A day of full size trains, model trains, and fun for the whole family.

http://www.rrhm.org/12-hours-2015/

The picture I saw posted last night shows what appear to be well cars and containers on the ground.

The output voltage on the common (Blue) wire is usually 12 volts. The other function wires ( White, Yellow, Green, Violet ) are actually switched grounds that complete the circuit to activate the lights. Most LEDs are 3.3 volts so you will need a resistor inline on the yellow wire or the LED will come on real bright once  
I used a resistor around 680 Ohm, a 1/4 watt should be enough but a 1/2 watt will work also. Remember, LEDs are polarity sensitive. The positive lead of the LED needs to go to the blue wire, negative side to the yellow wire.

I think the rerail frog holders are just extra detail parts. I think they go on the front of the tender but I'm not sure of the exact location. I haven't bothered putting them on because I figured they would get knocked off and lost when we take the train to the club to run.

Barry

If the locomotive is operating fine other than programming, I don't think it would be wired incorrectly. I have read that sometimes a resistor needs to be wired across the track leads for some decoders to program. I did not have that problem with mine but I use the Digitrax PR3 with a program track and JMRI for my programming.

The catalog states "works best on 22" radius or greater".

I don't think that modification needs to be done on this one. The videos I have seen show the new decoder already has duel prime mover sound including duel start up. Better lighting effects too. Wish I could get that decoder to add to mine but I doubt it will be available from Soundtraxx.

I can't speak for the Bachmann version but the Tsunami's I have been around will give you engine sounds in DC mode. They will also give bell and horn sounds automatically and maybe a few other sounds too. The decoder may need to be programmed to enable the automatic sounds.

I know on the Atlas I have I had to remove the dynamic brake panel and move a shorting plug on the control board from the DC to DCC position. There should have been an instruction sheet that tells you that this needs to be done. It might be under the foam packing in the box.

Barry

Here are some more pictures if you truly have the plug and play version:

http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/GE_DASH/BACHMANN%20GE%20DASH.htm

Barry

Well after watching a video of the new Soundvalue DDA40X, I may have to get one. Duel engine sounds and the cab strobe is a lot better. I could probably fix the strobe but I don't think I could do the dual sound with what is available currently. And my current loco is only a year old

Barry

You didn't specify what scale but I am assuming HO. It looks like you remove the shorting plug at K1 and there is a 8 pin socket underneath. Any 8 pin HO decoder will work. Check Bachmann, Digitrax, or TCS website for decoders with the 8 pin harness. A basic decoder will work fine unless you want to add extra lighting. I have used Digitrax and TCS decoders with no problems. I also still have the Bachmann decoder that came in one of my locomotives and haven't had any problems with it.

Barry

If it is one of the recent models with DCC, the stock decoder could be replaced with this decoder: 827002  TSU-750 EMD 645 from Soundtraxx. You will also need a 1/2 inch (13mm) speaker to put into the fuel tank. I haven't looked into mine yet to see how everything will fit. This will not be a plug and play operation, soldering is involved. I may actually use a Loksound decoder instead as it has some lighting outputs the Soundtraxx decoder does not.

Okay, Thanks. Guess I will have to go a different route.

Thanks for the reply Bach-man, that was all I asked for . Guess I will have to wait and see. Wish I could tell if these new cars have the same detail as the older spectrum cars we already have.