It's not a Train Master

The H15-44's carbody was designed by Raymond Lowey, and the original design had the rounded cab side windows and rounded flares between the cab and walkways.  The design was simplified around the time the horsepower was increased to 1600 and the model name became H16-44.

Several years later, after introducing the 2400hp H24-66 Train Master, the H16-44 was redesigned to use the same body style and came to be called the Baby Train Master.  The 6-axle H16-66 got the same makeover and is nicknamed the Junior Train Master.

Scott Chatfield

This is the one I

This is the one I have,.. 

The label on the end of the box is messed uo, and only partially readable. I believe I can make out that it has a 4 function, Dual-Mode Decoder,...but says nothing about sound even while it has holes for a speaker in the bottom of the fuel tank?

I f the box is labeled gold

I f the box is labeled gold it should have sound if silver no sound 

Modified

Those holes were drilled by hand.  Atlas didn't put speakers in the tank, and I don't think they offered them with sound back then, and you wouldn't want it, since IMHO the QSI FM sound better suited a vacuum cleaner than a model diesel.  So it looks like you have an aftermarket sound-equipped FM but you have no way of knowing what's inside now without opening it up.

Any time an Atlas box says "dual mode decoder" it had the decoder with the 4-pin bypass plug so you could disable the decoder on a DC (analog) layout without the voltage drop of running a decoder in analog mode.  Or the risk of an impure DC power supply confusing the decoder, which causes very erratic behavior.

Scott Chatfield

Thanks Scott, I'll have to

Thanks Scott, I'll have to have a closer look. You are correct those speaker holes are not a factory job.

I've forgotten where I picked this loco up,...and I have never run it. When I found it yesterday while rummaging around my storage trailer, I figured I needed to find out what it was in order to sell it.

If it is a dual mode decoder then I should be able to safely put it on a DC track first?
Then I have an 'Address Changer' from Broadway Lt, that might tell me what DCC address it has??

Do not try it on DC

Until you know what kind of decoder it is.  Since it appears to have a speaker it likely no longer has the original dual-mode Atlas decoder.  Probably why the end label was scratched out.  It might have an early Soundtraxx sound decoder (pre Tsunami), and those do not work on analog DC.

So the first thing you do is put it on a programming track and find out the value in CV8 (manufacturer ID).  The Broadway box will not do this.  Then see if it will give you a value in CV7 (version ID).  Then you might know what's in it.

Scott Chatfield

I was trying to get the shell

I was trying to get the shell off, and did get that fuel tank off. There is a small speaker in there. But I need better light and magnification to see how to get the shell off,...tomorrow

Shell Removal?

Can someone led me to an instruction sheet of how to get the shell off?

Please excuse my ignorance, I think I found it with a good search.

I guess I have to be more forcible. I was sure I spread the base of the shell enough, and shook it downward. 

Decoder

As you indicated it seems to have a Soundtrax decoder. Is there any way to ID it from these photos?
 

maybe some sort of 'keep alive' capacitor?
 

Broadway 'address changer' ?

How about this info on Broadway 'address changer',..or am i missing something in the wording?
https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/broadway-limited-address-changer-12214046

Just got this message from an

Just got this message from an Atlas source..

Problem

So I got out my address changer and read the address on my Atlas FB loco. The actual number on the loco is #40. The address changer read the decoder as 4095. I did this twice, and both times is said 4095.

I decided to see if I could change it. It worked, ...I changed the address to 4099. Double checked, yes it is now 4099.

I put it on the 'main track', and hooked up my NCE Power Pro system.   When I accessed it address,  it jumped into reverse. I could exert NO CONTROL over it, ....it just keeps running in reverse. And I have no control of sounds nor lights.?
 

I decided to get another new engine out, a Proto 2000 with sound and DCC factory installed. Turns out to have the stock address of 3. The lights and sounds are now controllable via my NCE ProCab, But the engine won't move forward or backward?

HELP

Never Could Address this little H15

I skipped over trying to do anything else with this loco, and went on to trying to experiment with reading the addresses and the running a misc group of 5 then 6  other diesel locos I had, Got them all to operate on my mainline test track. Kept trying to address this little H15 unsuccessfully.

A gentleman on a Soundtrax forum identified the decoder as...

Doesn't that point to its being a sound decoder?

Another gentleman submitted,...

So finally in frustration I decided to lift up the decoder and see if I could detect any bad wiring or faulty components etc. Here are some photos of that disassembly ..

 

Only Fault I could find visually

I found a little fault in this corner on the underneath side of the sounder board. Is there any reason this could affect this decoder?

Brian...

I'm not a decoder guru but looks to me like it's time to consider replacing the decoder.

Andre

Smell test

Does it smell like the magic smoke came out?  Looks like it did.  Looks like your DSD is DED.

Stick a fork in it.  New decoder time.

Scott Chatfield

. . .

The smell is probably long gone. Those are part of the H-Bridge that drive the motor,  shorted into oblivion.  There is damage to another IC on top  and bad solder job as well at the resistor. exposed leads.

Replacement

Marc

Thanks Marc, I sure didn't

Thanks Marc, I sure didn't see any of those faults,...but then I am no electronics type. Just to clarify the part I outlined is part of the motor control? I did get the loco to run, but only in one direction, and with no control over the speed.

When I was 'lifting' the decoder up to inspect the bottom side I did break the one wires solder to one corner of the decoder,...it was a wire feeding power to the decoder from the wheels. But it was only one one end of the decoder, so I figured if you attached the track power leads directly to these joints on the decoder board, you would bypass any problems that might exist with that aspect?

I suppose there is no way Soundtraxx would replace this decoder? (and I wouldn't expect them to do so)

I think I will just sell this thing off cheap to someone with the expertise to get it running correctly. i just can't waste any more time on it, and it doesn't match my theme.

. . .

. . .

The decoder Service form from Soundtraxx says any decoder that was discontinued for 2 years is non-serviceable.

https://soundtraxx.com/content/decoderservice.pdf

Since the LC line was discontinued in 2009, garbage is only option..  Would you believe people are still offering these decoders on Ebay for 70$ to the unsuspecting

Marc