ELS TRAIN SERVICE

ELS Train Service is dedicated to providing premium DCC and DCC Sound installations for our customers. We handle your engines with the utmost care to ensure none of the delicate components will be damaged. We will talk with you regarding your expectations from your DCC system. Our preferred sound decoders are ESU LoKsound and Soundtraxx Econami/tsu2. We will use any decoder that you, the customer prefers.

We also re-motor and repair most brands of engines. Including replacing drives and gearboxes. We have a strong background in BRASS locomotives and are comfortable working on any and all manufactures of Brass.

We typically install two speakers if the application allows. On Brass steam engines, we try to install the speakers in the boiler when ever possible. 

Videos

This is a 3 motor Key Triplex. It has three ESU LokSound decoders, three speakers and three “Keep Alives”. Two different sound files were used. The rear cylinders exhaust through a stack in the back of the tender and produce a different sound than the exhaust out the stack. We painted the boiler “Russian Iron”. Added additional left rail pick ups. Firebox flicker and cab lighting were added along with the headlight. Notice the sound goes into a drift and back to a hard chuff. This is the “Drive Hold” feature of the decoders.

This is a two motor Tenshodo 4-6-6-4. We used two decoders and speakers. We programmed a slippage feature into one decoder. When pressed Function key #4, the front drivers will runaway when the throttle is quickly advanced. If Function key #4 is not engaged, the front drivers will not runaway when advancing the throttle.

This is a pre-production Division Point Cab Forward that ELS Train Service has modified with lighting and ELS Train Service sound system. This model will be used as a sample for the production run of the Cab Forwards.

Tenshodo 4-8-4 Great Northern S2 class. We replaced the old open frame motor with a coreless motor.New cab interior with lights. Headlight and firebox flicker. A Soundtraxx TSU2 decoder with and Keep Alive. The speaker system consists of two speakers, A tweeter/Midrange in the front of the boiler and a passive radiator bass woofer in the tender. A Hi Pass filter is used for the tweeter/midrange and a Lo pass filter is used for the woofer. We stripped the original paint and repainted and weathered it as it appeared in 1954. You’ll notice the change in “Chuff” intensity as the engineer adds more or less power. This is done with the DDS setting in the TSU2 decoder.

Division Point Northern Pacific 0-6-0T. We installed an ESU Loksound decoder with an ESU Keep Alive and well as an ESU cube speaker. Headlight and firebox flicker. Cab Lights and crew.

Tenshodo 2-6-6-2 Great Northern L1 class. We replaced the old gear tower drive with a Hi-Lo gear box. A coreless motor was installed. New cab interior with lights. Headlight and firebox flicker. A LokSound decoder with and ESU Keep Alive. The speaker system consists of three speakers, Two Tweeters in the front of the boiler and a passive radiator in the tender. A Hi Pass filter is used for the tweeters and a Lo pass filter is used for the woofer

These are the two Climax engines that were painted, lettered and weathered by Jeff Lemke. I installed the DCC/Sound system and headlights. These engines are very rare and we wanted minimal modifications/alterations for the DCC system. The only modifications were the drilling of the holes for the headlight wires. I used a LokSound Select Micro decoder with a Full Throttle sound file. You will notice the intensity of the bark changes in the video. These engines only pick up power from two wheels per rail, so a ESU LokSound active power pack was installed between the motor and worm. These are much more compact than a traditional Keep Alive. Mounting the speaker in one of these engines is always a challenge. The best possible location was the roof of the cab. I selected five options and bench tested/compared them for sound quality. These included a 11x15 in a curved boiler enclosure, 18 x 13 in a 5 mm deep enclosure, Dual side by side 11 x 15 in a 5 mm enclosure, A modified Iphone 4S and an ESU 11 x 15 in a double wide enclosure. I was surprised that the ESU double wide offer MUCH better sound over the others. Black heat shrink fastened as conduit was used for routing the wires.

Three Brass ATSF Steam Engine Projects with enhanced Speaker Systems The 4-8-4 has a 2-way speaker system. A woofer in the tender and two mid/high range speakers in the boiler. A crossover network separates the frequencies between the speakers. The motors were replaced and full cab detail was added to the 4-8-4 and the 2-8-4

This is a Brass Division Point Baldwin CenterCab. It has a ESU LoKsound Select decoder with a Baldwin 606 dual prime mover sound file. The prime mover sounds are adjusted to idle and run at slightly different RPMs.  This gives the impression of the engines going in and out of phase. We used two speakers.

Challenger Imports Great Northern Q1 2-10-2 steam engine. ESU LokSound decoder with Full Throttle steam engine sound file. Two speakers and decoder are mounted in the boiler

This is a W&R 2-8-2. We installed DCC and sound. There are two speakers in the boiler along with a Keep Alive and the decoder. Cab details and lighting were installed. Smoke box flicker, headlight and tender lights were added utilizing LEDs.

This is an Overland Brass NW5. It came with a poorly performing tank drive. We modified the frame and mounted P2K trucks. A can motor and LokSound DCC were added. We utilized a "Full Throttle" sound file. Notice the engine notching. A full cab interior with lighting was installed.

ELS Train Service Testimonials

Dennis is the boss I highly recommend him to anybody needing work done to there models. I had him put a SoundTraxx TSU2 sound decoder and keep alive in a Broadway Limited Brass Hybrid T&P 2-10-4 along with his standard LEDS for the headlight and backup light and I couldn’t be happier with what he did to this already great locomotive. Five stars and highly recommend ELS Train Service and Dennis Bartholows work. Thank you again Dennis and I look forward to having you do some more models for me in the future

Jeff Mueller Seguin, Texas

I trust Dennis explicitly with all my high end steam locomotive work. He does a very impressive and competent job of installing sound and DCC. In addition, he is an expert in replacing gear boxes and upgrading motors. I am always kept in the communication loop on the details and schedule of the work. He carefully and comprehensively explains each step of the work and any options available. All shipments are packed extremely well to ensure safe arrival. I will continue to utilize his talents for all my future projects.

William Kajdzik
Kent, WA

"Dennis took my brass B36-7 and installed a Loksound decoder. Added additional pick ups to the trucks so that it has 8 wheel pick up. Finished the decals. Great job, runs great, sounds incredible. Highly recommend his work."     

                                                                                                                                              Tom Beane.  Hudson WI

"I have Dennis do all my engine work. I've had him do all types of work. He re-motors, paints, weathers and installs sound in my older brass steam and I have him install decoders in my diesels too. I've been using his services for the last couple years. I bring a few engines a month to him. If I ever have problems, he fixes them no questions asked."

                                                                                                                                      John Zacharis, Shakopee MN

"Dennis is my GO TO guy when I can't figure out what's going on with my DCC stuff. I do all my own work, but when I get stuck, he can fix or figure out what's wrong instantly. It amazes me how much he knows about DCC."

                                                                                                                                       Greg Smith, Apple Valley MN

"I met Dennis at the Brass Expo this year. I had him work on three engines. An Overland SDL39, an Overland GP9m and a U25B. He installed ESU loksound FULL THROTTLE in all three. Added cab interiors with lights and crew as well as classification markers. Then speed matched them. They run and sound better than anything I've ever heard. The next engines are Milwaukee F6A and a Milwaukee K1. These two brass Milwaukee steam engines will get Paint, DCC, Sound, Lighting, the works. Highly recommend."

                                                                                                                                             Alex Markov, Chicago IL

"I own the Soo Line Centercab that is featured in the video on the ELS Train Service website. Need I say more? Everyone is amazed at how great it performs and the absolutely phenomenal sound. I have had Dennis tune up more engines than I can count.  He does all my DCC work and maintenance on my engines."

                                                                                                                                  Gary Hanson, St Louis Park MN

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