Large Scale Central

Thomas the Train Upgrades

Modeling Motive Power
#1

Hello Everyone-

Been busy over the last few years building the new house that my family and I now live in. I have a temporary workbench set up now to be able to work on some projects. Hoping that in the winter of 2020 I can work on finishing off my train room which is roughly 30’ x 50’. Plans are to have an indoor Large Scale and HO scale layout.

For my first project I decided to upgrade a Bachmann Thomas the Train locomotive. I’m adding a DCC sound decoder, lighting effects, and a cab interior. I figure this may give my kids some interest in running trains with me some day. I’ll be installing a Soundtraxx TSU-4400 Steam-2 decoder for motor, lighting, and all of the sound effects except for the whistle. For the whistle I’ll be using the Soundtraxx/Bachmann sound decoder. I’m using this decoder because of the authentic Peep Peep whistle for Thomas.

Hope you enjoy has I go through the process I took to work on this.

Thomas the Train

#2

Screw removal

The red arrows point to the screw location.

Removing the Face

The face pulls straight off. Now the body can be pulled off from the frame.

#3

Sound Decoders installed

The Soundtraxx/Bachmann decoder is mounted to the left, on top of the mechanism that makes the eyes go back and forth. The Soundtraxx TSU-4400 decoder is mounted towards the right side. A Soundtraxx Currentkeeper can be seen underneath the TSU-4400 decoder. I used double stick foam tape and polyimide film tape to secure the decoders in place.

Added two slide switces

Being that I have two decoders in one engine I wanted a way to program the decoders individually. Both decoders are programmed to engine #1. The Soundtraxx/Bachmann decoder has all sound features turned down to 0 except for the whistle volume. Likewise, the TSU-4400 decoder has only the whistle volume turned down to 0. I used the original slide switch to turn power on/off to the Soundtraxx/Bachmann decoder. I then added a second slide switch to turn power on/off to the TSU-4400.

#4

I assume you are driving the motors from the TSU-4400?

The Bachmann OEM has the nasty problem that when power is interrupted, it won’t resume until you go to speed step 0 and then resume… I’ve got one in an Emily and I need to set up keepalive caps to stop this from happening (power pickup crappy)

Greg

#5

Correct, TSU-4400 is driving the motor.

Only reason for the Bachmann OEM decoder is to have the Thomas Peep Peep sound. The TSU-4400 has a British whistle that sounds good, but I just want the true Thomas peep peep.

#6

That’s a lot of expense in decoders but I bought the bachmann OEM for my Emily/Stirling for just for the whistle. Surprised there’s little else in the decoder, but SoundTraxx has a history of pulling out features for oem decoders like the chuff trigger input.

Greg

#7

I have 2 Bachmann HO locomotives with “value added sound” decoders in them, and they both went silent. I have reset the one a few times, but it refuses to do more than one “chuff” before it goes silent again. I am not impressed with the Bachmann/Soundtraxx decoders.

#8

Yeah, i’ve had mostly negative experiences… some of the CV settings on the OEM units just disappear as compared to the “full retail version”.

Greg

#9

You’re correct Greg, that’s a lot of cost for decoders. But when I bought the OEM decoder I was left unimpressed, figure might as well put it to use and still get a peep peep out of it.

#10

Yeah, a disappointment to me too. I would have thought they could have added something else like a bell.