wire up the headlight while I have it apart.

[@MikeSwyers]

I was also wondering if I should just run the Kato Big Boy as a DC locomotive and forget about the DCC/sound I preordered one but now they are saying Jan but no one knows for sure if Jan is accurate, the DC big Boy is at a good price now.

[@nscaledivision2336]

awesome job now I kind of got an idea how to do mine now thank for the video =]

[@endeavor635650]

What gauge wire would you recommend running for the drive motors? I keep reading where others have articulation issues and trouble fitting the shell back on

[@nightmare0331]

ESU 36 gauge super thin wire works well. I've used it on around a dozen Big Boy installs now. Works well. Make sure as the Loco is getting buttoned up you left enough slack for the Loco to articulate and for the tender to swivel.

[@constantindac4975]

Thanks for sharing. Also i have to do mine. I want to ad red light flickering on boiler as fire. I mount it on two FEF-3. Was more easy since are accepting the same decoder card used in SD70ACe and another narrow locomotives. That setting allow just wire for spkr and reverse light from loco to tender. Loksound V5 being a nice decoder, have a lot of aux function. On FEF i add also red Mars light fwd 😂😂😂

[@RcDescubriendo-S]

Quand tell us who much do you paid for the loco? Thanks and great video!!

[@jamesgreen2222]

Being you worked for Kato, any idea why delivery dates are being pushed back further and further? Is because of the sound install? Thanks and great video. Don’t think I want to try it myself.

[@nightmare0331]

the DCC versions (Digitrax) ones are being done here in the US by Kato USA's in house staff. The Soundtraxx ones are being done in Japan...I'm not sure if by the factory or outside contractors over there. In either case, there is a steep learning curve for installing dcc in these and it can only be sped up so much. Couple that with someone they brought in to help with the installs passed away a few weeks ago. Of course, had they been reasonably DCC friendly from the start, this model would have been a homerun for Kato. As it is, due to delays, and ignoring a large component of the N scale market from the beginning, it's pretty lackluster.

[@MikeSwyers]

What would your cost be to make my DC Big Boy Kato to ESU and DCC ?

[@kurtzahler1860]

🤔🫣🥴