I thought for sure I wouldn't want sound decoders on the layout. Then after installing a number of non-sound decoders I saw a post about the inexpensive XL sound decoders. OK for $40 I'll give one a try. Most of their decoders are 'drop-in' decoders but they do have one that you can hard wire in. Since this older Kato U30C won't take a 'drop-in' decoder I went with the hard wired decoder. It wasn't an easy install but I learned a lot and I could do it quicker if I had to do it again.
Do I like having sound in a loco?. It has become more addictive than I thought it would. Enough so that I now have two ESU sound decoders that I'll install. I wouldn't go with another XL at this point. One reason I wouldn't install another is I'm having some erratic behavior when the loco is running and it will stop at times when I toggle one of the sound functions. Not sure yet if it is a decoder problem or track power problem.
The second reason being that the sound files available with it are somewhat generic in nature. The one in the U30 isn't from a U30. With ESU they have a ton on actual sound files. I'm kind of addicted also to U.P.'s U50's which are a dual diesel loco. Since you can preview the ESU sound files on line I listened to one of the U50 sound files and got hooked by hearing one diesel start up and then the second start up. I haven't installed it yet or the other one (not sure what I'm going to put it in at this point). I'll see if I get tired of the whole thing or not but it has caught my attention which I never thought it would a couple years ago when I first became aware of sound in an N scale loco.
You can find the install here .....
http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/Decoder-1/page-20.htmlSumner
