"DCC Ready" locos: Use or ditch the OEM board?

[Espeelark]

So, my one-and-only LM-3S install to-date has been in an Athearn "DCC Ready" GP40X.
Not knowing any better (or otherwise) I simply plugged the LM-3S module into Athearn's factory board. However, to be able to get the loco shell back on, I had to make the module sit down as close as possible to Athearn PCB board. There is an 8-pin female connector block soldered to the factory board making this difficult. I had to push the LM-3S module forward to get in front of this connector to get it to sit down and at the same time I really had to bend/fold the 9-pin connector wires over on themselves to make everything fit and still it was a tight fit.

My question: what is everyone's preference here, especially for "tight" loco installs. Do you,
A) simply use the OEM factory board and squish everything to fit?
or
B) remove the factory board and hardwire everything using your own 9-pin connector?

Just trying to get a sense of "best practices"!

[Alan]

B

[nodcc4me]

I’ve done it both ways. I’ve found that sometimes the module doesn’t work exactly as expected when connected to the factory board and sometimes there just isn’t enough room for the module and speaker.

[faithie999]

I take the boards out.  the only reason I can see for leaving the board in place is if I ever wanted to convert back to DC, which I would never do. normally, space inside the shell is at a premium and every cc is precious.

ken

[Gibs]

While I'm yet to receive my RailPro bits an bobs (still waiting on the mailman) I have however only brought DC Loco's wherever possible on the understanding that I would be putting in a "module" of some kind or other. This I started to do way before I had even heard of RailPro. My plan was and is, to make sure that all of my Loco's would/will have the same brand of Decoder (now RailPro). That plan has not changed and I don't see the need too on any account to keep whatever PCB is in the Loco's from factory if your/I'm going to install an entirely different module/decoder than what the factory has deemed the "correct method" to "DCC" a Loco!
In fact I'd even go as far as to say I'd also remove all the factory wiring so as to make the LM-3S more of a native fitment to the Loco.

[Espeelark]

Good input all!
I've been leaning towards option "B" (remove factory board) myself.
Never hurts to ask because there may have been some valid reasons for leaving/using the OEM boards. Appears not to be the case however....

[ON28]

I've done it both ways but using the factory eight-pin plug helped get me quickly up and running with RP. I also had a space advantage with older F3s, GP7s and BL2s, although I had to grind off some of the dynamic brake insert of a Kato F3 to clear the module.

[KPack]

It's definitely quick to plug in the Railpro module if there is room in the locomotive.  But as you get more comfortable with Railpro, you'll find that removing the factory board and hardwiring in the LM-3S is really not that hard, and gives you better results in the end.  Removing the factory board = more room.  More room = bigger speakers.  Bigger speakers = happiness.

-Kevin

[darryl.trains]

I'm with most others as I always junk those factory boards. Once you hardwire it gets easier along the way. I donated most of the DCC boards to our club and they liked having something for free. Cheers, TOF

[trainman605]

I'm with you guys on removal of all the electronics that are factory installed and go with the RailPro setup completely. Being in G scale there is room in most engines to leave the factory electronics, but they come out and go in the storage bin in a plastic bag and marked for what engine they can out of, so far they are all in the bag and none have ever gone back into an engine. All my G scale engines are battery powered and none are wired for track power, just not going back to that type of system hopefully ever again.

trainman

[ON28]

From what I've seen in HO, the size of the RP hard case is problematic for new diesels. People who I demo for like the functionality but are taken aback by the size. Many new locos go right from box to track, are road-specific and don't require a lot of detailing; many hobbyists have neither the time nor the skills to grind a chassis to fit RP.