Crawford Hill SD40-2 with DCC Sound

kevsmith May 27, 2014

  1. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Some of you may have noticed I posted a video on youtube recently with an MTL SD40-2 running a sounchip and speaker in an autorack car. This was a test bed for an idea I have had for a while on doing a plausible set up for a sound equipped Z scale loco. Now I know that quite a few of you have already kitted out boxcars etc to house the electronics but I happened upon the Burlington Northern SD40-2s in helper service on the Crawford Hill coal trains in Nebraska. In the 90's these ran with fuel tenders converted from standard tank cars and seemed an ideal candidate for something permanantly coupled to the loco with an explanation for the wires (hoses) between the loco and tank car.

    BN8181withfueltender_zpsb363d292.jpg

    I asked Stonysmith to design me a fuel tender, split in half along the horiszontal centre line, which he put on Shapeways website and off we went.

    the two halves as supplied

    [​IMG]

    As we need to get inside on occasions I bonded two 10BA set screws and a lead weight in early on

    [​IMG]

    The holesto let the sound out were drilled at the same time as close to the loco end of the tanks as feasible

    here are the major components I needed to squeeze in

    [​IMG]

    Loksound chip and ZIMO sugar cube speaker.

    more in a minute

    KEV
     
  2. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    The electronics are held in place with contact adhesive and double sided taoe. The speaker is mounted on the top half of the tank facing downwards towards the portholes and the chip sits at the other end mounted on the lead weight.

    Not got the green colour exactly right I suspect

    [​IMG]

    two fine wires take power from the loco chassis to the tank car. The loco already had a TCS Z2 chip in it so both chips were given the address 6704 and they worked first time. Even better the sound was more effective than when the components were in the autorack which I assumed would have been a more effective soundbox

    [​IMG]

    Still need to decal the fuel tender and add various grab irons, pipes etc but with the handrails and belly tank refitted and a couple of GP35s on the other end it is starting to look the part. I've managed to misplace both front hand rails annd will have to get down on my knees and search the workshop floor just in case!


    [​IMG]

    video can be found at

    [video=youtube;M8DD31G6GUg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8DD31G6GUg&feature=share&list=UUI6p-eLL5zX3K226z27Josg[/video]

    the final part of the project will be to fit ditch lights to the lead loco and get another BN SD40-2 to go on the other end, Then load two SD40 sound profiles onto the chip and run the three as one unit

    Just need a train of 100 coal cars for them to push then!

    Kev
     
  3. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice work Kevin.
     
  4. Mzbringh

    Mzbringh TrainBoard Member

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    Nice work, great sound. How about 13 SD40-2 and 200+ loaded cars, uphill. I have never seen fueltenders before.

    [video=youtube;tFamoOpk3Lc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFamoOpk3Lc[/video]

    Mikael
     
  5. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    Nice! What I love about Z, you now have a one of a kind!
     
  6. ModelWarships

    ModelWarships TrainBoard Member

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    If you enjoy Crawford hill action, this is a great video to watch. C30-7's SD40-2's and a set of 4 of the latter spliced by a fuel tender make repeat appearances in this video by Gerald Sharp.

    [video=youtube;Jh23ADM35WU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh23ADM35WU[/video]

    Kev, bravo on the sound setup. I already have the fuel tender and SD40's so now I just need to get me some sound. Will that sound chip allow you to notch it up? The helpers need to sound they they are running wide open while just crawling along.
     
  7. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    You Sir, are a genious!!!
     
  8. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    I haven't got that far into the menu on the sound profiles yet!"

    I've found the dynamic brake whine though. I had found Gerald's video and am half way through it at present. I keep dipping in and watching five minutes at a time

    Kev.

    QUOTE=ModelWarships;982962]If you enjoy Crawford hill action, this is a great video to watch. C30-7's SD40-2's and a set of 4 of the latter spliced by a fuel tender make repeat appearances in this video by Gerald Sharp.

    [video=youtube;Jh23ADM35WU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh23ADM35WU[/video]

    Kev, bravo on the sound setup. I already have the fuel tender and SD40's so now I just need to get me some sound. Will that sound chip allow you to notch it up? The helpers need to sound they they are running wide open while just crawling along.[/QUOTE]
     
  9. ddechamp71

    ddechamp71 TrainBoard Member

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    Very interresting project (and nice sound results). Can't wait to see (and hear) the thing in Run 8 on your (future?) layout. ;)

    Dom
     
  10. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Painting and lettering finished

    [​IMG]

    Coupled back up to SD40-2 and seen in a lash up with a pair of GP35s running back down the canyon after helper service!

    [​IMG]

    Article will be in the post next week Rob!

    Kev
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 7, 2014
  11. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    I like it a lot. You really captured the look well. Kudos!
     
  12. ZFRANK

    ZFRANK TrainBoard Member

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    Looks great Kev! Which decals did you use?

    /Frank

    Verstuurd vanaf mijn GT-I8190 met Tapatalk
     
  13. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Microscale 87-842 the N scale caboose sheet

    Kev

     
  14. Carlsbad92009

    Carlsbad92009 TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Kev, here is the finishing touch for your SD-40's............ditch-lights. I make a kit (normally do this as a service as most do not or cannot solder or drill) that includes the soldered up LED's, drill template, circuit board, micro pins and drill. Inquire off-thread to donfedjur@aol.com DON

    SD-40 ditchlights for James MaCburney.jpg GP-35 ditchlights for Scott Shapiro.jpg GP-9 ditchlights for Scott Shapiro.jpg MTL ditchlights for Scott Shapiro.jpg
     
  15. Mzbringh

    Mzbringh TrainBoard Member

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    Hello Kev,

    Just curious. It would be cool to have a similar setup. Sounds great and should be an eye opener at any show. Which decoder are you using more exact? What are the dimessions on the decoder? on the speaker? What is the voltage you use? Is the sound decoder also driving the engine or do you have a DCC decoder in the engine too? Questions from someone not that familiar with DCC in general yet.

    Cheers
    Mikael
     
  16. kevsmith

    kevsmith TrainBoard Member

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    Hi Mikael.
    I don't recall the actual model numbers from the decoder and speaker. I just asked West Coast DCC at a show for the smallest chip and speaker they had and got them to load the chip with SD40-2 sound. Speaker is a ZIMO sugar cube and sound chip is the smallest Loksound you can get which if I recall right is the 'Loksound Micro'. Chip in Loco is TCS Z2 and both chips are given the same address. the wires between the fuel tender and the loco just carry the power from the loco pick-ups to the tender as attempts to pick up current through the freight trucks were not very succsesful. I haven't got any further with the ditch lights idea at present as other projects take priority (like the RS11 etchings I got off you!)

    I think I have a loose wire somewhere in the set up. On the first morning at the big London show it worked perfectly albeit drowned out by the general noise of the show, then it packed up, then it worked again on Sunday for about two hours! And of course it wouldn't work when the people I wanted to shot it too were there! So I need to get it apart and have a prod before this Autumns shows.

    I run it off a standard NCE power cab with no voltage reduction. Touch wood all of my DCC converted locos have had no issues with this and I haven't burnt out a decoder yet (probably tempting fate saying that!) and as you know I run 4 locos in a lash up on Shasta using the NCE consist feature.

    Hope this helps

    Kev
     
  17. Mzbringh

    Mzbringh TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the answer Kev

    No voltage reduction, that's interesting. Is that normal for DCC in general or those with sound?
    What I have found on ESU page is loksound select micro and loksound micro v4.0. I don't know what the differences between them are but the dimensions are the same 25x10.6x3.8mm. The specification doesn't mention voltage at all. Either it is well known or doesn't matter.

    http://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-micro-v40/

    http://www.zimo.at/web2010/products/decoderlautneu.htm

    Would be cool to test.

    Mikael
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2015
  18. shamoo737

    shamoo737 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I use dcc without voltage reduction for ten years without problem. Just make sure you use short protection.
     
  19. SJ Z-man

    SJ Z-man TrainBoard Member

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    No voltage reduction is necessary. For the sound decoders, the higher voltage makes them stay on longer during voltage drops but that's in milliseconds !! Anything more and they restart.
    The 4.0's I believe are preprogrammed, so limited locos or was it the volumes between items couldn't be changed.
     

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