Sound for FT-A with DCC on board

[Chester1083]

I have 2 A units with DCC on board what sound unit will fit without too much work? Thank you for any help.

[ABC]

The best solution is to acquire a dummy unit (which Bachmann does not  make) and to put the sound in there, but you will have to permanently latch the two together is you go this route. The problem is that you cannot fit a DCC sound decoder and speaker in one locomotive or even two locomotives if they both still have all their components inside. The short answer is that there is no solution that does not require a lot of work, because dummy FT-A's and FT-B's are pretty hard to come buy and when you find then they are usually included with a DC FT-A which would be difficult to convert to DCC. The only dummy FT-B I have seen are made by Stewart. What road name are your FT-A's? This is important because the Stewart units weren't made in many of the roads the Bachmann's were made in, which would mean you would need to re/paint anyways because it is unlikely the paint would match. Also note that the decoder in Bachmann's FT-As are in the boards, and that there is no 8 pin socket inside. Many people have asked this question; it is a tough task, but it can be done with the right tools and knowledge and perhaps a little help from a friend.

[richg]

I assume the below is your loco.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=1185

Below is the loco diagram.

http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/60102.pdf

Looks like the PC board will have to be removed and a sound decoder board installed. Don't know about the speaker install though.

Not sure which brand of sound decoder will work. The decoder has the headlight attached. Possibly a SoundTraxx decoder.
Send an email to Litchfield  Station and ask for suggestions. The do answer email. They have for me.

Rich

[RBMN #425 Fan]

just buy a small speaker and fit it in the fuel tank, thats what some companies do

[Chester1083]

Thank you for your replies. One set is Santa Fe, other is Burlington. Powered A and B units. I will do without sound.

[ABC]

The Stewart A-B set is $155 and comes in CB&Q, and both Santa Fe schemes. It seems like too much just to get a dummy unit. If I were you I would just enjoy my locos as they are; but ultimately its your decision.

[jward]

while i have no firsthand knowledge of the stewart ft, their fp7 does come with a hole in the frame for a speaker. and $155 for a set of stewart ft's? that's an extremely good price.......

[ABC]

while i have no firsthand knowledge of the stewart ft, their fp7 does come with a hole in the frame for a speaker. and $155 for a set of stewart ft's? that's an extremely good price.......

The ones I found for $155 has the a unit is powered (DC) and the b unit is a dummy, a DCC conversion on this particular unit would be very difficult it appears. There are no holes in the frame for a speaker as the unit is not DCC ready by any definition. It is a very smooth runner though. The cheapest price I found was $155 (on clearance) for an undecorated set (since he'd have to do some painting anyway). The cheapest price otherwise for a new A-B set decorated from a legit dealer is $185. The reason the price looked so good is because the B unit is unpowered/a dummy. If you want both the A & B unit powered you are looking at $200+ minimum ($100 each plus tax & shipping). MSRP for the powered units is like $120 for the A and $110 for the B. MSRP for the dummy B is like $75 (which is ridiculous).

[hotrainlover]

Chester1083,
look here for a un-powered unit available online.

http://www.bowserorders.com/.sc/ms/dd/ee/5030603

[ABC]

That is a F-3, he has F-Ts

[Doneldon]

Chester-

Watch ebay.  I purchased a Stewart AB FT set for $60, shipping included.

                                                                           --D