Engines to convert

[darryl.trains]

I started to open some engines up to see what type of wiring would be needed to fitted with RailPro decoders. First three were Bachmann engines and that is a thrill figuring out how to take the shell off. Seems they use different methods to hold them on. A little luck and I got a look at the guts. All three were different. One had a skinny decoder of which I'll have to cut and splice a new RP decoder, that's shoud be easy. Second one has a long DCC board and that one should be fine to convert after removal. Last one has DCC and Sound and looks fairly easy to convert but somewhere in the bottom of the guts is a speaker. All in all, these look to be a nice project. 

I opened up a Mantua logging engine that has DCC and Sound installed and sure was easy to get at the goods.  Popped the end of the cab and the main cab and there was everything. Nice little speaker too. Another thing, it has a 9 pin socket, how nifty?

I am happy that all these engines use NMRA color coded wiring as you know makes this so much easier to accomplish.

 I'll open up a few more engines tomorrow but they are Broadway Limited so it might be be another story?

 Looks like I be busy for some time but time, hopefully is on my side !

Cheers, the old fardt in Oregon    RAIN RAIN lots of it right now... 

 

[William Brillinger]

Darryl,

If you can, please take photos of the installs and document them here.
We'd love to see how you do them!

[darryl.trains]

Bill

 I might try to do as you requested if I can. At least I can describe most of the conversions. Doing the brass engines might be a chore but who knows? Maybe I can tell a story there too depending how the first changes go with the wiring already in place with most of my plastic engines. Hard wiring is not fun and most likely I'll be changing some of the brass engine's open frame motors to can type while I have the engines opened up anyway. I was going to convert the brass engines so it's two birds with one shot.

 Cheers, Darryl

[darryl.trains]

 Well now, I have come to the collusion that taking pictures and documenting is not my best suit and since I am converting five engines at a time, just too hard to try to show the various engines in different states of installation. But I can mention the engines that are easy or hard to get into and some are just not friendly, for one, the Bachmann 44Ton diesel switcher so far has been the toughest to make room for the module. On the other end, the B-mann 70Ton was a piece of cake including speaker. The B-mann S-2 diesel switcher looks like a fairly easy install including speaker.  A B-mann modern 4-4-0 is rather easy install once you get the tender shell off. Now the Mantua logger without a tender is somewhat complicated but not impossible. So far, every engine has different ways for removing the shells.

 Looking over the engines on the shelf, I found seven more engines to convert along with my brass logging engines. Another order coming up shortly for more modules and another accessory unit or two.

 Bottom line as most of you already know, buy engines with DCC ready for that would sure save a heck of lot of work. I know as I have NONE !

 I might as well mention that wiring up the layout with RailPro power supply went pretty smooth and I used some of my stash of N.J. International switch machines on a few turnouts. All of my switches are Fast Tracks. Last year I got a bug and built a bunch.

 I'll post something if there is anything of interest.

Cheers,  Darryl

[KPack]

Glad things are progressing well.  Post pictures of whatever you can, even if it is just of the finished installation.  It helps to see how you went about placing the module and where you tucked the wires. 

Buying DCC-ready is a time saver, but not always.  Of all the DCC-ready locomotives I've bought, only two still have the original plug in them.  All the other had the factory board and all factory wiring removed in favor of hardwiring.  Much easier to find room for everything without all the factory crap in there, and much more reliable connections.

-Kevin