RailPro > Finished RailPro Installation Examples
Rapido SW1200RS
KPack:
I still find it easier to just completely ditch the factory board. It's so much easier to install Railpro when you have space to work with. It makes everything neat and clean, and allows you to fit wires without having to stuff them all inside the shell.
Like Alan said, use 1K ohm resistors for LEDs. Don't bother with bulbs. Remove the factory board and trace the wires to where they go. They will go to the following locations:
-Motor (2)
-Track power (2 per truck)
-Lights (2 per light)
And that's it. As soon as you know where the wires lead to, you know how to hook them up. If the model has LEDs, they will only work when the polarity is correct (negative and positive wires going to the correct lead on the LED). If they are backwards, no harm done....it just won't light up. Switch the wires and you are good to go.
Hardwiring is not as hard as it seems. Sure, the first couple of times it will be slow and you will get frustrated. But once you realize that it's just connecting the correct wires to each other, it becomes easy. It's just a bit of a chore to do it. In the end your install will be cleaner and have less issues, so it's worth it.
-Kevin
CPRail:
There is a bit of wasted space between the board and the motor, but the board has the front headlights in a housing (as seen in my photo) that rests at the correct height on a bit of frame. I could buzz the frame metal, but then the headlight housing is in the wrong location.
Tossing the board is the best option. I don't need all the extra lights that Rapido has built in - just the headlights and ditchlights.
Once I get over this cold, and am thinking clearer, I'll take the next step - with photos!
The joys of pioneering installs...
KPack:
--- Quote from: CPRail on March 13, 2019, 09:50:16 AM ---The joys of pioneering installs...
--- End quote ---
That's how all of my installs have been: uncharted territory. You will quickly figure out that each locomotive model and manufacturer require a different approach to install Railpro. The one (mostly) constant step for my installs is to remove all factory boards. I then figure out from there how to best make the module, speakers, and keep alive fit.
-Kevin
CPRail:
It's DONE!! ;D
My apologies to all for this install taking forever. I had tossed the board as Kevin had suggested and hard-wired in the LM-3S. I also ground down the two cast in screw bosses on the frame for attaching the board.
I then ran into some weird operational issues. For some reason, no matter what settings I changed in Railpro, I could not get the until to start or stop nice and smooth. Once it starting running, she was smooth as silk, but she'd jerk into action and then jerk to a stop. After taking most of the drive train apart, thinking I had a cracked gear or something, I determined that the motor has some serious cogging issues. A quick note to Rapido solved that issue, but I just couldn't get around to working on the unit, so she sat.
It's finally vacation time for me and as a bonus, the Winnipeg Jets were playing this afternoon, so today was an ideal day to try and get everything back together.
I had to toss a small weight as I mentioned earlier - the speaker goes in that spot, after it was shortened. NOTE: The pictures show the speaker without the final piece of styrene glued on to close up the chamber. The Keep-Alive is double-sided taped to the top of the worm gear lid with extra slack in the wires.
I did not install any lighting. I'm just happy that it's running and sounding good. I did keep the factory boards, so when I'm feeling especially mad, I might try to get them installed. The cab headlights will be the easiest as they are on their own board and just need to play connect-the-wires.
The ULT 567 file sounds pretty good on that speaker. My standard spec is to use Scale Sound Systems speakers, but J.T. is currently in a production hiatus (working on a new driver), and there is just no room in this unit.
Just like my P2K S3, you CAN install Railpro into a SW1200RS. Insanity helps.
Now to do something big, like a SD40-2!!
KPack:
Well done Ian. Nice and clean with everything kept orderly. Wiring for lights will certainly be a pain though.
Removing factory electronics opens up all kinds of space in a locomotive. That's why I've done it on nearly all of mine. I currently have a ScaleTrains Dash 9 that I'm sitting on though because I need to figure out how I'm going to retain the factory step lights while still removing all other electronics. Lots of wiring to figure out.
-Kevin
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