RP in a 44-tonner

[faithie999]

has anyone come up with a solution for using RP with a 44-tonner?  all I can think of is permanently coupling a car to the loco and installing the module and speaker in the car.  not prototypical but it would get the job done, until Ring designs an n-scale module (I won't live that long).
thanks

ken

[drisdon]

A 44 tonner can realistically pull, what about 5-10 cars?  Most of the Spectrum units have two motors/powered trucks.  How about removing the motor from one of those trucks and only having two powered axles?  Then you've made room for Railpro and a keep alive.  That's exactly what I had been planning and started on before we moved almost two years ago.  Or you could wait and purchase a new fangled one from Rapido which they just announced. 

Dan Risdon
Los Alamos, NM

[faithie999]

I took one of the spectrum 44-tonners apart this afternoon, and there is absolutely no place under the hood for a RP module.  the space above the head of the engineer figure was promising, but the length of the module is longer than the width of the roof.  if I removed one of the trucks and was able to figure out how to install a freight car truck, there still isn't room in that "compartment" for a module.  the inside of the front and rear hood is flush with the top of the frame.

[G8B4Life]

I'm guessing you have the two motored version (each truck has it's own motor) and not the single center motor version?

For the two motored version probably not much can be done.

For the single motored version I rekon it could possibly be shoehorned in; there was a thread very recently over on MRH forums (Bachmann Spectrum GE 44 Ton Diesel - Analog DC to DCC Conversion) on installing DCC in a 44 tonner. If someone can get a decoder buddy, a 21 pin decoder and speakers into a 44 tonner that's a good idea builder right there.

You can also wait and see how Rapido's upcoming 44 tonner is built; it might be easier to use one of them when they come out.

- Tim

[faithie999]

Tim--thanks.  it's the 2-motor version.  and thanks for the link to the one-motor install.

I'll wait and see what the Rapido design is.

Ken

[faithie999]

Tim--I did a little more googling and learned (I think this is right) that the one-motor version is a later release by Bachmann of a DCC-equipped 44-tonner.  best I can tell from the exploded parts diagram is that the chassis is somewhat "shorter" (bottom to top) than the 2-motor frame, affording SOME clearance between the top of the chassis and the inside of the cab.  the link you provided showed that the decoder the person chose fit inside the hood and laid flat on the inside top of the hood.  unfortunately the RP module is maybe 1/32" too wide to fit in and lay flat.  unlike the installer in the link, there are components on the RP module right up to the edges of the board, so I won't be able to shave anything off the width of the board as he did with his KA.  MAYBE I will be able to shave the inside of the hood so the module fits flat against the inside top of the hood.  the good news is that he stacked the decoder and the KA meaning there should be enough space for the RP module if I can get it to lay flat.

I emailed the Bachmann parts dept to see if what I need to convert the 2-motor version to the 1-motor is the updated chassis, plus trucks and motor.

we'll see if they respond.

Ken

[faithie999]

with some modifications to the chassis, I was able to fit an LM-3S into my 2-motor Bachmann 44-tonner.

I've posted my procedure in the "Finished RailPro Installation Examples" sub-forum

Ken