Hello
Now that I have been schooled in the size ratios of the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 , and the K27 compared to the 2 truck shays I have been watching a few 3 trucks shays that have been appearing on Ebay lately. There are a few that offer the factory tsunami sound and DCC. What are the opinions on such a system? I do not run DCC but merely track power. How would the Tsunami sound work on my RR? Magnets on the tracks for reed switches? For guys that have these engines and sound systems what is the concensus, how do they sound? Is it worth the extra $100 to get a 3 truck with the factory sound?
Thanks. Todd
The Tsunami sound installed in the Bachmann product is just fine - it self-triggers effects when it feels like it, and sounds good to most folks’ ears. There is ONE problem though, that might occur when you try and run it on a DCC track - it burns out at just over 19V.
However, if you do not run DCC, nor intend to, that won’t overly concern you.
tac, ig & The Freemont Bridge Boys
Those are some VERY attractive prices on ebay aren’t they? 
I do not have the Tsunami system but I have a 4-4-0 American equipped with it’s predecessor made by the same manufacturer, Soundtraxx. I got it working and have to say I don’t like it. Tac mentions “self triggers effects when it feels like it”, yep, sure does! Whistles and bells going off with no apparent reason. I would not pay $20.00 for it.
Take the above for what it’s worth, just my experience with the same sort of system. I am seriously thinking of picking up one of the “non-sound” versions and adding sound later. Waiting to see if Aristo ever releases their sound card equipped revolution I hear rumors of…
Slightly OT, but I have the Sierra system in an AccuCraft K-27 and it’s just fine. I run it on straight DC, not having had the courage to go to r/c and batteries yet, but the sounds that come out of it are entirely appropriate.
Without any power to the track at this point - turn on the system via the switch under the tender filler and
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Instant stationary boiler hiss noises, followed after a few seconds by the feedwater pump. Then, after about a minute, the invisible fireman stoking the firehole.
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A little throttle and two toots, followed by the requisite number of chuffs and the bell - feedwater maybe, maybe not, depends…
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A quick flick of the throttle an back gets you the grade-crossing whistle - - - . -
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Slowing down to a stop gets you a loud escape of steam sound and a toot.
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Reverse gets you three toots and so on…
What else is there?
tac, ig & The Broadway Bridge Boys
To be fair if you compare the Sierra board to the Tsunami board, you are comparing apples and oranges. The Sierra technology is a lot older. The only experience I have with Tsunami sound is in HO and I can say it sounds wonderful. As far as large scale I have no idea. I would be concerned with voltage because large scale runs in a much higher voltage than HO.
I also was not aware that Soundtraxx had started building a large scale version of their Tsunami board. If the Bachmann loco is equiped with one I wonder if they are stepping down the voltage so the soundboard can run on the large scale voltages.
One member of our group has a 3 truck shay with Tsunami sound. It’s on track power. I think it sounds good, but it was VERY low volume, and he said there was no volume adjustment. If that is true I would spend more, and get louder sound. Maybe there is a way to turn up the sound, and we don’t know about it. If there is volume adjustmet SOMEONE please tell tell us about it. Thank You
There’s a volume adjustment on the Bachmann quasai-tsunami … but you have to put it on a DCC system to do it, along with any other changes you might want to make. I saw one run at St Aubin’s, and the chuff rate was way too slow (remember, a Shay is supposed to have 6 per turn of the crank, and even the factory chuff contacts only give you 3. This one was set up more like a rod engine would sound …) Once you’ve made the changes, it should remember them, unless something bad happens, so you don’t have to HAVE a DCC system, you just have to get someone to let you USE one to do the programming, and then you can go back to your track power system and run it.
Anyway…
If your Sierra is whistling when it shouldn’t on track power, and you’re using the voltage controlled whistle, there are two filters you can set, which when maximized make the voltage control whistle impossible to MAKE happen in most cases, nevermind have it happen accidentally (barring something odd like a power interruption to the track or something…) If you want the skinny on how to do that, contact me off list; I have the book someplace, and can walk you through it.
Matthew (OV)