Bob C forwarded his installation tips for using the Soundtraxx, Micro Tsunami with the Bachmann HO Shays!

Here is a tip for others who may have  the same issue with the Micro Tsunami light logging decoders that I have had.  I have only installed the  TCS,  M1 together with the Tsunami on one of the shays, but have consisted it with the other shay.  The  one  shay that still has only the Tsunami continues to cut out and reboot on the grades due to thermal cutoff , but otherwise runs very smoothly with the shay that has the M1 coexisting with the Tsunami.  I ordered a second M1 today  and will do the same installation on the second shay.

“I have a couple of very steep grades (about 6 – 8 %) on the logging line that require double headed Bachmann 3 truck shays to haul log bunkers and crew cars up the log loading area.   On both of the  Bachman 3 truck shays I initially installed Soundtraxx Micro Tsunami Light Logging decoders.  Because of the limited space in the third truck I was not able to use a plug’n play 8 pin plug, but had to hard wire the decoder to the 8 pin socket.  I was unable to hard wire the decoder directly to the tender plugs (to the locomotive) because these plugs were built directly into Bachmann’s circuit boards without any extending wires.

Due to the steep grades, and higher amperage draw required to negotiate these grades, one of the Tsunamis on one of the shays blew the motor drive component.  I had Soundtraxx replace the decoder twice, but with the same reoccurring results.  On the other shay the decoder shuts down and reboots while going up steep grades.

I solved the problem by ordering a very small TCS M1 ,  HO decoder, and hard wiring it jointly with the Micro Tsunami which still had it’s sound functions working properly.  I also ordered two sets of the orange tender plugs for their consolidation from Bachmann, which have wires extending from the small pc board on which the plugs are mounted.   It was very easy to take a razor saw and split the two pin plug from the four pin plug from their backing, and place them in the openings on the tender floor.  This provided the opportunity to remove Bachmann’s circuit board, and hard wire both the TCS M1 and the Micro Tsunami decoder to the tender plugs’ leads.  I gave both the M1 and Tsunami decoders the same long address, and did some minor programming to both decoders on the test bench before installing them. I also could have programmed them both after they were installed, using the lockout function which is present on both the Tsunami and the M1.

I then consisted the two shays with the end result of having a very smooth running shay without any interruptions on the steep grades, and all the sounds from the Tsunami decoders”.