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Thank you so much for posting this. I have one of these with a very custom and highly detailed paint job, but I managed to get dcc/lok sound installed just by following this video without breaking a thing. Thank you!!

Thanks for the disassembly info. Most appreciated.

Thanks for the info. I just acquired one of these beasties off of eBay and my plans are to replace the stock decoder with a Tsunami2 (video help from Sountraxx thank you) plus I want to remove the boiler from the mechanism so I can install a sugar-cube speaker in the cab along with drilling out a hole in the firebox head to mount an LED for a firebox flicker fx in the cab along with gluing another LED above the trailing truck to get that firebox flicker fx below the cab above the rails. Your video was most helpful in that I would have never guessed that you had to remove the sand-domes to remove the upper screws securing the boiler to the mechanism.

Great idea what you did buy changing the circuit board n a decoder buddy n upgrading new led lights for the locomotive n making it better than before but adding new speakers for sound technology

I like thomas bachmann

Thanks for this. I'm just about to replace 3 ES44AC speakers with Scale Sound's ones so this was extremely helpful. Lee

Why is it so important to show on video the unboxing of these locos. Just start with the loco on what the title says is fixing to take place. If people have a problem believing you when you say it's a new loco so it be . . . Gosh . . . If they're that non believing they're lacking and probably not that important of an influence anyways. Great Chanel you've put together here so sorry bout pitching a bitch bout the small stuff cause it's all small stuff lol . . . Carry on my fine modeling friend I'm glad your here displaying what you've learnt though the years here . . . Thanks . . . Brian

I will install on a UP ES44AC replace a 21 pin Dummy Board and Install Soundtraxx TSU-21 Pin for the GE Diesel decoder

WOW! Lots of sound output, what with three speakers.

I like that idea of converting the blue box Athearn locomotive's from regular Athearn to DCC n Sound technology but I like both soundtraxx n esu loksound v5.

Pointless to rip out the entire board. decoder buddy far more of a piece of sh*+ than the board that’s in it and you can get everything you want on the factory board even keep alive………. More work than it’s worth! IMO

Wow Larry, nice upgrades!!! Thanks for the Decoder Buddy V1B demonstration and shoutout!!! Very fine work! Straightforward upgrade demonstration!!! That's a very fine locomotive now!!!!

Nice video!

Sweet

I definitely would have liked to see that install

Great video, very informative. Have a question on testing the speaker outputs on the board. I didn't follow what information you received by putting the red and black leads on the outputs to determine which pad to use. There are two speaker pads on each side, is there a positive and negative on these? Thanks again for taking the time to film these and post, so helpful!

The lighting trick w❤/tubing was neat!😊

Where do you get your led's from?

Hi, can you do a DCC/sound install for a Bachmann Spectrum HO scale 3 truck Shay of the Cass Scenic R.R.? I have one of these models but its a pre-DCC/sound era. Thanks.

Thanks. A thing of beauty. I started looking at these trains (N scale) as a curiosity, now I have a box of engines, cars, flex tracks, tools, parts, a controller... Get the picture? There is no going back.

I will install on a SD40-2 Engine CP

So I must tell you I have been following your page for almost a year now and have learned some new tricks from you. I do very similar work on my channel. Im interested in doing the same kind of project. As far as the 2 Stanton drives you installed, are they both the powered? I noticed they have a $50 dollar version and a $95 dollar version and want to know which ones you used. Thank you....and keep up the awesome work! Much appreciated.

Great video as always. A little off topic on this video. When you mill out some of your proto 2000 projects what tools do you use. I used a dremel with cutting discs and sanding attachments. Couldn’t get the finish you achieved. Any tips on tools used or attachments would be handy. Thanks

Very fine. I do like the rewire for ease of separation of shell and frame. I also favor the separation of lighting functions and the neatness of the connections inherent in the Decoder Buddy. This was a great installation demonstration again! Thanks for sharing!

Question, do I have to remove the weight to replace it with the scale sounds system speaker for this Locomotive or it doesn't matter where I put it or do I separate the upper frame from the lower frame?

I wish every decoder wad that easy, sound great!

@SoloContracting I will install BNSF 8270 SD75M Locomotive and CSX 4861 SD70M with TSU PNP EMD BNSF doesn’t have flashing ditch lights CSX has flashing lights

Really nice job John. Thanks so much for the very detailed video. Great stuff on the ditch lights. Have you used other styles and how do they compare to the Scale Sound ditch lights.

Great Job, your videos really help us, new hobbies out tremendously one step at a time.

Whia tools are great.

Question, do I cut or desolder the wires off the 58429 decoder or do the stay on?

Brilliant video thanks so much

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

So it doesn't matter which side put the speaker in?

Where is the squared hole for the wires located?

Is it mandatory to solder the speaker or no and what tools will need to do the sound decoder and speaker installation?

What ESU loksound 21 pin decoder is in this locomotive?

Thanks for sharing your process to upgrade the speaker.

I’ve watched this video a few times because I really like this locomotive and finally got one that I would like to convert to DCC. Do you need to have both trucks powered? Or was that a preference on your part? And thanks for your videos, you explain things so that they are easy to follow. I’m new at this and have used your videos as a guide and find them very helpful.

so that is where the speaker is, darn that speaker is well hidden! I was looking for it on my the SDL39, probably the same kind of setup, thanks for this video, you are always very instructive!

How do you install scale systems speakers in scaletrains ES44AC locos. Can you please assist me?

If I viewed the video correctly, you are still using the frame and have not isolated the frame from power, which means you’ll have to use plastic couplers. Might I suggest that you isolate the frame also from having any power?

I just started watching your videos, they are exceptional. One question I have is what gauge wire do you use for decoder wiring? Thanks!

that's not what a FM sounds like & this is why ESU is better

You shouldn't HAVE to reset your decoders via CV8 if you firget the consist address. Just set CV19 to 0 for any loco from the concist to delete/clear it so that it runs back with the original address again.

Such space envy... I model in N Scale. HO projects look HUGE to me! Sounds great.

The clear doesn’t work for me… any reason why

Looks and sounds great!

Very nice. I have a Monon BL2 that I need to convert to DCC and this video is just the thing to show me how to do it. Thanks for sharing.

7:38 excuse me what model of calipers are these?