have any one added dcc and sound in ho scale bachmann UP 4-8-4s and rivarossi UP 4-8-4s engines before?
Was the Bachmann Northern a Spectrum? If so those should be a matter of attaching a plug in harness to the decoder, (if a Tsunami), and plugging into the board in the tender. The hardest part of one of these installs is the mounting of the speaker.
The Rivarossi install, at least the installs I've done into Rivarossi engines, were all hard wires. The engines I installed the decoders in were not DCC ready. If the loco was a model run that came in a red box, it should at least be DCC ready.
How old are these locos?
the bachmann UP 4-8-4 it not Spectrum and it a few months old and not dcc ready my Rivarossi 4-8-4 is dcc ready and has a red box iss it true dcc sound will fry Rivarossi engines?
my best advice to you is to not try a sound decoder install until you are comfortable installing a regular decoder. that means learning to solder, and learning all you can about how dcc works.
in my experience, when converting to dcc, the decoder itself will fry before the motor. in most cases.....
i've never heard of a sound decoder frying a motor.
my Rivarossi 844 is going on display and im buying a .athearn 844 and get dcc
sound in my bachmann UP 4-8-4