Model Railroading > Custom Kato 70MACS w/ TCS Wow Sound

Got the urge to pull out 2 of my undecorated Kato SD70 macs and do them up.This was a perfect time to try out the new TCS Wow Sound decoders with the EMD 710 prime mover sound. I also scrapped out the Kato plastic detail parts and used all aftermarket parts from Details West. Cal Scale. Detail Associates etc.One of the biggest challenges was to come up with a color of yellow that would match Microscale`s 87-1321 CSX "dark future" decal set. After looking at different colors of yellow paint I came up with a 50-50 mix of Pollyscale CSX gold and Testor`s Modelmaster Chrome Yellow sprayed on a white primer. I`m a 100 percent acrylicpaint guy using mostly Pollyscale colors. I also had to allow for using Richmond Controls sunny white surface mount LED`s for the headlights and ditchlights. This meant scrapping out Kato`s lighting board with their single LED`s and fiber optic tubing. I fabricated my own lighting boards out of Evergreen sheet and strip plastic. I made dropping resistor holders and wire organizers out of the strip. I transposed the mounting holes and the electrical tab holes for the Kato motor and mounted my Lighting board right on top of the Kato motor mounts.I`m also a firm believer in not using any mechanical electrical connections so I soldered wires onto the electrical pick-up strips on the inside of the Kato truck sideframes. The Wow Sound decoder was hard-wired in on the lighting board. Handrails are also a big issue with me and I won`t tolerate broken and warped plastic handrails that look like krap. Fortunately Kato`s stantchions are big enough at the top so they can be cored out. I scrapped out Kato`s flimsey handrail wire and made bending jigs out of Evergreen plastic. I always use brass wire for handrails because of it`s softness. Steel or bronze wire destroys my bend jigs...fast. While I was bending the KS engineering 0.20 wire I did enough for 4 more 70 macs and every piece is identical.I can modify some of the jigs to do 80 macs next. The stanchions were cored out using the end of an X-acto #11 blade to start the hole then 3 drill bits getting larger with each until the 0.20 brass wire went through with room to spare. photo a:  New lighting board with transposed holes mounted on Kato motor. photo b: 3.9K .25W dropping resistors mounted in holders. Orange and Gray wires soldered to electrical tabs on motor photo c: hard-wired Wow Sound decoder with Keep Alive 

Thanks for looking,
 tom



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/15 17:40 by globalethanol.

---

---

---

photos d and e:  bending jigs with brass wire in various stages 

photo f:  fireman`s side handrail wire installed in Kato stanchions.

 tom



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/15 17:18 by globalethanol.

---

---

---

photo g:  CSXT 785 was former Conrail SD70MAC 4140 and was unique in that it didn`t receive the CSX "white roof" treatment when it was repainted from it`s Conrail "whiteface" livery. Later it was renumbered 4585 to make room for new CSX AC Gevos. I painted the cab window frames blue and the cab door window gasket yellow to represent a former Conrail repaint. photo h:  Richmond Controls sunny white LED`s for headlights and ditchlights. I noticed these LED`s give off a blue tint with too much voltage so I upped the dropping resistor value to 3.9K. 

tom



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/15 17:30 by globalethanol.

---

---

photos I and j:  CSX 789 was former Conrail SD70MAC #4144 and was the last of 15 on the roster. It was the only 70MAC repainted into CSX`s "bright future" scheme and became the "Spirit of Nashville". It was later repainted into "dark future" paint and renumbered 4589 and remained the Spirit of Nashville. The window frames and cab door window gasket were also painted to represent another repainted Conrail unit.

Short video to follow,
tom



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/15 17:25 by globalethanol.

---

---

The homemade lighting boards surely help keep things neat and provide a secure base to mount the decoder. I have been using perf board in much the same way. I see from your model basic plastic sheet can work very well.

Posted from iPhone

Very neat and tidy install of all the electronics.Nice looking power.
Can we see more of the layout please.Love those hills
Regards,DK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/15 19:13 by DKay.

Tom, that's some beautiful work!

Regards, Bobby

I like that bending jig. Nice work!

Paul Liddiard
Spanish Fork, UT

One of my favorite locomotives. Very nice!!

TCS Wow Sound on the move

thanks for looking,
twl

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

I just can't get over the trees that is WOW

  Unfortunately, CSX renumbered this unit ( 789) to 4589, but it still shows " Spirit of Nashville".

Beautiful work on the locomotives, rolling stock, and scenery.  Nicely done all around!

Joe Atkinson
Council Bluffs, IA
www.iaisrailfans.org/../Sub4WestEnd

Great job on the CSX covered hopper train.

I agree with Joe - nice work here!  Love the units, the train, and the backdrop scenery!

~Dave
www.onondagacutoff.blogspot.com

 A+ all around!  Wow!   Very nice indeed.

Nice video...looks like a present day phosphate train!

neat work.  You have given me some food for thought that i may apply to a future decoder install.  Thanks!

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

I am impressed, I find the sound to be hit and miss at times, in this case it sounds really good.
 

Excellent work Tom!