Since purchasing a Super Empire system for my layout, I have converted over half of my engines now to DCC. One of the unit(s) I haven't done yet is an A-B-A lash up of Chesapeake and Ohio F-7's. It is the Intermountain manufactured set done in the second C&O wave scheme (low wave). During the time I model (early to mid 50's), it was rare for the C&O to run these "split up". My set up is both A's powered and a "smart" B unit. WHAT? is the best practice here? I could put a mobile only decoder in each A unit with sound and speakers in the B, OR I could put a combo sound/mobile in each A w/ speakers in the B unit. Other than separating these for maintenance @ the workbench, transporting them from one place to another, or special photo shots on the layout, I do not see me splitting these up. I am also not nuts about an arrangement that will force me to run wiring harnesses between the units. That is why the sound-only decoder and speakers in the B unit seems like a good option. Thoughts?
I put a Soundtraxx decoder in a Stewart F9 (Kato drive) and I used a pretty big speaker. I can't run the sound at full volumn because it is very loud. I used a DSD-150 1st gen EMD, I did use one of Soundtraxx LC series decoders. I don't like the LC decoders because they lack lots of sound features and the amplifier is too small to get a good sound out of it. I think that the Intermountain drive is really close to the Kato drive in my locomotive. I did not have to do very much work to the drive other than I did cut just a small amount out of the top of the back of the frame so I could build a speaker cabinet above the rear truck. The decoder fit in the space right above the motor. If you would like, when I get home from work I could pop the shell off and take a picture of what the installation looks like.
