George and Tom chat about their passion for customer service and connecting with fellow modelers. Tom shows off his upgraded Athearn Genesis GP38-2 featuring a Blunami BLU-21PNEM8 decoder, while George shares a fewmodeling tips and gives an update on his recently rebuilt Bachmann engine that still needs a little TLC after a nose-dive. They also cover upcoming tradeshows SoundTraxx will be attending and share news about the soon-to-be-releasedBlunami Apple App.

Tom shares his modeling plans for a GP15, inspired by George’s Rehab My Loco series. With the paint stripped and the model prepped, he's ready to dive into upgrades—including a new Blunami decoder.

Meanwhile, George shows off the nearly completed SD40 from his “Rehab My Loco” series, highlighting the custom lighting and some of the Blunami features he’s using.

George recaps his whirlwind month of July with a behind-the-scenes look at life on the tradeshow circuit. From setup to teardown, hear what it’s really like for presenters on the road and he drops a small teaser about what’s next for Blunami.

Lastly, the duo tackles the common confusion around DCC and programming terms. They explain why understanding these terms matters when troubleshooting or setting up your decoder—and where to find helpful resources like our User Guides and the DCC glossary on the SoundTraxx website.

Tom is hard at work on a 2010 Athearn Genesis GP15-1. He has given it a fresh paint job, cleaned the mechanism, added new wheels, installed a Blunami decoder, upgraded the speakers, added several detail parts, and is now focusing on upgrading the lighting.

George doesn’t have a model to show off this week—but he does have a scary story about a night scene on his layout.

Decoder Tip of the Month: Is your model acting like it has a mind of its own? It might not be a decoder issue. Before you panic, try resetting your DCC system—it could be the trick to bring things back under control!

Operations 101: Dynamic Brakes (Episode 6): https://youtu.be/t4Gyx7g9bsg

Consisting with SoundTraxx Decoders (Webinar 14): https://youtu.be/wE_-Swn4WX4

Introduction to DCC Operation & CV Programming (Webinar9):  https://youtu.be/-w5ttfthhNk

Explore the Basics of DCC with SoundTraxx (Webinar 4): https://youtu.be/t4xYHXkJXUk

We’re excited to introduce the newest member of our Support Team — Tom Austin! A lifelong model railroader and fast learner, Tom is already diving in and ready to help you get the most from your SoundTraxx products.

In this video, Tom shows off his GP15-1 and chats with George about the installation process, lighting upgrades, and how to rename functions using the Blunami App for Apple devices.

George also shares his brand-new Atlas B23-7 and walks through how easy it is to set up with Blunami. By copying settings from his GP38, he quickly gets the B23-7 running — only needing to swap in the correct bell, prime mover, and airhorn. Thanks to CV copying, momentum, braking, and other performance features are already dialed in. He also demonstrates how simple it is to add and remove models from consists.

To wrap things up, George and Tom review some awesome customer installs: a Walthers GP15 with a BLU-PNP8 decoder and a large-scale USA Trains SD40-2 equipped with a BLU-4408 decoder.

George shares how to find SoundTraxx Authorized Retailersall over the globe—perfect for discovering amazing hobby shops during your summer travels! He’s also been busy handling customer support as we wish Grahamwell on his new adventure and welcome Tom, our new support technician.

In this video, George shows off his older Atlas GP38,featuring upgraded lighting and smooth momentum, and braking settings.

Decoder Tip of the Week: Always insulate your solder joints! Bare wire can lead to electrical issues and frustratingtroubleshooting. Take your time and keep your installs neat and reliable.

George has been fielding our support calls and emails over the past couple of weeks, and he’s noticed a few common themes. First, he strongly recommends checking out our User’s Guides—these are packed with helpful information and can answer many of your questions right away.

He then takes a deeper dive into some of the most frequently asked topics, especially around speaker installation. George explains how to properly wire speakers to your decoder and how to incorporate multiple speakers into a single installation for optimal sound performance.

Tsunami2 TSU-21PNEM8 Decoder Set Up for an InterMountain Tier 4:  https://youtu.be/RkD_JlMU0hc

George's June 2025 Layout Update: https://youtu.be/ru7cZGKAs2U?si=WCKeqe3GwuO7Wz9R

In this episode, George shares an inside look at his latest YouTube series, which takes a deep dive into the world of locomotive upgrades.

From disassembling engines to installing detail parts, lighting, and modern decoders, he walks you through every step of the process.

Later, George visits with the Colorado Model Railroad Museum director Michelle Kempema and social media manager Jennifer Howell.

They discuss the museum’s exciting lineup of events for the year, including the Colorado RPM Meet.

Let’s jump in!

Colorado Model Railroad Museum: https://www.cmrm.org/

Colorado RPM: https://corpm.org/

George brings out his InterMountain Tier 4 GEVO to show offhis impressive Blunami upgrade. He’s installed the BLU-21PNEM8 decoder and shares a full installation and setup video to help others do the same. George has also added a ton of lights to the model and gives a full demonstration of the effects.

Special guest Christopher Brown joins the conversation toshare his lifelong passion for trains. He talks about how he got into model railroading as a kid and how the hobby has evolved over the years with changing technology.

Together, they dive into topics like trains, decoder installs, LED lighting, and more. Listen now to pick up some great modeling tips and inspiration!

Christopher Brown’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@christopherbrown5338

Tsunami2 Install into a Scale Trains ES44 GEVO: TSU-21PNEM8, Mini Cubes & Decoder Buddy: https://youtu.be/hAFjiwZD7ao

SoundTraxx Soldering Class (Webinar 8): https://youtu.be/1Qxv3iZcL6s

Sound Theory | Speakers, baffles & more! (Webinar 5): https://youtu.be/9CdJtdK8GEg

Graham has been shopping on eBay and picked up a few new models. This week, he shows off his new Atlas Master engines, which he upgraded with Blunami decoders. George also shares his GP15, which he upgraded with Blunami as well. He talks about how he enhanced the lighting on this older model, renumbered it, and added some weathering details.

This week’s model show-offs are a great example of how older models can be brought back to life with a new decoder and a bit of elbow grease. In today’s challenging economic climate—especially with tariffs affecting prices—model trains can get expensive. This is a resourceful way to get a high-quality model at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

Watch now to learn more!

Blunami works seamlessly in DCC, but our app removes the confusion of CVs and decoder setup. You can configure everything in the app, then switch to DCC operation with ease. Our decoders are full of features, so chances are, if you want your train to behave a certain way—it can! And if you’re stuck, just give us a call. We’re happy to help.

Graham runs an Athearn BNSF GP38 with a factory-installed Tsunami2 decoder. George has an Athearn GP38 and a ScaleTrains GP30, upgraded with a CurrentKeeper, Decoder Buddy, and Blunami BLU-21PNEM8. Doing the install this way gave him access to all of ScaleTrains' lights.

George had trouble consisting his Blunami-equipped locos, despite how easy we say it is. The issue? A small setup misstep. He found a simple fix and wants to help others avoid the same frustration. Watch now to learn more!