Price: $99.95
Manufacturer:
SoundTraxx
210 Rock Point Drive
Durango, CO 81301
www.soundtraxx.com
Comments: With two of its three 700 hp Cummins diesel engines cycling on and off, the NRE GenSet has a sound unlike any other locomotive. SoundTraxx provides a straightforward way to add realistic sound, as well as Digital Command Control, to an HO scale Atlas GenSet.
Installation. A printed sheet outlining the installation is included with the decoder. However, I found the detailed step-by-step instructions on the SoundTraxx website’s Application Notes page to be more helpful. The decoder neatly replaces the factory light board, but does require soldering 30AWG wires.
The installation also requires a 16 mm x 35 mm speaker (sold separately, part no. 810113, $13.50) and four 1KΩ, 1⁄8 watt resistors for the factory-installed LEDs.
DCC performance. The GenSet accelerated smoothly without any adjustments during DCC speed tests. The decoder supports 128 speed steps and has 14 preset and 1 customizable speed table.
The engine sounds are prototypical. One prime mover is running from startup through notch 3. The second engine kicks in at notch 4, and the third at notch 6. It’s easy to program the number of speed steps between notches or to set manual notching that uses function keys independent of the locomotive speed. A 220μF capacitor keeps the sound from stopping and restarting during momentary power losses.
Programmable configuration variables (CVs) include a seven-band equalizer and individual effect volume controls. User-controlled functions include the bell, horn, and coupler crash. The headlights, dimmer, and front and rear ditch lights are turned on separately. Function 10 triggers an air compressor sound unique to the GenSet.
DC performance. The dual-mode decoder didn’t run reliably on DC out of the box. After I adjusted the decoder’s analog starting voltage (CV63) to a value of 1, the GenSet ran smoothly with a DC power pack. Programming the CV requires a DCC system or DC sound programmer.
When the engine is running on a DC layout, the sounds are limited to the engine, which increases in rpm and number of engines running, as the speed increases. The headlights and ditch lights also work in DC.
Bringing this modern-era switcher to life with realistic sounds and smooth DCC operation was well worth the effort of a two-hour installation project.
