# Spectrum 44 ton switcher



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I enjoyed the post below.

Is there someone or a business that could convert it to DCC with sound for me for a fee?

How do you find these folks?

I live in a small town and it is hard to get someone to mow your lawn.

Bill


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Mister Bill said:


> I enjoyed the post below.
> 
> Is there someone or a business that could convert it to DCC with sound for me for a fee?
> 
> ...



I will bump this for you to the top again.
Someone here might do it?

I think you forgot a link to the "post below"?
There is no post below?:dunno:


----------



## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Big ed......I think he meant the post on the Spectrum 44 ton switcher that was previously posted.....it's on page 2 now.....here is a link to that:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=26867


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Tom's Trains of Connecticut put an N-scale decoder in mine for $10 plus the cost of the decoder. That's a bit of a haul for you though. I have seen places advertise mail-in and custom installs; you might try picking up a couple of issues of Model Railroader magazine or the online publication Model Railroad Hobbyist and see if any show up.


----------



## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Tony's Train Exchange will do installs I believe they still do anyway.
Just Google and you'll find them. Great DCC people, helped me quit a bit.
Give them a call and tell them what you want and they will give you a price.

Magic


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> Tom's Trains of Connecticut put an N-scale decoder in mine for $10 plus the cost of the decoder.


To put sound in as well will certainly be rather more than that!


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> To put sound in as well will certainly be rather more than that!


Well, I can't speak for their current rate, but that' s what they charged me back in 2006: $10 for the install plus I think about $50 for the decoder.

I guess I should also mention that Tom is a great guy who is more concerned with making his customers happy than making a quick buck. They did all the decoder installs on my older stuff that wasn't DCC ready (I'm such a sloppy solderer that I didn't dare do something that delicate), about a half dozen in all.

plus I'm sure he'd rather be doing stuff like that than surfing the net when business is slow.


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> Well, I can't speak for their current rate, but that' s what they charged me back in 2006: $10 for the install plus I think about $50 for the decoder.
> 
> I guess I should also mention that Tom is a great guy who is more concerned with making his customers happy than making a quick buck.


Tom can be the greatest guy in the world but I'm sure he doesn't work for nothing! If you refer back to the thread that the OP quotes you will note that installing sound needs the chassis to be milled. The point I was making is that the cost of doing this is likely to be a bit more than $10.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> Tom can be the greatest guy in the world but I'm sure he doesn't work for nothing! If you refer back to the thread that the OP quotes you will note that installing sound needs the chassis to be milled. The point I was making is that the cost of doing this is likely to be a bit more than $10.


We obviously have a "Cool Hand Luke" situation here -- the famous line: "What we have here is failure to communicate."

I provided one factual, historic example of where something was done for a given fee. Fact. Not subject to dispute. Did I get a great deal? Maybe I did; I have no idea what gyrations they had to perform to squeeze the thing in. But it was done, at the agreed upon price.

I made no attempt to imply that $10 was the going rate, or even that he would do it again. I have tried to clarify that in my follow up posts. I also stated that it was an N scale decoder, which I thought might have been a valuable piece of information. I wasn't even really recommending Tom as a source, because the OP is in Texas, and Tom is a tiny little 2-3 person shop stuffed in between a couple of law offices in an office building, hence the little tongue in cheek reference to it being a little far.

The takeaways from my posts are that there are people willing to perform the service, and sometimes the price may surprise you; secondly that mine has an N scale decoder. That's it. Don't read anything else into it.


----------



## ssgt (Jan 8, 2013)

*Sound decoder in 44 ton*

Tom's Trains shoehorn the decoder and speaker in the loco without machine work.He will only do the later single motor 44 tonners. The older dual motor locos require significantly more time and work,and probably machining. you could call him wed to sat 11-6 860-529-6157,he is a good guy to deal with.His prices are more than fair.Most of my stuff was bought from him.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks, I appreciate each and every input.

I was not looking for a one-size-fits-fits-all answer, just a way to get my foot in the door.

I will take it from here.

Bill


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Good luck! Sorry if Cycleops and I went off the rails a bit. That happens sometimes.


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

CTValleyRR said:


> Good luck! Sorry if Cycleops and I went off the rails a bit. That happens sometimes.


Yes, us sad old gits get a bit wound up sometimes!


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Cycleops said:


> Yes, us sad old gits get a bit wound up sometimes!


Speak for yourself. I am a sad, MIDDLE AGED git! :laugh:


----------



## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Mister Bill said:


> I enjoyed the post below.
> 
> Is there someone or a business that could convert it to DCC with sound for me for a fee?
> 
> ...


Bill,

I had one converted to DCC and Sound, they even have a video on their site:

http://www.traintekllc.com/tech/installations.asp

Hope this helps,

Vik.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Gracias, Vik, I am going to give them a shout.


----------



## dasB&M2-6-0 (Dec 13, 2014)

vikramgoel said:


> Bill,
> 
> I had one converted to DCC and Sound, they even have a video on their site:
> 
> ...


Same here!!!
According to Gary at Traintek, their turnaround for the 44 tonner is ~2 1/2 weeks.....
Decided to go "whole hog" with mine....ESU sound and LED light conversion!!
The milling of the chassis is what takes the most time, I'll bet......space is REALLY tight!!
The newly-released O-gauge version of this loco (Williams by Bachmann) shouldn't have a space problem!!!

May your freight ALWAYS roll smoothly...and ON TIME!!


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I sent this information to Cycleops separately, but I was reminded of something the other day. Bachmann redesigned this loco a number of years ago (I'm thinking at least 8, but not sure).

Older versions have two can motors, two flywheels, and two sets of worm gears to drive the trucks. This setup means that there is little room for anything else inside the shell. 

The newer versions make due with a single motor and flywheel connected to dual worm gears, allowing some room for other stuff (decoder and speaker) without extensive modification of the shell and chassis. I would suspect that their lead time is more due to business volume than the difficulty of the install.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I am very pleased with my unit from Traintek. Gary Paulino was my contact.

Thanks, everyone.

https://youtu.be/xKpPJfaUYYo


----------



## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Mister Bill said:


> I am very pleased with my unit from Traintek.
> 
> Thanks, everyone.
> 
> https://youtu.be/xKpPJfaUYYo



Bill.

I am glad it worked out for you. They do a good job at Traintek.
Regards,

Vik.


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

The sound is very odd. Maybe there's some interference on the recording.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Some of it may be my lack of skill at making a video.

The engine is overly loud and the horn understated but I just got it and am still exploring.

They put in a new decoder with sound. I also had to add Keep It Alive, or it would not run through Atlas #6 turnouts.

Bill


----------



## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Mister Bill said:


> Some of it may be my lack of skill at making a video.
> 
> The engine is overly loud and the horn understated but I just got it and am still exploring.
> 
> ...



Bill.

Could you share how you added the Keep It Alive functionality.
Thanks,

Vik.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Vik,

Sorry, I plead ignorance.

All I know is that probably because of the shallow flanges and short four wheel base, the unit would not go through a turnout. It was worthless except on a straight-away. Not good for a switcher.

Traintek made the suggestion and did the work, and it solved the problem.

It seems to be very thin with two tiny wires and is added inside the engine compartment with double stick foam.

Bill


----------



## vikramgoel (Mar 2, 2015)

Mister Bill said:


> Vik,
> 
> Sorry, I plead ignorance.
> 
> ...


Bill.

Thanks for the info.
Regards,

Vik.


----------



## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Mister Bill said:


> All I know is that probably because of the shallow flanges and short four wheel base, the unit would not go through a turnout. It was worthless except on a straight-away. Not good for a switcher.
> Bill


Your points probably have a large plastic frog area. You need some Peco live frog turnouts. The keep alive will certainly be cheaper though.


----------



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

Not as great an investment as opposed to cheaper, not counting time and aggravation. The turnout lengths are probably not the same, and everything would have to be knitted back together. Not my idea of fun. I want to run trains.

I live in a small town with no access to a local hobbyshop. Everything for me is mail order, Gambol, Waite, and Hope. 

Bill


----------

