Hi All - I’m sharing photos below of the challenging DCC sound conversion project I completed this week for a customer’s LGB 2050 Steam Tram including smoker and LED cab lights. LGB produced these little locomotives during 1969 - 1985 timeframe, so it has the infamous clam shell motor block with NO circuit board for the motor or headlights, straight analog track power. I decided on using a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 TSU4400 sound decoder but the rear compartment required Dremel cutting to open up fitment space for it and the Current-Keeper capacitor. LGB produced four other Steam Tram models: LGB 2150 in 1991 and the LGB 25500 in 1997, both without any decoder or sound; then they produced the LGB 23500 in 2003 with an Onboard MTS decoder, again no sound. Then Marklin produced the LGB 24500 and LGB 25500 in 2011 with Onboard decoders, but still no sound. None of the five models had an operating smoke unit, just a short shaft “dummy” smoke stack that held the boiler in place by a screw nut. I don’t think any of the models had cab lights. Here’s the challenge my customer gave me to his highly-prized collector item: Install DCC sound, operating smoker, and cab light! Okay, LGB and Marklin didn’t use a smoker probably because the regular LGB 18v. has a long shaft that won’t work for the short shaft need. But I always like a challenge. See the series of photos below showing the major tasks for this conversion. There’s a video on my Website of my completed conversion operating on my DCC Test Stand…has very robust chuff sounds, the 18v. smoker, and two Massoth LED spotlights installed into the cab. Any questions please ask.
I’ll add the photos once I figure out how to do it on this forum.
