Installing a sound decoder - 6
I’ve done all three. At this point a four-wire cable between the
engine and tender may not be enough, and the TCS six-wire
cable would be a good choice if you plan to use any additional
lighting functions like a Mars light or Firebox Flicker. In any
event, two wires will go to the headlight and two to the motor
plus one wire for each additional function and/or right-hand
rail power from the engine frame, so this is the time to plan
what size cable you will need.
It is important to make a drawing of which wire goes where in
the cable. The black decoder wire will go to the tender frame/
floor. You can put the headlight dropping resistor in the ten-
der as well. Again, if you desire lighting effects in the engine in
addition to the headlight, mounting the decoder in the engine
might make things easier.
CAUTION!
Hard-wiring functions between the engine and ten-
der without a disconnect plug is considered bad practice and
shoddy workmanship.
A decoder installed in the tender should be held in place so it
doesn’t flop around during handling, and possibly damage the
speaker or connections. It can be taped to the floor in the coal
or oil compartment away from the speaker using double-stick
tape or plastic electrical tape.
I’ve made retaining clips out of cardboard to hold the decoder
up against the underside of the tank, yet made it easy to
remove if necessary. Since a Tsunami gets fairly warm while in
“I use any good silicone RTV, since it holds
well, and the speaker can be removed fairly
easily if it ever needs replacement.”
MRH-Dec 2013
