Question about twin 55021 installs

[andyspencer]

Hi all,

I've got an LGB Shorty american tender loco LGB 20232) with sound in the tender. I'm looking at fitting it out for DCC - i know I need one decoder in the loco and one in the tender. I also know that both decoders need to be programmed to the same address. What I wanted to know is once DCC fitted, will the sound magnet switches on the tender still work making the bell and whistle work. Also, can I make the bell and whistle work from the MTS handset? Is the smoke unit switchable or will it be on all the time?

 

[PhilP]

Hi Andy,

Unless it is a version of the (in a Stainz) roof-mounted 'scratchy sound', then mostly, yes..
Track magnets will still work.
It should pass commands to the onboard sound, so you should be able to control them under DCC.
You will be able to control the smoke unit under DCC. - It is normal to have smoke set to be 'on' under analogue control.

HTH
PhilP.

 

[Zerogee]

If you haven't yet bought your decoders, Andy, compare the price of the Massoth L to that of the LGB55021 - they are basically the same decoder except the Massoth L is better and usually cheaper, unless you've found some 55021s second-hand at a good price (or you already have them, of course). When you can get a new L for a little over forty quid, don't pay any more than that for a 55021!

Jon.

 

[stockers]

and you only need one decoder. There was a thread just a day or two ago where we covered this. A couple of wires from the loco motor to the tender sound unit will do the job.

 

[PhilP]

and you only need one decoder. There was a thread just a day or two ago where we covered this. A couple of wires from the loco motor to the tender sound unit will do the job.

..Unless BOTH loco and tender have motors..

 

[Tim Brien]

The American 'shorty' locomotive has direct decoder support requiring a Massoth 'L' or type 2 LGB decoder in each of the locomotive and tender. Unless technology has changed over the last couple of years I cannot see how a decoder in the loco could control the sound functions on the digital board in the tender as it is designed to take a direct fit decoder utilising the six pins on the sound board.

My opinion would be to remove the stock factory sound board in the tender and dispose of as it is basically useless having little or no control over the chuff rate (either very slow rate at low track voltage or very fast at high track voltage with no medium rate). I would fit a Massoth LS module or similar to the locomotive leaving the speaker location in the tender but upgrading to a better quality speaker (from memory the stock factory speaker is 0.5 watts maximum).

A few years ago when LGB was 'suffering' I purchased numerous inexpensive sound tenders similar to your model to fit sound in other installations utilising the factory electronics. A complete waste of money as the sound and control over it were woeful.

If you fit a direct decoder to both units then smoke will be a function of the loco decoder and bells/whistle will be a function of the decoder in the tender. From memory after a decoder install in the tender I seem to recall having to splice the wiring from the reed switches into the factory wiring to enable analogue control over bells and whistle (but then it was a few years ago and memory can play tricks on the mind).

 

[Zerogee]

..Unless BOTH loco and tender have motors..

In that case you can still get away with one decoder (an XL or similar), but have to have a six-wire connection between loco and tender: two wires from track pickups, two wires to motor, two wires to light(s).
You can buy some very cheap 6-pin plugs and sockets on evilBay which will do the job nicely and still allow easy connection and disconnection of loco and tender.

Jon.

 

[dunnyrail]

..Unless BOTH loco and tender have motors..

Depending on what is in the tender will decide what is required wire wise if you go for the single Massoth Decoder.

If there is a motor and pickups you would need a 4 wire link. 2 from pickup to the decoder and 2 from motor to decoder. If the decoder is in the tender then the 4 wires as above need to go to the loco. However that then does not look at the Lighting requirements. Which would pass from the single decoder to the lighting terminals. Lots more to think about than at first might appear.

The 2 decoder 55021 should be the simplest option, but as has been said a single Massoth one would be less expensive unless you can pick up a couple of sensibly priced second hand working 55021's.
JonD

 

[stockers]

The LGB 20232 HAS one motor. Just look at it. It has an 8 wheel bogie tender!