I think if I can get past the fear of this I will be able to take on any engine.  I will start with the mogul.  Is TCS the brand name?  I will check it out along with the sound decoder.

Right on!  I do intend to mount a decoder in the engine, leaving room in the tender for sound.  WOW...Herald you REALLY did a Porter DCC project?  I am in total awe....

Please Mr. Bach-Man, PLEASE make these two engine types DCC or at least DCC ready...please??

Another question I have is on the Pacific Coast Airliner website he says to get a small N or Z scale decoder...is that right?  Surely at least HO would be best?

Howard, I am looking at an "all in one" package by MRC.  I figure why do DCC control and then have to wire up a sound decoder too when they make an allin one?  What is your take on these?

Thanks for the encouragement.  I have seen the website but don't remember the 2-6-0 DCC install part...I will sure look at it though!  I am getting ready to buy a new soldering iron for the task and am looking hard at the MRC DCC decoder with sound since I have an MRC Prodigy (so far only run around the x-mas tree with the BLI!!!).  I will let you know how this goes...cross your fingers!

I have found a decoder that will do both control and sound.  I have no fear of fitting the speaker in the tender and running the wire to the decoder as long as it is plug and play.  For me it is the fear of hard-wiring the decoder to the motor since I am terrible at soldering and really unsure of what needs to be soldered where and just how to isolate the motor.  I would hate to destroy the motor whilst trying to fit a decoder...

Glad to hear that there is a lobby for this going on.  Here is my problem more specifically:  Bachmann's wonderful On30 has allowed me to model my favorite historic railroad, The Colorado and Southern.  I am NOT a rivet counter BUT that railroad used 2-6-0s almost exclusively.  So, I have several of these.  Then I was given a BLI C-16 which has DCC and sound...and the DCC and sound bug bit me!  At Christmas my wife gave me a new American 4-4-0 which I love (not prototypical but it will head up a branch line) which is DCC and ready for sound.

So, I either figure out a way to install DCC myself (YIKES!!!), hire someone to do it for me, switch my railroad to one that did not use 2-6-0s or HOPE that Bachmann will start selling a model that has DCC and sound or that is sound ready...
John

Any chance that there will be a DCC installed or DCC ready 2-6-0 in future?  I have several (and one that someone already converted to DCC) and they just beg for DCC control and sound.  I don't want to do the conversion myself...I will hose it up.  While I am at it...what about DCC in the Porters too?  Sure would save a lot of heartache on this end of things!
John