Track Power

Locos with an axle driven chuff cam are connected differently as shown below. Nine volt P3 batteries are popular in these locos but two of them, wired in parallel, will be needed if you wish to set the soundcard to hign volumes. The connection to the track is optional and reduces the power drawn from the batteries.

Connecting the Soundcards in Track Powered Locos

Note that the horn/whistle is shown as a negative (ground) input connected to terminal H1. A positive horn/whistle input should be connected to terminal H2.

The battery pack shown provides power for the diesel engine tickover and the steam hiss when the track power is switched off and the loco is therefore static. Any battery pack can be used, from 7.2 to 9.6 volts.

Without a battery pack, the sound card will switch itself off in track powered locos at very low speeds as the locomotive comes to a halt.

The horn/whistle will sound automatically when the loco starts. It can also be operated by means of a switch or pushbutton mounted on the loco, by means of a reed switch operated by trackside magnets or by modifying a wireless actuator for a door chime or garage door. When used with trackpower, the horn/whistle will sound for one second from the time the switch is closed.

The quality of the sound depends on the smoothness of the DC track power. A few, usually older, controllers produce a very rough DC voltage which will lead to inferior sound reproduction. The solution is to purchase a 2000 micro farad, 25 to 50 volt, polarised capacitor from your local consumer electronics store and fit it as shown in the instructions. This will ensure that the roughest controller will produce a sound quality equal to that of a battery powered locomotive.

The sound card is designed for use on track powered railways where the DC voltage varies from zero to a maximum voltage of between 9 and 30 volts. Controllers can be pulse width modulated or linear. It is suitable for use on most DCC systems where it can be connected across the motor.

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