Senior editor Dana Kawala installed a SoundTraxx Tsunami KT-1000 Digital Command Control sound decoder into an HO scale Kato USA General Electric P42. Watch the DCC-sound-equipped locomotive as it hauls an Amtrak passenger train around the Model Railroader staff’s club layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy.
Video: SoundTraxx KT-1000 DCC sound decoder for Kato HO scale P42
By Dana Kawala | April 21, 2014
| Last updated on May 6, 2021
The SoundTraxx Tsunami KT-1000 add Digital Command Control and sound effects to the Kato USA HO scale GE P42 diesel locomotive
According to the Soundtraxx website, the K5LA horn is one of the available horns.
Gary noted the same concern I had – where's the "Whoop!" of the compressor kicking in? Spend any time around these – or late-model GE's in general – and you notice that sound at speed much more than the "pifft" of the pressure releases on the air line. The latter is more apparent when sitting at idle.
I have a pair of these with the Kobo ESI installation so it will be interesting to compare once I have enough track in to test them out.
While the decoder may have a selection of 15 "prototype" horns, virtually all Amtrak locomotives have a Nathan K5LA horn, so using the Nathan M5 wouldn't actually be correct. Different railroads tend to prefer different horns, and Amtrak is no exception. Most have a list of 2-3 horns they use (with exceptions, usually locomotives purchased secondhand from other roads), but Amtrak uses the K5LA almost exclusively.
All of Dana Kawala videos are extremely informative. They have presented details of DCC that from other sources are not as clearly explained. Taking a picture of the steps shown in bold type along with repeated listening to the video has expanded my knowledge of DCC.
Where / when was the transition sleeper switched out of the consist?
Where did the transition sleeper disappear to?
Very nice and well done video ! Great job. Always a pleasure to see MR&T layout on video … never enough
Yes, very good video….!
Does the decoder support flashing ditch lights? I believe that is standard practice on Amtrak.
A great review of the SOUND and the LAYOUT! Thanks, Dana. Bill G — Tennessee
Really cool and the horse didn't even look up.
Thanks Dana. I thought that Kato released their P42 with a Soundtrax decoder – is this remarkably different? Further, in a future one of your DCC videos could you go deeper into how to program these to sound like a real P42? One needs the lead unit to have the "winking" headlights (which I realize require a rebuild of the Kato light system). We also need to program the second unit to remain at a higher speed even when stopped (for head end power) and one needs the frequent "whoop" of the GE compressors. I am not aware of any decoder that has these sounds ready to go, so I need a "P42 set up for dummies" video please.