DCC Impulses Column - 2
1. Utilizing the Atlas frame design to install 31 mm speak-
ers in a Dash 8-40CW.
1
but, most of them were done by extremely skilled folks with
decades of N scale experience. Not something that I have or
can teach. And even those folks score a home run on only a
few of the many installations they do.
In a prior column, August 2012
, I
discussed the theory of getting the sound out. I suggest review-
ing that column and the accompanying video before you go
on. This column will show some practical ways to make that
happen. I’m not going to belabor the actual sound pathways.
I leave that as an exercise for the reader: figure out the sonic
path from the speaker to your ear.
Most of my installations here use a single speaker. However, if
you have the room to install a pair (or more), things only get
better. I explain how to wire multiple speakers in my January
2014 column
. Check that
out if you have an installation that can accommodate multiple
speakers.
I’m only going to comment on the audio aspect of these
installations. The remainder of the installation is the same
as a similar non-sound installation: power pickup, motor and
lights. Nothing changes there. Nothing about these installa-
tions depends on the decoder selected, except for the fact
that different decoders want different speaker impedances.
Know what your decoder likes and can tolerate and select your
speakers accordingly.
Many modern locos have frames designed for speaker installa-
tion, whether they are fitted with sound at the factory or not.
While these designs may not be the very best sonic design, they
are usually much better than what can be easily fabricated after
the fact. So, if your loco is set up this way, I recommend that you
utilize the manufacturer’s design at least as a starting point.
Beyond that there are many techniques to get the best sound.
I’ll show you what I’ve done that I think resulted in good
sound. They are arranged roughly in the order of increasing dif-
ficulty. There are many other locos that are set up similarly to
those shown, so don’t despair if your specific loco isn’t shown.
Look for something similar and get creative.
“Many modern locos have
frames designed for speaker
installation...”
MRH-Jul 2014
