Model Railroading > Sound Decoder Recommendations

Just picked up a Ready to Run Athearn AC4400...would like to add a Decoder with sound.

You have a few choices: SoundTraxx #828057 is a modern GE FDL-16 prime mover chip with nice modern GE sounds, and SoundTraxx boards in my experience are fairly easy to program-on-the-main, and quite electrically robust. However, in a RTR or blue-box model, you will need to hard-wire the sound decoder and build a speaker mount as well.

Another option is the ESU-Locsound #74469, which is a plug & play decoder if you have an RTR model with the board. I don't have specific experience with that decoder sound, but Locsound #74445 has excellent sound for older Dash-7 and earlier GE's. While the sound is awesome, they can be tricky to program given all the different variables that ESU uses.

Post back with any questions!
~RGDave
www.onondagacutoff.blogspot.com

I would go with ESU Loksound, but I would use a Loksound Select Direct 73804, which is a board-replacement decoder with the proper sound available. It is less expensive the 74469 Loksound V4.0 and it can be fully programmed using the current release of Decoder Pro from JMRI, so with the Select you don't need to get an ESU Locksound Programmer. Note that the 73804 also includes the older GE prime mover sounds, so be sure you select the 7FDL A modern sound.

Barry Draper