ScaleTrains GP30 Arrival (End of January)

[C855B]

Can't you use soldering iron to weld it shut like MTL does for their assembled 1023 couplers?

Might be worth a try, with a small enough tip and very steady hand. Box sides are .020", so there's a very short distance 'tween "Ah!" and "Oh, crap!"

[Wolf N Works]

I did this to their tunnel motors

[peteski]

Might be worth a try, with a small enough tip and very steady hand. Box sides are .020", so there's a very short distance 'tween "Ah!" and "Oh, crap!"

I use a thin sharp iron tip with temperature dialed down to IIRC 450 deg. F and just "kiss" the area to be welded with the tip.  I've done it to the MTL Z scale couplers.  Yes, it requires precision, but it is doable.

[wcfn100]

This will probably end up in the DCC section but I'll start it here.

How well can you match up the sound and non-sound versions of these?  If I got a Lokpilot decoder for the non-sound, would I be able to speed match easily?

If they do the CGW in N, I'm looking at getting all eight but don't really want to get all sound units.  I'd probably do half and half but that would require that I can speed match.

I've been trying to match some of son's locomotives lately, sound and non-sound and it's a real pain.

Jason

[peteski]

If using ESU LokPilot 5 and LokSound 5, you should be able to match them perfectly. Both types of decoders use basically the same hardware and same firmware.  This includes even the special features like startup delay and Drive Hold which are tied to sound effects.  If you use a non-ESU motor only decoder then matchign will likely be little more challenging, but considering the prices of LokPilot decoders, there is really no reason to go with another brand.

[haasmarc]

I use a thin sharp iron tip with temperature dialed down to IIRC 450 deg. F and just "kiss" the area to be welded with the tip.  I've done it to the MTL Z scale couplers.  Yes, it requires precision, but it is doable.

I use a tool like this for MTL Z scale couplers:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OV9B16I/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B00OV9B16I&pd_rd_w=nxmAS&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_p=8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_r=BZA61WRGTFVE6WV397FW&pd_rd_wg=6L4DO&pd_rd_r=77c36e4a-3407-4340-beaf-199ba1f1cb2d&s=kitchen&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw

[Sokramiketes]

If using ESU LokPilot 5 and LokSound 5, you should be able to match them perfectly. Both types of decoders use basically the same hardware and same firmware.  This includes even the special features like startup delay and Drive Hold which are tied to sound effects.  If you use a non-ESU motor only decoder then matchign will likely be little more challenging, but considering the prices of LokPilot decoders, there is really no reason to go with another brand.

Have you played with this specifically?  It hasn't been fool proof for me, given the various settings that are different for start up delays and other sound specific features.  For F unit sets I went back to all Sound decoders, just not installing speakers on some to keep consistency.

Maybe I just didn't want to spend the time tweaking everything... but it certainly wasn't easy to mix LokPilot and LokSound for me. 

[peteski]

Have you played with this specifically?  It hasn't been fool proof for me, given the various settings that are different for start up delays and other sound specific features.  For F unit sets I went back to all Sound decoders, just not installing speakers on some to keep consistency.

Maybe I just didn't want to spend the time tweaking everything... but it certainly wasn't easy to mix LokPilot and LokSound for me.

I have not but being a member of the https://groups.io/g/Loksound group I have seen it discussed there.  If both decoders are version 5, they should match easy.  But mixing V4 and V5 decoders might not be a straightforward.  If some sound specific features aren't compatible on LokPilot, they could be disabled on the LokSound decoder.  If you are into ESU decoders, I highly recommend joining that group.

[kiwi_bnsf]

Have you played with this specifically?  It hasn't been fool proof for me, given the various settings that are different for start up delays and other sound specific features.  For F unit sets I went back to all Sound decoders, just not installing speakers on some to keep consistency.

Maybe I just didn't want to spend the time tweaking everything... but it certainly wasn't easy to mix LokPilot and LokSound for me.

While a LokPilot decoder can absolutely be matched to consist well with a Loksound decoder, there are a few areas where things can get complicated.

(I'm assuming that you've already matched speed tables, motor control, momentum and braking between the Loksound and Lokpilot).

Unfortunately, even this is not always enough — many of the current Loksound project files implement logical features in their sound flows (i.e. not just via function mapping). The LokPilot doesn't have a a sound file loaded, and therefore anything beyond the basic starting delay (i.e. that is implemented only in the Loksound sound slots using logical conditions) can lead to mismatches in behaviour.

Many of the stock ESU files use the Drive Lock logical condition to prevent movement during startup sequences. If "Delay on Startup" is enabled, then this can lead to a protracted time where the Loksound-equipped locos will not move — this will also vary between sound file. This is particularly annoying if you get an electrical short that is long enough in duration to reset the decoder, at which point the loco with the Loksound will be locked until the prime mover comes back (usually they resume after a brief short circuit, but not always).

Examples of Loksound sound slots that can include Drive Lock include:

• MS engine startup sequence
• Penalty brake
• Reverser centered / low idle conditions
• HEP

I edit my ESU projects to remove Drive Lock from all sound slots except the Starting Delay slot in order avoid these problems.

If you use the LokProgrammer software to edit your sound file (and have access to a LokProgrammer to re-write this to the Loksound decoders) it is relatively easy to disable all the Drive Lock logical conditions from the sound flow.

If you do not have access to a LokProgrammer, then you can disable ALL starting delays / Drive Lock conditions using CV124.2 and CV252 (but this does remove one of the cooler features of the LokPilot — namely the ability to have a starting delay).

I hope that this helps.

[spookshow]

I must register my extreme displeasure with STC's pathetic couplers. The lids do not clip in place, which means the couplers are absolutely guaranteed to fall apart into a million pieces when you remove them (like if you want to take off the shell). And who was the pinhead who decided that having to remove the couplers in order to remove the shell was a good idea in the first place? What a giant pain in the a$$! 

-Mark

[peteski]

I must register my extreme displeasure with STC's pathetic couplers. The lids do not clip in place, which means the couplers are absolutely guaranteed to fall apart into a million pieces when you remove them (like if you want to take off the shell). And who was the pinhead who decided that having to remove the couplers in order to remove the shell was a good idea in the first place? What a giant pain in the a$$! 

-Mark

Some H0 locos (Athearn?) use the couplers to retain the shell, and we all know Kato wide body diesels where the front coupler (and its mount) had to be removed and reinstalled (a huge PITA) to get the shell off.

I was puzzled that you mentioned "million pieces" becuase all the Scale Trains locos I own used their "boxing glove jr." single piece couplers, but I now realized that in this loco Scale Trains uses either MTL coupler innards or a cloned version of it.  So the coupler is two pieces and I assume a tiny spring.

But like you I'm not a fan of this method of retaining the shell.

[C855B]

I must register my extreme displeasure with STC's pathetic couplers. The lids do not clip in place, which means the couplers are absolutely guaranteed to fall apart into a million pieces when you remove them (like if you want to take off the shell). And who was the pinhead who decided that having to remove the couplers in order to remove the shell was a good idea in the first place? What a giant pain in the a$$! 

Where have I heard this before?   

One more thing - don't take off the shell unless you absolutely have to. It is held in place by the coupler boxes, which are not MTL 1015-compatible. They can be removed easily enough, but an unsteady hand putting them back on? Tiny parts everywhere. I was able to reassemble the coupler box, but obviously the factory has some sort of jig or special clamp to hold the bits together when fitting them on the frame, 'cause they exploded every time I tried.

I was converting to MTL TSC (1015-sized boxes) anyway, but as was mentioned previously, those require modification to fit the narrower box opening as well as mounting height correction.

That said - and confirmed - I have no problem with coupler boxes securing the shell, provided the boxes stay in one piece. I resorted to 3D-printing custom boxes for TSC shanks. They didn't snap together into a unit, but they didn't have a spring in there ready to smack you down if you weren't perfect with the tweezers.

[OldEastRR]

Mt friend just spent 1hr 45 mins at my workbench disasembling an ST GP30A, taking out the couplers, removing the shell, installing a decoder, re-installing the shell (he decided some of the details around the trucks and coupler pockets needed to be deleted), re-assembling the couplers (using a soldering iron), then putting the body back on.

Thing is, he's got FIVE MORE GP30s he has to do the same things to. His final comment: "IF I buy any more ST locos, it will be ones with decoders imstalled."

He hasn't got around to running the locio with a string of cars, but he's happy the lights work. Stay tuned.

[Lemosteam]

@C855B With respect to the lead filling the fuel tank, I am surprised that no one has made a 3d printed mold of the inside of the tank (use thick walls), melted the lead, and poured it into the mold to maximize the fill weight.

The print is surprisingly durable for quite a few castings of molten lead.

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=51669.msg703146#msg703146

[peteski]

Mt friend just spent 1hr 45 mins at my workbench disasembling an ST GP30A, taking out the couplers, removing the shell, installing a decoder, re-installing the shell (he decided some of the details around the trucks and coupler pockets needed to be deleted), re-assembling the couplers (using a soldering iron), then putting the body back on.

Thing is, he's got FIVE MORE GP30s he has to do the same things to. His final comment: "IF I buy any more ST locos, it will be ones with decoders imstalled."

I think he will get a better deal buying them with DCC installed than buying the DC loco and then buying separate decoder. I think the cost difference between factory DC and DCC is less than the price of a separate decoder. I'm not even including the cost of labor time your friend had to spend  installing the decoder.