An interesting idea Joe.

One problem with current designs is that the "chuff" is a sound "bite" that is just played when it is triggered.

A good sounding chuff at slow speeds is "too long" at high speeds, and they run together.

What is needed is a sound system that can vary the duration of the chuff sound with speed.

One manufacturer has this in beta test right now, so hang in there.

Regards, Greg

So that's where "CUFF" came from! (on one of the pictures).



Greg

Elwin:

I'm guessing you are using the QSI "autochuff" and not the Bachmann chuff electronics?

(If you just plugged the QSI in, that's the default condition).

Just wanting confirmation.

Regards, Greg

You can buy the transistor, and you should read the other threads on the transistor. You may want to have someone do this for you, rather than do the conversion yourself.

The reason you do not necessarily need the transistor, is that the problem is not "reversing" the sense of the chuff output, but the ground reference on the Bachmann electronics is not the same as the ground reference on the sound board.

Sometimes the transistor helps, sometimes it does not.

Regards, Greg

Tom, I don't know the humidity where your layout is, but I would strongly encourage the use of something to inhibit rusting.

This might be wiping the rails down with a rag with wd40 on it, or possibly a track cleaning car that had some kind of light oil on it.

Of course you don't want to make the rails slippery, but the raw steel WILL rust, especially if you use something abrasive to clean the rail tops.

Wahl clipper oil has been a favorite of many smaller scales, and it's more of a light solvent that leaves a protective film. It's available on the net for reasonable prices.

Regards, Greg

This might not be much help, but I did a DCC conversion, and it was easier to remove all the wires from the boards in the loco than to figure out the wiring.

I may be completely off base, but I got no wiring diagram with my Annie.

Regards, Greg

Just to help, you do NOT have to toss the existing board. You can connect your airwire receiver to it. You can also get the chuff working without running extra wires from the loco to the tender.

If you will do modifications, like change the leds, or you have trouble with the chuff, or other modifications, you may elect to remove the board in the tender.

Also if you are tight on space, you might remove it also for this reason.

The bottom line is you are not FORCED to remove it, but it COULD be the best idea depending on your installation.

Regards, Greg

I would advise reading more of the posts here and on other forums. There are extensive threads on the K27 electronics.

1. The stock boards do NOT snap in or out.
2. There are locations on the stock board in the tender where you COULD solder in screw terminal strips.
3. #2 above may not be sufficient for the conversion you want.
4. Nothing snaps back in, but there are some decoder boards that do plug in.
5. Yes, (some) DCC sound decoders will plug into the tender board, and at least two will work.

To answer your question on the subject line:

1. You could leave the factory board in the tender, solder in screw terminals, and use an AirWire receiver, and it will "work".
2. You could plug in a QSI decoder to the socket, add the Gwwire receiver, and then an AirWire transmitter will control the locomotive, thus "airwire will work with the factory board".

Hope this helps,

Greg

Just checking: are you using the Bachmann steel track (you can check with a magnet).

Indoors or outdoors?

Regards, Greg

I will make the following assumptions:

1. Bachmann K27
2. Phoenix 2k2 sound board.
3. No control system specified, i.e. no assumptions on battery, track, dcc, mts, dcs or other control system.

Yes, people have made this work.
You may need to do the "transistor" trick, although it works for a reason different than many people believe (but I could be wrong)
No, it does not plug in, no sound only board plugs into the K socket.
So far the QSI and the RCS boards seem to plug in just fine. Read elsewhere what these are, try the MLS forum, or the QSI and the Remote Control Systems web sites.

Reading between the lines, I'm not sure exactly what you want to put into the loco, the control system used will most likely have an interaction with the sound system you choose, if only mechanical.

Regards, Greg

p.s. was doing my reply when you updated and added the post about K27...

Almost every electronic device that handles current will dissipate heat.

Yes, have heard they can make heat.

I would not worry about melting the tender, but to make your task easier, and since you were going to put the batteries in the stock car, which would be wonderfully ventilated, I would consider putting everything in the trainling car.

This would mean you would have to run the motor and lamp leads from the loco to the tender to the trail car. I believe all of those wires are already in the tender.

I'd be interested in TOC's opinion, this is more his arena.

Regards, Greg

Why not put everything in the trailing car, since you have the sound system and the batteries there already?

Just a starting suggestion.

Regards, Greg

Phil, sorry if we were not helping in the right direction.

I will look to see if someone has measured the current through the resistor so you could make a regulator to set it....

The fan should be 12v, but, again, I will try to find out for you.

The Aristo site has a lot of threads on this smoke unit, so you might want to ask there...

Regards, Greg

I would go ahead without fear. Get one that has the DCC ready on the box, and the instruction book shows the wiring layout and how to fit a Digitrax decoder.

With the screw terminals and the Bachmann-supplied wiring diagram it should be a snap.

Regards, Greg

CA is not solvent welding... did you mean you will use the CA instead of a solvent welding type glue, or understood Dr. Mike's is solvent welding?

I have to admit gluing stuff is a black art to me, some plastics love CA and some shrug it off.

Regards, Greg