Hi all, I was wondering if any one has installed a QSI Titan Bachmann plug and play decoder in the outside frame 2-4-4 Forney. A month ago I talked with Josh at the QSI booth at the Amherst show and he mentioned I would need a specific model of the Bachmann decoder for it to work with the optical chuff sensor in the Forney. Just interested to see if anyone has had success / issues with this install.
Thanks
Steve
Is it a different model, or just programmed for the chuff input?
The K27 had a reversed logic chuff signal, active high. Have to look at the schematic on the Forney. Does it have a socket inside?
Greg
Hi Greg, I have not ordered the decoder yet, waiting for a response from QSI. The model is the outside frame Bachmann Forney. It has the socket. When I went to the Amherst Train show I had intentions of purchasing the QSI Titan Bachmann version decoder. Since QSI was there I thought I would check with Josh about whether or not I would need any modifications for the optical chuff sensor the Forney has. Josh’s response was that it depended on what version the Forney was. I thought Bachmann only made the Forney in two versions, the inside versus the outside frame models. So this is what lead me on the line of posts. I have sent a email to QSI and hopefully Josh will get it and be able to respond.
Thanks Steve
Greg here are some pictures:
Steve Mitchell said:
Hi all, I was wondering if any one has installed a QSI Titan Bachmann plug and play decoder in the outside frame 2-4-4 Forney. A month ago I talked with Josh at the QSI booth at the Amherst show and he mentioned I would need a specific model of the Bachmann decoder for it to work with the optical chuff sensor in the Forney. Just interested to see if anyone has had success / issues with this install.
Thanks
Steve
Steve
Josh visited our railroad a number of years ago and set up the configurations for the forney with motor parameters that worked best.
There is only one version and it works fine with the QSI chuff. Make sure you order the Bachmann version. It will plug right in.
Stan
My Bachmann Forney has a TCS WOW-121 decoder and is it ever sweet. The chuff works fine and it can be skewed also in the software. Love the sound quality.
Before anyone asks, the Forney has a very efficient motor and the WOW-121 is good up to 1.5 amps. I am not putting that many cars behind it either.
Waiting for TCS to come out with the WOW-501 decoder. This will be the G-Scale version of the WOW-121 rated at 8 amps max.
Thanks Stan. Dennis, I have been waiting for the WOW-501 too. Again, while at the Amherst Train show I talked to the TCS guys hoping they would have it at the show but no luck. They said at the time (end of January) that it was about a week away, still nothing. They were trying to dial in the BEMF settings for the g scale locomotives. Is the HO version loud enough for outdoors?
Steve
Depends on what you consider “loud.” I’ve got one in an LGB Porter, and with a 1" speaker in the boiler, I run the volume at around 80% to be in line with the “typical” sound level on my other locos. I’d expect a larger speaker in a better enclosure to put out a bit more sound. I don’t run my sound systems all that loud (I like to hear the sound of the train fade away after about 15’ away), so take that into consideration. If you’re expecting your sound system to rival the teenager’s stereo next door, you’ll want to wait until the large-scale board comes out.
Later,
K
Steve Mitchell said:
Thanks Stan. Dennis, I have been waiting for the WOW-501 too. Again, while at the Amherst Train show I talked to the TCS guys hoping they would have it at the show but no luck. They said at the time (end of January) that it was about a week away, still nothing. They were trying to dial in the BEMF settings for the g scale locomotives. Is the HO version loud enough for outdoors?
Steve
I have not run it yet outside as still building the railroad. Using a speaker that fits the mounting in the Forney and has a large magnet. It really does sound loud in a quiet room. Did take is to a local show and had it on a table with roller bearings just to demonstrate the sound and DCC using an Android phone as a throttle. It was noisy in the area and was hard to hear some of the sounds the WOW generates. I think the sound level should be fine outside and not too loud, if so then the WOW can be programmed to lower the level(s) of all or any sound in the WOW.
The answer to the question in this thread:
There is only one hardware version.
Get the pre-programmed file just for the Bachmann, saves you setting up the chuff from autochuff to work with the sensors.
It is plug and play, and the Q3 emulator system is something beyond the others, when you compare it side by side to anything else.
Greg
Well I got my Bachmann QSI Titan decoder for my Forney and installed it last night (plug & play). Motor control works fine and the bell and whistle work too (not as loud as my other QSI Magnum). There is no CHUFF at all and no fire box or ash pan flicker. Forward head light is rather dim. Before when it ran on DC with no decoder the ash pan and fire box flicker work well and the head light was brighter. So much for plug and play. Guess tonight I start the trouble shooting and trying to contact QSI for support. 
Steve
As I responded in the other forum, you got the wrong sound file, and NOT the Bachmann specific one I cautioned you about in my post on March 24.
I’m confident once you have the one specific to your loco you will be fine.
It’s on this page: http://www.qsisolutions.com/#!large-scale-q2-fx-files/cqif
There are 4 Bachmann model specific files on the bottom of this page for reference.
Greg
Thanks Greg. I will install that file tonight. Funny I ordered the decoder from Tony’s Train Exchange. I specified the Bachmann decoder and the only choices they gave me for files was the Heavy, Medium, or Light sound files. I would have ordered the Forney if it was an option in their pull down menu. Glad I have the programmer.
Thanks
Steve
I’ll give feedback to Josh, and he can help Tony’s do a better job next time.
As you saw from the link, the Bachmann files are clearly indicated on the web site.
If you have any other issues, please post them, I use the QSI a lot and keep up with the development. I beta tested the Generation 1 g scale units, the Titan is the 3rd generation of the technology.
Greg
Hi Greg, I have programmed the Bachmann Forney Q2 file into the locomotive per your instructions. The file corrected all the issues I was having except one. The locomotive seems to run faster at a given speed step in reverse than it does at the same speed step in forward. It almost seems like a two to one ratio, twice as fast in reverse as in forward. I am new at programming CVs but the more I do it the better I’ll get (I hope). Any suggestions?
Thanks
Steve
Yes, I observed that there seem to be custom speed tables in the files, and, to me, they seem goofy, it takes a lot of throttle to get moving, but the upper throttle range seems to be very “compressed”.
But it should be the same in each direction, so do this: set momentum to zero (CV3 and CV4 to zero) and see if that changes it. The momentum is one of the few things that can be different with direction.
Typically, people will set the deceleration HALF of the acceleration… the reasoning is that people get in more trouble stopping in time as opposed to getting up to speed.
Let me know if this does the trick. If so, set the momentum the same in both directions. NOTE WELL: the momentum setting has a LOT to do with how the sound works, this is spelled out in many places in the documentation.
So if you run with zero momentum, you will not hear the effects of the “load sensitive sound” as much.
Greg
Greg, I set CV3 & CV4 to 0 but no change in speed difference.
Thanks
Steve
Then it must be mechanical Steve, because there is nothing else in the decoder that is direction sensitive (there is consist momentum also, but I strongly doubt you have this loco as part of a consist).
To prove it to yourself, you might put the shorting plug back in, run it on DC and observe.
Greg
Greg I followed you advice and set he Forney back to DC and monitored voltage and current. When at 6volts DC the Forney ran faster in reverse than forward with the forward current drawing about 330 ma and the reverse current draw about 270 ma. This test was done with LED lighting turned off. I removed the filter board that was mounted across the motor inputs and retested, results were about the same. When hand turning the flywheel in the forward direction I could feel a very slight increase in mechanical resistance than when turned in the reverse direction. I re-checked the lubrication and found it to be sufficient. As Greg mentioned the speed difference is due to a mechanical issue. Everything is smooth in both directions and there is no apparent issues with the drive train. My only guess is that the design of the gear box presents slightly more mechanical resistance in forward than in reverse. Greg I seem to have resolved this issue by enabling and selecting user defined speed table #3, and set the Reverse Trim CV95 to 60. So the CVs are as follows. CV25=3, CV29=18 and CV95=60. This really equalized the forward and reverse speeds. I have not tested this at high speeds yet because I only have a short test track in my basement. Greg thanks for your time in trying to help me resolve this issue.
Thanks
Steve