Picked up and put in to operation one of the Bachmann painted unlettered three truck Shays. The Shay came through in great shape. It is the smoothest running Shay that I’ve had so far. Also like the fact it came with both a coal load and oil bunker. Plus four stacks: straight, Hunter-Radley, Ruston, and Lima Diamond. Now to convert it to battery/RC and install a Phoenix sound.

Seems that the Sound equipped versions have arrived as well.

David,
That’s correct. Even though on a dis-information site a person of “authority” indicated the Tsunami Shays would not be available for at least several more months. Of course there hasn’t been too much posted by the “crew” in reference to the new Shay that has been correct.

The non sound version I have has been in operation each day since it arrived. Great running engine, so far. Several others in my area have received their engines and they too report arrival in good condition and excellent operating characteristics.

JD

All, mine arrived also undamaged. The back up light doesn’t work but I am not concerned as I am going to convert to battery and R/C soon. I called the Tech Assistance line this morning to ask about the chuff contacts as the wiriing plans provided don’t show them. The contacts are in the same place as the two truck shay but he couldn’t tell me where the wires end up. I guess I will have to dissassemble and trace them out. I did drill another hole in the drawbar to bring the water tank closer to the main unit. It will still negoitate an 8’ diameter curve and looks a little better. If anyone opens up their unit before I do and can tell me where the wires for the chuff contacts end up I will appreciate it. Nick Jr

Nick,
The chuff wires are a almost dark blue. They are mixed in with the wire bundle under the main PCB. The wires are unattached and the ends are tied together. Just look for a pair of blue wires, tied together, and not connected to the main PCB.

You may have noticed in the video that the draw bar depicted has two holes in it so that the water tender may be close coupled to the engine. I did like you and drilled another hole in the draw bar. The combination looks better with the water tender closer to the locomotive.

I’ve also noticed, that as has been the case in the past, not all wire colors on the supplied diagrams match those as installed on the locomotive.

JD

JD, thank you for the info on the chuff leads. I haven’t ordered the sound system yet, have to wait till next year for that.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL Nick Jr

JD,
I checked out the additional water pipe supplied and found it is a little shorter than the one installed at the factory. Since we drilled another hole in the draw bar this pipe aligns the water hatch better. Nick Jr

Please! I would be delighted to be wrong about the availability of the G scale Tsunami!!!

After the dis-information jab, please make sure you don’t have dis-information yourself, and identify the location of information about the Tusunami-equiped G scale shay. Not the On3 ones already out using the HO scale Tsunami.

Please furnish web site, or dealer that has them.

Notice I was very specific, the G scale Tsunami DCC decoder, not any other brand, and not the 1 amp HO scale one.

Regards, Greg

Greg,

For a reference you have nothing more to do than check the Bachmann web site. The Bach Man has been very clear as to the LS Shay available with Tsunami.

Dave Goodson has already addressed the issue too. The Bachmann installed Tsunami is a proprietary system. According to the Bachmann site it will not be sold except installed before the Shay leaves the factory.

Even with my advanced years, I’m still able to tell the difference between a 1:20.3 scale Shay and that of a On3. Held one of the LS Tsunami Shays yesterday.

The distributor in Ohio that supplied my LS three truck Shay has Tsunami in stock.

Mis and dis information is rather a given at some sites. Folks seem to thrive on it. So, do whatever makes your foot pad!

Oh, And a Very Merry Christmas to You and Yours.

JD

My point was that I believed the LS Tsunamis would not be available soon. Your posts do not indicate the receipt or possession of a shay with a Tsunami.

It’s clear there is a 3 truck shay, and it’s clear that Bachmann ANNOUNCED the shay available with the LS SoundTraxx Tsunami. None of you guys have one. (read carefully, Bachmann 3 truck LS shay with factory equipped Tsunami DCC decoder - that runs both sound and motors)

Someone on MLS posted he got a Tsunami-equipped shay.

I’ve emailed him tp find out where he got it and if it really has the decoder. I’m very surprised, but let’s see what is what.

I still think something is funny, but let’s find out from someone who has one.

Regards, Greg

Interesting how the story changes.

After a prediction that the Tsunami system in the LS Shay would not be available for a number of months that insightful statement was proven wrong.

I had reported that I held one of the Tsunami Shays that a friend had received. That assertion was not good enough.

Then others reported receipt of their Tsunami Shays. Those reports were met with something along the lines that it more than likely was a sound system only and not the full up DCC with sound.

Now that more folks are reporting receipt of the Tsunami Shay all the previous " doubting Thomas" posts have ceased.

Guess we can now move on to the next great humor.

JD

The story has not changed.

Actually, I can’t get anyone who has said they got a DCC one to run it on DCC. So far only 2 people have said they received one with sound, and both have run it only on DC.

I’m glad if they are really here, but still does not match with what the SoundTraxx people said about when they would get to the LS Tsunami.

You are really nasty, just digging and digging. What is your problem? Your earlier posts were really silly, stating over and over that Bachmann announced it, we all know that, it’s the delivery that is the issue.

I AM hoping that the LS Tsunami’s have been built, even if they are only the OEM one for Bachmann. I really need quite a few of them. I WANT them to be here.

So far, the people posting that they have one COULD have a shay that is using a HO Tsunami. They are said to be DCC, but find a post on the Internet where someone has actually run one of them on DCC. It’s not on this forum and it’s not on MLS. So, instead of being nasty, why not be helpful and find somewhere that someone has run one of these on DCC, not just DC and heard the sound.

If you don’t get the distinction, many LS people have used the Tsunami as a sound only decoder, and either run on DC or used a second DCC decoder.

The On3 Bachmann with Tsunami apparently uses the HO decoder.

I hope that you will react by being helpful, rather than just finding ways to be nasty, and not really answer the question: Are the LS Tsunami’s really here?

Greg

I do not remember actually seeing comments from somebody who has one, just those who said theirs was coming.

If it was not for the snow, I would have been down to Caboose, want at least a flat car.

However the strong implication is that they are on their way and feature the LS Tsunami.

There would be little point putting one in that was not rated for the loco.

But then I do have a spare HO Tsunami, wonder if it has the same sound output. Just assumed that the LS version would have more sound punch.

I did get a 2 Truck for Christmas, just wondered if anybody has used a HO Tsunami in this?

According to the specs SoundTraxx published, the only difference between the HO and LS Tsunamis are the motor power output, the function outputs and the sound amp are the same.

That’s why many LS people have put the HO decoder in their locos, along with a high amp decoder for the motor. That, along with the fact that the street price for the HO decoder is $80, and the fact that SoundTraxx stated that tus the concern that they would do the HO diesel decoders before the LS steam decoder led me to my statement that I believed the LS Tsunami would not be out in January.

The only downside of usinjg the dual decoder method, is the ability of the Tsunami to vary the sounds according to engine load (not speed, but actual load) is lost.

So, I’m waiting for the reports, so far no one has responded other than a couple of guys who have only run the loco on DC.

It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the dual decoder setup is what Bachmann is offering, dumb, but possible in light of the slow release of new products from SoundTraxx.

Regards, Greg

Quite possible, couple of questions:

If Bachmann have a LS Decoder only why do they not fit it as standard? They do in their other ranges. Sound or no sound, but both are DCC.

I sort of assumed a LS Decoder would have a higher output for sound, or need one to be more precise.

Does the non Sound instructions show both versions, if so it should be clear what they have done.

the literature provided with the Shay show a schematic of both DC and DCC. Not very detailed as I had to ask in the forum where the chuff leads go. I would be very glad to fax both pages to anyone. Nick Jr

The decoder used in the new shay is a Tsunami, made by SoundTraxx. I do not believe Bachmann makes any decoders.

Also, SoundTraxx has taken forever for their Tsuname LS decoder (combination motor and sound), It has been announced for over a year and they still have only released the HO steam version. They stated they will do the HO diesel version before the LS decoders.

I’m waiting to see what is in the Bachmann 3 truck, because they do not advertise any of the unique Tsunami features, also they state “DCC sound”… funny, big benefit of the Tsunami is the sound part gets feedback from the motor part on motor load, and changes the sounds of the locomotive drastically.

Also, from what SoundTraxx published, the power output of the sound part was the same for HO and LS. Now, since no one has any of the LS decoders, the specs could have changed.

We shall see, so far no one has opened up their new toy to tell what exactly is inside.

Regards, Greg

Greg Elmassian said:
The decoder used in the new shay is a Tsunami, made by SoundTraxx. I do not believe Bachmann makes any decoders.

Also, SoundTraxx has taken forever for their Tsuname LS decoder (combination motor and sound), It has been announced for over a year and they still have only released the HO steam version. They stated they will do the HO diesel version before the LS decoders.

I’m waiting to see what is in the Bachmann 3 truck, because they do not advertise any of the unique Tsunami features, also they state “DCC sound”… funny, big benefit of the Tsunami is the sound part gets feedback from the motor part on motor load, and changes the sounds of the locomotive drastically.

Also, from what SoundTraxx published, the power output of the sound part was the same for HO and LS. Now, since no one has any of the LS decoders, the specs could have changed.

We shall see, so far no one has opened up their new toy to tell what exactly is inside.

Regards, Greg

After much messing hopefully this is visible as the wiring layout.

Seems to have been produced without specifying a particular decoder, but then I remember Bachmann recommending one for another Loco that was no longer produced, so perhaps they do this to keep their options open.

Bachmann do make, well source, decoders other than Soundtraxx for their other ranges.

They are very specific in their advertising that all Sound Equpped loco’s are Tsunami and DCC Sound.

I am sort of assuming that Soundtraxx sold the license, not that they are made in Durango and shipped to China.

So quite possible that Soudtraxx do not have or wish to get the extra capacity to Manufacture. or not to the extent required to meet current demand.

Thanks David, interesting information, and I recently came upon more information that answers my questions. And it does indeed seem that SoundTraxx’s manufacturing capacity is stretched to it’s limit.

Looks like the decoder in the shay is NOT the large scale Tsunami we’ve been waiting for, but something in between made for Bachmann.

My post that started all the flaming was that I believed that the LS Tsunami would not be out in January. And it’s not.

But, there IS an oem decoder from SoundTraxx with Tsunami features in a large scale loco.

I would suspect that this decoder will not ever be sold to the general public or directly from SoundTraxx. The 8 amp LS decoder and I think they were also going to have a 4 amp need pretty big heat sinks. This decoder does not appear to have them.

So I was half right and half wrong. A LS “Tsunami” did appear in January, but it is NOT the Large Scale Tsunami promised by SoundTraxx.

I’d be very curious to find out what the output current rating is of this decoder, and what other features it has.

David, does it’s manual have the same CV’s as the HO Tsunami, part number 826120? (That manual is on the SoundTraxx web site).

Have you run it on DCC yet?

Regards, Greg

To avoid any confusion, I do nopt have one, yet.

Anyway here is a link posted on MLS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz9m0LUCJ0g

DCC operated, sound equiped Shay. In all its glory.

Certainly sounds loud enough for outdoor use.

Not sure how long that smoke unit will last!