SoundBytes XIII

We have been busy here the last few weeks. We received the Blackstone cabooses here this past week and have been trying to get these out to the dealers quickly. Also, we were in Milwaukee this past weekend for Trainfest 2009.

Blackstone cabooses.
For those Blackstone modelers, we have received the cabooses Friday, Nov 6th and have been shipping them since to the hobby shops.

These should arrive soon at your favorite dealer soon. The delivery truck showed up and we all went out and organized the boxes by part number. We then open and inspect each box to ensure that the cars that we received and ship are in excellent condition. We also inspect the cars for accuracy during assembly. Then we put them in the warehouse and begin shipping to the dealers. This process usually takes half a day. As you can see, we get quite a few cabooses to ship all around the world.

Trainfest 2009
We were in Milwaukee this past weekend for Trainfest 2009. This show is one of the largest shows in the USA. Many manufacturers and vendors attend this show annually.

The show started Friday night with a manufacturer meet and greet. This portion of the show layout is open to modelers who have purchased tickets for this special event. The rest of the show opened Saturday morning and ran through Sunday evening. We were able to meet with many of our customers, which we enjoy.

We also got to visit the North American Prototype Modelers Club layout located in Milwaukee. This layout is impressive, and there is much to still get finished. Thank you to the NAPM members for their hospitality. You can see some of their work on the website, http://www.napmltd.org/.
Next up is the Oklahoma City Show, December 5th and 6th. Details can be found at http://www.okctrainshow.com/. Be sure to come by and see us.

Tech Tip:
Operating a diesel Locomotive.
Last time we discussed in depth about operating a steam locomotive in a realistic way. This time, we will demonstrate how to operate a diesel locomotive in a similar fashion.

Operating a Diesel Locomotive

•Turn on the prime mover (F9)
This will start your operating session. Allow the air brake lines to pump up and idle for a few moments to get the loco to operating temp.
•Turn on lights (F0, F5, F6)

These allow you to see, but more importantly, allow others to see your train coming.
•Whistle (horn) signals (F2&3)
Following whistle signals will alert crew on train and ground as to your train’s movements. See chart at the end.
•Turn on the bell (F1)
The bell helps alert anyone within the area to hear and look for moving trains.
•Release the engine brakes (F11)
Setting the brakes holds the train still while crew are working. Releasing them in a separate step will sound the “hiss” of released air from the brakes.
•Ramp engine to notch 2 (F9)
Increasing the throttle will allow just a bit more power to the traction motors on the trucks than when in idle.
•Gently increase throttle to pullout the slack (Speed Knob)
Start off slow to pull the slack out from the couplers. If you just crank up the throttle, the tons of weight behind the locomotive will break the couplers and cause the train to go into emergency. •Ramp prime mover to run 3 (F9)
•Increase throttle (Speed Knob)
After the slack is pulled out from the couplers and all cars are moving, now you can gently accelerate as the trackage dictates. If in a yard, proceed at yard speed limits, however if out on the main; accelerate slowly until reaching maximum allowable track speeds.
•Increase to run 4 (F9)
Once clear of the yard limits, you can then begin to get the train up to speed.
•Blow a grade crossing
Following FRA rules, every public road crossing needs a whistle signal blown. 2 long blasts, 1 short blast then 1 more long blast. For other non-public crossings one long blast and one short would be appropriate. See chart at end.

To simulate heavy train, pulling up a grade:

•Continue running engine to run 8
The train will need all available horsepower to pull the train up the hill.
•Keep the train at a steady pace (Speed Knob)
Using the speed knob, keep the train at a slow, steady pace to get it up the hill in tact. Too much force could break a knuckle. The locomotives screaming at run 8 are putting the full horsepower available on the train to get it up the hill.

Once the grade is crested, you will need to use the brakes to get it down the hill.

•Keep train at steady pace (Speed Knob)
The train as it crests the hill, will begin to bunch up on the locomotive(s). Balancing the train over the crest can be a tricky endeavor while half needs to be pulled up; the other half is trying to roll down the hill.
•Turn on dynamic brake (F4) Dynamic brakes use the traction motors as generators, and as a result of the magnetic field, cause resistance on the axles. This helps the locomotive keep control of the train in conjunction with the train brakes and locomotive brakes. When dynamic brakes are used, each locomotive manufacturer addresses the cooling in different ways. EMD, for example, runs the diesel prime mover to idle before the dynamic braking effects and cooling fans activate.
•Turn on brake squeal (F11)
When the train goes down the grade, try to apply the brakes sparingly to keep them from overheating. This will also help keep the train under control while running downhill.
•Turn off dynamic brake (F4)
When level ground is reached again, turn off the dynamic brakes. When the dynamic brakes are turned off, the prime mover on an EMD loco will return to the last notch setting that was applied before. Now you may need throttle again to pull the train along the level ground.

Arriving at next station or siding for meet and shutdown sequence:
•Gently reduce throttle (Speed Knob)
•Ramp down prime mover (F10)
When approaching the next stop, you will want to slow the train down to control the cars if you should need to traverse any turnouts in the arriving yard or take a siding. You can keep the prime mover up if you desire to have additional power available if needed to follow the path set by the yardmaster.
•Ring the bell (F1)
When in a yard, around public or railroad personnel, the bell warns those on the ground to look for a moving train.
•Apply the train brakes (F11)
By applying the brakes, you can control the location for the train to stop without touching the throttle. This will allow you to pinpoint a stop without needing to ‘kick’ the throttle then overshoot your spot. Once the train is stopped at the proper location, turn down the throttle to stop.
•Whistle signal for brake/stop (F3)
A short blast allows those on the ground to know that the locomotive/train is stopped. See the chart below.
•Once stopped, reduce throttle and diesel RPMs to idle. (F10 + Speed Knob)
This will allow the locomotive to be stopped fully. The locomotive drops to idle.
•Turn off diesel Prime mover (F10)
When ready to de-bark the locomotive, we can shut down the locomotive’s prime mover. This will stop the locomotive for the next crew.


Common Whistle Signals

- is designated as long whistle blast
o is designated as short whistle blast

Approaching a public road - - o -
Warning for areas where view is obstructed - o
Approaching a station or flag stop -
Release brakes - -
Set brakes o
Flagman protect the rear of a train - ooo
Stopping (When in motion) ooo
Going in reverse (When initially moving) ooo
Going forward (when initially moving) - -
Recall Flagman from West (North) - - - -
Recall Flagman from East (South) - - - - -
Approach/Meet with another train - - o
Acknowledgement of signal not otherwise specified oo

SoundBytes XII

It has been a busy month here for us. We were set up at the International Hobby Expo in Chicago and we will be setting up at Trainfest in Milwaukee November 13-15th. In this edition, we will talk a bit about the iHobby show. Then we will introduce you to one of the newest members of SoundTraxx and her first snow. Last for our Tech tip, we will show you how to operate our Tsunami prototypically and help slow down our operation sessions and add virtual length to our always too short model railroads.

iHobby
The iHobby show in Chicago is different from the shows we usually attend. At this convention, there are manufacturers from many different hobbies,

such as Radio Controlled cars, planes, boats and helicopters, slot cars, plastic model kits like cars and jets, collectible cars and a few tool manufacturers as well. The show is open only to store owners and their employees the first couple of days, and then is open to the public Saturday and Sunday. We were able to visit with many dealers over the weekend, as well as many of our customers. We demonstrated our new TSU-KT1000 installed into a Kato F40PH set up for HEP. (Head End Power) This decoder is the easiest yet since it has the LEDs built on the board in the correct places for the ‘light pipes’ that Kato uses for illumination, and Kato has provided a speaker mount for the 1” round speaker we offer as well. These should be shipping shortly.
We are also getting ready for Trainfest in Milwaukee, WI. This show will be held November 14-15, 2009. If you are able to attend, come by and see us. We will be showing any new products we may have up our sleeves!
On another note, the Cabooses are in the USA on a truck headed to our facility. These are scheduled to arrive by the end of next week. Once we have completed incoming inspection, we will get these out to our dealer network as quickly as possible.

The new SoundTraxx CEO(??)

Our newest member of the team has been getting a lot of attention. Nancy’s 8 month-old Golden Retriever, Sadie experienced her first snow this week in Durango. We all couldn’t help ourselves from laughing as she would bury her face into the snow and roll around. Sadie probably would be content to spend all day outside if she could! She spends each day ‘helping out’ in the office, greeting visitors and always wants to be a part of every meeting. She has become a staple of our office environment.

Tech Tip:
One of the aspects of operation we promote is realistic operation using sound. Following FRA rules and ‘Whistle Signals’ will help add that missing dimension to create a realistic simulation of the prototype. Add in handling of a train correctly, this helps involve us more than simply turning a knob to run a train, now we are operating a railroad. All of this adds to the fun, as well as adding to the always too short mainline runs, and switching jobs that we love to have during any model railroad ops sessions.
We have outlined a typical use of running a steam Tsunami equipped locomotive in pulling out of the yard and stopping to take on water. These methods can be used for a multitude of situations that may come up in an operating session. Running a Steam Tsunami

•Turn on the dynamo (F0)
This will turn on the electric power to the locomotive for lights.
•Whistle signals (F2&3)
Following whistle signals will alert crew on train and ground as to your train’s movements. See chart at the end.
•Turn on the bell (F1)
The bell helps alert anyone within the area to hear and look for moving trains.
•Throw Johnson bar (Direction Key)
This will set the locomotive into a forward direction.
•Release the brake (F11)
Setting the brakes holds the train still while crew are working. Releasing them in a separate step will sound the hiss of released air from the brakes.
•Crack the throttle (Speed Knob)
Start off slow to pull the slack out from the couplers. If you just crank up the throttle, the tons of weight behind the locomotive will break the couplers and cause the train to go into emergency.
•Hear the snifter lift (Automatic)
This is a valve on top of the cylinders that keeps water from condensing into the piston cylinders.
•Open the cylinder cocks (F4)
By opening the cylinder cocks, any sediment that could compromise the steam entering the cylinders is blown out.
•Increase throttle (Speed Knob)
After the slack is pulled out from the couplers and all cars are moving, now you can gently accelerate as the trackage dictates. If in a yard, proceed at yard speed limits, however if out on the main; accelerate slowly until reaching maximum allowable track speeds.
•Close cylinder cocks (F4)
Open cylinder cocks do cost pressure in the cylinders and therefore decrease the power the locomotive has available to move the train.
•Blow a grade crossing (when necessary)
Following FRA rules, every road crossing needs a whistle signal blown. 2 long blasts, 1 short blast then 1 more long blast. See chart at end.

Stop for water.
•Call For Flagman (F2 & F3)
Following the whistle signals will tell your train crew to protect the rear of the train from following trains during a stop. This signal is one long blast followed by 3 short blasts of the whistle. See chart at end.
•Drag brakes to slow train (F11)
Applying the brakes will gently slow the train to a stop. For the train, a gentle application of the brakes will keep the train from bunching up on the locomotive and keep it stretched out to protect against derailments.
•Come to stop/blow signal (F3)
Once the train is completely stopped under the water tower, blow one short blast of the whistle to tell everyone that you are stopped completely.
•Fill tender with water
Using F9 will give the sounds of the water hatch opening, water filling up the tender and when done, sound of the tender hatch closing. Doing this for a predetermined time per loco will ensure a full tank.
•Recall flagman (F3)
The flagman is protecting the rear of the train during the stop. We need to notify him of out impending departure. Blowing the appropriate signal from the whistle tells the flagman to return to the train. This signal will depend on direction of travel of the train. See chart at end.
•Begin departure
Start up the departure sequence again, whistle signals, bell, release brakes, crack throttle, accelerate.

Common Whistle Signals

- is designated as long whistle blast
o is designated as short whistle blast

Approaching a public road - - o -
Warning for areas where view is obstructed - o
Approaching a station or flag stop -
Release brakes - -
Set brakes o
Flagman protect the rear of a train - ooo
Stopping (When in motion) ooo
Going in reverse (When initially moving) ooo
Going forward (when initially moving) - -
Recall Flagman from West (North) - - - -
Recall Flagman from East (South) - - - - -
Approach/Meet with another train - - o
Acknowledgement of signal not otherwise specified oo

As you can see that there are many things to attend to when actually operating a steam locomotive with a train. Just turning a knob does not fully get you involved like sound can. This sequence was developed by following the actual operation techniques used by our employees Jarrette (Fireman) and Jeff (Engineer) on the Durango and Silverton Railroad. Following this sequence will bring the railroad to life, and help make it more fun!

SoundBytes XI

Trade show season is looming upon us. We get to pack up and travel to many cities to meet and greet the modelers. As much fun as it is to talk with our customers and hearing about their layouts and experiences, it is also hard work. Packing up everything we need including our booth displays can be exhausting. As tiring as it can be, it is all worth it in the end. Our upcoming train-show schedule includes iHobby (International Hobby Exposition) in Chicago, IL, Trainfest in Milwaukee, WI, The Oklahoma City train Show in Oklahoma City, OK, and The Big Railroad Show in West Springfield, MA. The dates and locations of each of these shows are available from our website. We invite anyone in attendance of these shows to come by the SoundTraxx and Blackstone Models booth to say “hi” and see what we have that is new.

SoundTraxx’ Great California Extravaganza!
This past week, George and Nancy took a trip to Southern California to visit some of our dealers. We were able to visit many fine Hobby shops in southern and central California. The week started in Los Angeles area. On Thursday, we held 2 clinics in the Milepost 38 Train store. Attendance was great and everyone walked away learning something.
Friday we were at it again. We were able to visit a few more of our dealers and we held a clinic for Allied Model Trains and The Original Whistlestop at the Radisson in Culver City. Thank you to all of those that were able to attend, we hope that you enjoyed our presentation.
On the road again Saturday Morning, we drove from LA area to San Francisco area for the Open house at Just Trains in Concord. Along the way, we were able to stop in to a couple more hobby shops.
Sunday saw a large turnout for the Open House. We spoke with many model railroaders in the area. Afterward, we were invited by a member of the Carquinez Model Railroad Society to view their layout in progress. The sheer size was amazing, but the fact that it will only get better was astounding! This is a mushroom style layout in a 36’x60’ space. Pete was a great host giving us a tour of the layout. You can find out more about the club at http://www.carquinezmrs.org/
Monday, we were able to stop by 2 more hobby shops before flying back home. Overall it was a good trip, meeting many of our customers. We stopped at 12 hobby shops, gave 3 clinics, one all-day open house in 4 ½ days.
We want to issue a special Thank you to Allied Model Trains, The Original Whistlestop, Just Trains and Milepost 38 trains for their hospitality.

Tech Tip:
Since we have been building the Tsunami for the Genesis Models, more and more modelers have been introduced to DCC and sound. The biggest question we get is a simple one: How do I change the address?
First, lets talk about addresses. Most modern decoders support both a long and short address, but what does all that mean? CV1 is used to store what is called the short address. The short address can be any number from 1-127. For example, Locomotive road number 91 would be considered a short address.CVs 17 and 18 are used to store what is called the long address by using a mathematical algorithm to calculate the individual CV values. Most of the command stations available today do this calculation for you. The long address is usually 128-9999, but can include 0001-0127 as well, depending on the command station’s capabilities. This allows us as modelers to use the locomotive road number as the decoder address. Following this example a road number of 5675 would be considered a long address. In a prior post, we discussed the PTB-100 and why it is recommended. This would allow easy programming of the address for the Tsunami decoder, long or short, at any time. However, with mainline programming (AKA OPS mode or programming on the main) it is possible to make necessary changes to the decoder, including the address. It just involves a couple more steps in the process. Let me explain.
The Tsunami decoder is programmed to ignore changes to the address it is using on the mainline to ensure you do not lose control of the locomotive. Therefore, if we want to change the address to 20 from the default value of 3, it will ignore the command. The reason for this is if we are programming CV41 in a hurry and accidentally do not fully press the 4, we would be programming CV1, short address, and would instantly lose control of the locomotive, possibly causing a headache for the modeler! There are many ways this could happen. I have done it myself and thank goodness for that feature!
To then change address 3 to 20, it involves an additional step. To start, we would select OPS programming. Be sure to follow your DCC manufacturer’s instructions on how to do this because all systems are different and some systems do not allow it. Because the decoder will not change the address it is using, we must change the long address first. Choose a number for the long address that is easy to remember, like 1000. Following the DCC system’s instructions, change the long address to 1000. Then we need to program CV29 to look for and use the long address. Using the chart in the user’s guide, I select for my locomotives a value of 34 for CV29. Be sure to check the documentation for your system since some systems make this change for you and activate the address you just entered, long or short. Dial up address 1000 with the cab and get control of your locomotive. Once you have control of the locomotive, now we will use ops mode programming to change the short address to 20. Using a similar procedure used to change the long address, we would now select short address, or CV1 and program this to a value of 20. Then using the CV29 chart in the users’ guide again, change CV29 to 2 or 6 (6 allows use on DC whereas 2 does not). Then gain control of the locomotive under address 20. Now your locomotive is running under address 20. Using this method will allow you to change the address any time you need. When programming in this method, be sure the locomotive accepts the program by watching for it to lurch forward. This is the visual acknowledgement from the decoder that it has accepted the change that you have made.

SoundBytes X

It’s time for another installment of SoundBytes. This time we will visit the SoundTraxx and Blackstone Models booth at the 29th National Narrow Gauge Convention. We will also share with you the most recent Blackstone Models product announcements. Finally, our Tech Tip this time will focus on consisting locomotives with sound.
As previously mentioned, we will be visiting several hobby shops in the Los Angeles/Southern California area and in the San Francisco Bay area. On Thursday night, Oct 1, we will be giving a SoundTraxx Tsunami clinic at Milepost 38 in Anaheim, CA.

On Friday, Oct 2, we will be giving a clinic in conjunction with Allied Model Trains in Culver City and The Original Whistlestop in Pasadena at the Radisson in Culver City, CA. On Sunday, Oct 4th, we will be setting up at Just Trains in Concord for their annual Open House. Come by and see us. For more details, please contact these hobby shops for times and to sign-up, space may be limited.

The 29th NNG
The end of summer also brings about an exciting time for the model train community, Train Show season. This year, we begin the season with a trip to the 29th National Narrow Gauge convention in Colorado Springs. This year, the convention ran from Wednesday, September 16th through Saturday, September 19th. This convention is a big one for us, especially with our Blackstone Models in Hon3. Being just a few hours away, driving gave us the ability to bring

more things to show. The Hon3 layout constructed by Allison was on display and running trains in the booth. A display computer showed the various CAD drawings of the C-19 locomotive and other upcoming Blackstone projects as well. On display were pre-production samples of our caboose, economy door boxcar and the first sample of the drop bottom gondola, along with our other currently available rolling stock. This sample was custom painted for display purposes only and may vary from actual production models. We also brought along a section of the large SoundTraxx booth for displaying Tsunami sound decoders as well.
We had the opportunity to talk with many of our customers who had many good things to say, as well as many suggestions for the future products we should consider offering. Spending time with the customers is always one of the more enjoyable aspects of being in this business.

Blackstone Announcements:

At this convention, many manufacturers of narrow gauge equipment take this time to announce new products and we were no exception. A while back, we had announced our intention to produce tank cars. These will be done in the narrow frame and frameless versions. A matrix for road name and numbers was finalized in time for the show. Hobby shops are taking pre-orders now. Along with the sample of the drop bottom gondola, we also had displayed the first sample of a new rolling stock announcement, a double-deck stock car. This car was designed with a middle deck to load sheep with 2x the capacity as a normal stock car. Road numbers and paint versions have not been finalized yet.
Our final announcement we had was to let everyone know that we are in fact currently researching and designing the Jackson and Sharp open platform passenger cars. These are still under development; so many details are yet to be determined, including paint schemes and road numbers. As you can see it will be a busy and exciting year for Blackstone Models. Many thanks to you who have helped support this growing product line!

Tech Tip:
Diesel locomotives were designed to connect multiple locomotives and operate as though they are one unit. Steam locomotives too were consisted, but required 2 full crews to double head a train. Consisting multiple Tsunami-equipped locomotives appears to be complicated to some, but really it is not difficult. Following these techniques, you should be able to consist any number of locomotives with ease.
Consisting a set of locomotives can be done in a few different ways, basic, standard and advanced. The recommended method to use is the advanced consist. The consist address is stored in the decoder and responds to the functions you designate for each loco. The DCC system sends out only one command and any loco programmed with the advanced consist address will respond accordingly. Lets look closer at the advanced consist.
Advanced consist addresses range from 1-127. This value is stored into CV 19. For example, let’s use consist number 45. Any locomotive facing forward would have CV 19=45. If the locomotive will be traveling backward in the consist, add 128 to the value. In our example, any unit facing backwards, CV 19 should be programmed to 173. (45+128=173) This can be set for any number of locomotives within the limits of a DCC power booster. Many command stations can set up advanced consists as well, be sure to check the DCC system’s documentation. Now the locomotives will all respond to motor commands as one unit, but there are no functions working yet.
Each unit based on its position in the consist will be set up to respond differently to the function commands. For example, the trailing unit would not blow its horn when the lead unit does, and the middle unit(s) will not have the headlamps on. So CV 21 and CV 22 will set up each locomotive to respond to the function commands that pertain to each unit.
Following this chart, you will ‘turn on’ any function for any unit as desired. Simply determine which functions will be active and add up the associated values to calculate the final value of each CV. F2 (horn) has a value of 2 and F3 (short horn) has a value of 4. If the lead unit will use the horn, add 6 (2+4) to the value in CV21. Add any values associated with the functions you want active. As an example, we will set up an A-B-A set of Tsunami-equipped F-units using a consist address of 45. The lead unit and B-unit (facing forward) will have CV 19 set to 45. The trailing A-unit will have CV 19 programmed to 173. (Remember, 45+128=173)
Now concentrate on the functions. The lead unit will have the headlamp, horn, bell, dynamic brakes, FX5 (mars light), F7 (dim) Mute, RPM+, RPM- (we will use manual notching for this example) Brake and Coupler active. To determine these values, refer to the chart. CV 21 for the lead A-unit, we want F1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. Total these values and you will get 223. CV22 for the lead A-unit we want F0f, F9, 10, 11, and 12. Total these and you will get 61.
Following this example let’s look to the B-unit. The B-unit will not use the lights, bell, horn, FX5 or FX6, F7 (dim) or coupler, however we will have dynamic brakes, mute, RPM+, RPM- and F11 Brakes. CV 21 will be set to 136. CV 22 will be set to 28.
Last, we look to the trailing A-unit. For this unit, we will have the F0f (which works based on the direction of travel for the locomotive, not the consist) dynamic brakes, mute, RPM+, RPM- and F11 brake active while all else is not applicable. In this case CV 21 will be set to 28. CV22 will be set to 137. This should set up your consist to operate as though it is one unit. Each time a consist is broken up and re-assigned, the function CVs may need to be changed. Following this method, setting up all of your consists should be trouble-free.

We want to issue a special “Thank You” to Dave Houston of Daylight Sales, a SoundTraxx and Blackstone Models dealer in the Sacremento, CA area, for sending us the photo of his F-units on his home layout.

SoundBytes IX-b

Attention modelers in the southern California area! SoundTraxx personnel will be in your area October 1st through the 5th. Everyone is invited to attend a SoundTraxx clinic and meet with SoundTraxx personnel. SoundTraxx Tsunami clinics will be held Thursday evening, Oct. 1 at Milepost 38 Trains in Anaheim and Friday evening, Oct. 2 in conjunction with Allied Model Trains and The Original Whistlestop at a central, convenient meeting site in the Los Angeles Area for either store. Please contact any of these fine shops for more details and a sign up sheet. On Oct 4th, we will be participating in the Open House for Just trains in Concord, CA, located in the San Francisco area. Come by and see us and see what we have new to show.
We will have more information about these upcoming visits in the next ‘Official’ post.

SoundBytes IX

With dealer training behind us we have been back to business as usual around here in Durango. We have started preparing for the 29th National Narrow Gauge Convention in 3 weeks in September as well as been soaking in the last of summer up here in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Colorado. In this latest installment of SoundBytes we’ll talk a little bit about a fun week in town at Railfest on the D&SNGRR and take a look at our new decoder selector on our website. For this weeks tech tip we will take a look at setting up advanced motor controls on the Tsunami.

Railfest and the Trains of August…

Every year in August on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad they have a celebration of narrow gauge railroading known as Railfest. This year welcomed some famous pieces of visiting equipment the opportunity to strut their stuff on rail fan excursions up the Animas Canyon. Visitors included the Eureka and Palisades #4, a Baldwin wood burning 4-4-0 American that has the distinction of being the oldest operating narrow gauge locomotive in the country, the NARCOA club’s line up of historic speeder pop cars, and the RGS historical society's Galloping Goose #5.

With all of the fun and excitement just a few blocks away George ran down to the depot to make sure he got a chance to see the E&P #4 depart. This engine was especially exciting for him to see, as he personally loves locomotives in this wheel arrangement. Its weeks like this when we realize how lucky we are to work only a few blocks from all the action. This makes morning train chasing trips easy to take in.

Another tradition at Railfest is a special train that runs over the weekend called the Presidential Special. This train consists of some of the red first class cars on the D&S as well as the General Palmer (The private car of Al Harper, the owner). This years consist was the 473 painted with a green boiler (The same green found on our Blackstone K-27 455), the newest first class car called “The Prospector”, “The San Juan”, “The Cinco”, and of course “The Palmer”. Two employees here at SoundTraxx were on board the train this year. Jeff played guitar (One many instruments he is skilled at playing) as the onboard entertainment while Jarrette was up in the engine as the fireman.

SoundTraxx New Decoder Selector!
As some of you may have noticed, we have launched our new decoder selector on the SoundTraxx website. It will include information for the correct prime mover sound as well as the Tsunami decoder we recommend for a given model. We have made it easy to use. First, simply select your scale. It will then pull up a list of popular manufacturers in your scale. After selecting the brand, it will pull up a list of their models that we have sounds available for. The locomotive model will have our suggested decoder and speaker, along with a speaker baffle if available. Sometimes, there may be more than one option to fit into a model, so we selected one that may require the least amount of work involved. For example, an HO- Athearn- Ready-To-Roll SD40-2, we recommend replacing their ‘DCC quick-plug’ board and use the TSU-AT1000 for EMD 2nd Generation 645 Turbo-charged. This board already has the circuitry to regulate the outputs for use with the 1.5v bulbs. This will allow more room for the speaker and any wires needed to fit with ease. You could also install a TSU-1000, but we believe the TSU-AT1000 is a better option. If you have not visited our selector yet, feel free to do so.
This is only phase one of our decoder selector. For phase 2, we plan on having additional information available in a step-by-step .PDF document to help you install the decoders into your model. This may take more time to get done. This is where you may be able to help. If you have installed our Tsunami decoder and speaker in a model listed, you can submit your photos along with a brief description of the installation. If you feel that you have an installation that would be beneficial to other SoundTraxx users, please send an E-mail to georgeb@soundtraxx.com and give a brief description of any methods that you employed to make the installation. Don’t forget to attach the photos to the e-mail. Not all submissions will make it to the final .PDF files for the website. We would prefer an easy install, but we also want it to be well planned with proven and reliable techniques that any modeler may be able to accomplish with common tools available to most modelers. For example, be sure the installation can be accomplished using normal hand tools in addition to those with access to a milling machine. We will be looking forward to receiving your submissions.

Tech Tip!
How to get the most out of the Tsunami motor control features

In many cases so many people focus on the great 16-bit digital sound found in the different Tsunami decoders we currently offer that they may not pay as close attention to some of its other great features. On top of being a great sounding decoder it also has some of the best motor control currently found on the market to date. While many decoders offer 14, 28, and 128 speed step modes (The Tsunami being no exception), the Tsunami has 2048 speed steps internally that gives ultra fine speed control. The Tsunami is also a decoder equipped with Back EMF. Back EMF measures the efficiency of the motor and compensates for efficiency losses that happen when under greater loads. This allows your locomotive to have it’s own “cruise control”, meaning that as it starts up a hill or crests down a grade the train’s speed will stay unchanged as the Back EMF corrects for any changes in the load on the motor. Although this feature is becoming more common in DCC decoders, the great thing about it in the Tsunami is that it is completely adjustable.

When adjusting the motor control and Back EMF there is several different CVs to adjust, however the first thing to take into account is what type of locomotive you have. Steam engines by nature are a lot less free rolling than diesel locomotives currently offered. This is due to the fact that diesel models have large flywheels that spin freely. In this example lets set up an Athearn Genesis SD60M equipped with a TSU-GN1000 to ideal motor control settings. We personally like to slow the locomotive down out of the box but not to the point that it isn’t realistic. In this example: set CV 209 to a value of 29, CV 210 to a value of 18 and CV212 to a value of 80 (although the lower you go in this CV the slower the locomotive will run). CV 209 is known as the Kp Coefficient and is adjusting the gain factor for the PID motor control equation. CV 210 adjusts the gain factor of the Ki coefficient for the PID motor control equation. CV 212 adjusts the motor intensity. If you set these values too high the motor will run very rough, also if you set the values to 0 then the motor will stop. When adjusting these CVs, start with 209 and 210 at very low values and increase them each by 1-2 until the model runs smoother. If it begins to run rough lower the value back down. Once you find the motor running smooth take CV 212 and decrease it by 10s until it gets you to the slow speed you desire in speed step 1. Also, when using a Back EMF decoder with advanced motor control, make sure to leave CV 2 at a value of 0. Add in a bit of momentum, and your train will start up smooth as silk.
Taking time to adjust the speed control CVs of the Tsunami decoder will produce an excellent running model. Following this procedure, you can have an entire fleet of great running locomotives and be the envy of all your modeling friends!

SoundBytes VIII

This past Month has been a busy one for us here at SoundTraxx. After we got back from the national show, we started preparing for Dealer Training, which took place the first week in August. Therefore, this time we will take a look at our Dealer Training Program, and this past weeks adventures here in Durango. We will then mention the latest announcement from Blackstone Models. In our Tech Tip, we will discuss speakers and enclosures and how vital they are to having good sound.
On an important, unrelated note, we have seen more decoders being sent back because the installer is using Tix flux for their installations. We mentioned this a few posts ago, but it continues to be an issue. The acidic nature of the Tix flux does attack the components on the board and damages the decoders. Be sure to get flux specifically for electrical work, or you too could be having an expensive problem.


Dealer Training...
Every year here at SoundTraxx we offer a 4 day dealer training program allowing many shops in the industry a chance to learn all about our products directly from us. This year’s dealer training class was held August 5th-8th at the Durango Rec. Center.

Although it is always a lot of work we always seem to have a great time. During the 3 days in the classroom we discussed many subjects including: History of SoundTraxx, DCC, proper installation techniques, product overview, programming CVs, and, of course, a few hands on installations. Dealer training however isn’t all work and no play so each day we offer everyone in attendance some highlights of Durango. On the first night we all attended the Bar D chuck wagon. Here are some photos of our night out at the Bar D.

The second night after a long day of intense discussion and hands on installation we treated everyone to a behind the scenes tour of the historic Durango yards. We were lucky enough to have Paul Schrank, General Manager of the World Famous Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as a tour guide. During the tour we saw the inside of the roundhouse and car shop, as well as seeing K-36, #486 being moved on the turntable.

On Friday after a couple of long days in the classroom we had a field trip to Silverton on board the D&SNGRR. We had a very special guest with us, Al Harper who is the owner of American Heritage Railways and the D&SNGRR. Everyone enjoyed a beautiful Colorado summer day along the Animas River. Also onboard was the entire SoundTraxx staff, which turns into our annual narrow gauge field trip!

On the final day, we had our small group classes that allow a little something for everyone. We offered classes on future product discussions, Tsunami advanced programming, and creative tips for installing decoders in non-sound ready models. Overall we all had a very good time and always enjoy hosting so many great people from as far away as the U.K.

To learn more about our dealer training program for your store send us an email to sales@soundtraxx.com

Tanks, Blackstone!
In case you missed the announcement, Blackstone Models will be doing tank cars in HOn3. This is a preliminary announcement, with the specific road name and road number details to follow at a later date. We will be producing both narrow frame and

frameless tank cars in several versions found on the D&RGW. Stay tuned to the Blackstone Models website (http://www.blackstonemodels.com/) for more details featuring road names and numbers.

Tech Tip:
Sound installations can be affected by many factors. Perhaps the most important factor is the quality of the speaker and baffle. We have taken the time to test many speakers for the best sound quality, widest frequency range and cone durability so you don’t have to. However, these tests are only part of the equation. The use of a quality baffle or enclosure is essential to good sound.
Lets look a little into the science of sound. The speaker makes sound by creating air pressure in the form of waves when it moves forward and back. We’ve all seen a speaker vibrate, right? Well, the front of the speaker creates a positive pressure (when moving forward), while the back creates a negative pressure. Without a solid sealed enclosure, the pressures created by the two sides, now cancel each other out, affecting the volume and clarity of the sound. By building a sealed enclosure or baffle, this will keep the front and back air pressures isolated, and therefore give a better sound wave and as a result, a better sound. More often than not, an inadequate baffle, or lack of a baffle is the cause for lack of volume or poor sound quality.
When fitting the speaker and baffle into our locomotives, we need to be creative with the installation. Based on what we just discussed in the prior paragraph, we want to install the largest speaker we can in our locomotive. You do want to try to have the baffled area be a 1x1x1 volume. This is where creative baffling comes into play. You might think that the speaker has to be flat or square inside the model, but as long as one side, front or back, is isolated, it can be in some of the tightest spaces needed. For example, you can fit a larger speaker or a mega bass speaker diagonally in a diesel locomotive shell, to clear the drive train. On a steam locomotive, the tender shell can be used as part of the baffle to help utilize a larger speaker. Using scribed styrene will help you cut straight lines easier, allowing you to create virtually any baffle shape needed to ensure the front of the speaker is isolated from the rear.
For more information on sound and how it works, visit our website and read the sound primer. www.soundtraxx.com/primer/ This document goes into more detail to help you better understand sound principals.