How Do You Add Sound?

[Jsolyon]

Hi there I am completely new to model trains I just got an HO set up and I want to add sound to the train not remote setup pref. Any advice on how to do this would be great!

[NIMT]

First are you running DC or DCC?
Second what engine would you like sound for(make, model, manufacture)?

[Jsolyon]

I have the track running on DC The company is model power and its an F-2 Loco

[NIMT]

First with DC it's not easy or cheap.
Second with that engine you probably will not have the required space inside to do it. Decoder and speaker take up a fair bit of room.
I'm not trying to discourage you from doing sound it's just that there are logical limits to what can or should be done.
Sound in locos typically run on DCC systems and are best on higher end engines.

[Jsolyon]

No I hear you thank you for the input. like I said I am brand new to this and just got a starter kit from our local hobby shop and am very interested in it. any and all suggestions and in put are greatly appreciated, I like to get educated on it.

What is a DCC set up?

[Massey]

What is a DCC set up?

DCC stands for Digital Command Control. It is similar to any other digital control system only it is designed for our trains. The NMRA has set standards for the way DCC is sent and recieved by Command stations and decoders so any NMRA compliant decoder will work with any NMRA compliant DCC system.

The DCC system uses an AC current on the rails and the voltage is always presant. The locomotives have a small computer device called a decoder in them that is able to "listen" to signals through the rails. These signals are addressed to certain engines and the engine that has the same address as the signal will respond to that command. All other engines will ignore the commands that are not addressed to them. This allows you to run multiple engines at the same time with out special block wiring. You actually control the trains and not the voltage on the rails.

With DCC, depending on the type of decoder you can get different effects like sound, flashing MARS lights, Blinking ditch lights and many more. This is all done with a decoder.

Not all decoders can do all things. Basic decoders can be purchased for about $15-$20 and control the motor and forward and reverse lights. These are 2 function decoders, 4 functions decoders can operate things like ditch lights and other loco features. Sound decoders are specally designed to have more features to get the sounds you are looking for. Sound decoders are harder to install due to speaker and capacitor requirements.

Massey

[NIMT]

Here is a link to a web site that will explain it far better than I could!
It's Allan Gartner's Wiring for dcc.
CLICK HERE (http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm)

[Jsolyon]

awsome. thanks a lot.

[tkruger]

I have a DC layout that has sound but not from the engines. It is not as realistic but makes my kids happy. MRC used to make a power supply called the MRC Sound and Power 7000. I have two of them. Steam or Diesel can be selected. You match the rate of the sound with the current speed of the locomotive once. From that point on it will keep the sound of the locomotive in step with its speed. Also it has a Horn / Whistle slider.

In addition to this MRC makes separate sound systems for about $25 that will play about 20 different sounds you can select through an included set of speakers. One is for City and County sounds. The other is for train related sounds.

I know these are not ideal since they do not come from the train itself but for a small layout they give enough of an effect to be useful. Most importantly my Kids like that they can control what sounds are played.