I recently got hold of a Rivarossi Blue Goose/Bird #3460. It runs great in DC. Doesn’t have the deep flange pizza cutters. I pull the locomotive shell off once and notice it got a golden color motor (it not open) also the motor does not go to the locomotive cab as it has a cab interior. The engine didn’t come with a manual or a box. But I am assuming it must be a late run version? Are these engine hard to convert to DCC?
Measure the motor current at 12 vdc. Most decoders are limited to one amp.
Some use stall current, some use light pressure on the drivers.
Isolate the two motor contacts.
I would suspect the loco has a light bulb and not an LED but check carefully.
Install according to the decoder wiring instructions. There are some quite small Digitrax and TCS decoders. Not much bigger than a US dime.
Rich
Thanks for the advice Richg1998. I am going try to get some pictures as where the engine get it power from as the wires are all black colour. Then light you are right it is a light bulb in it and it has one wire running back pass the boiler weight towards the motor and i am not sure where the other side get power to complete the circuit.
not sure how to procced to install a decoder. I got the shells off, the tender seem to be half glued so i had to pry it open, as a result of prying it open i damage the bottom lip but not the tender shell. The locomotive got a can motor but i am not sure if it been insulated from the shell.
Easy to determine if the motor contacts are isolated. Visual along with an ohm meter.
Some decoders like the DZ125 are no much bigger than a USA dime. Instructions come with the decoder.
Put a 22 ohm, 1/2 watt resistor in series with one light bulb lead or replace with an LED, 1k, 1/4 watt resistor in series with one lead.
If you work at this level much, you really need to use a multimeter.
My meters measure 13.6 vac when using my NCE Power Cab DCC controller.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_Workshop/index.htm
To determine current draw at 12 vdc.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/Meter_HF/index.htm
I have four.
Rich
From the photos, I would say, guess, the motor contacs are isolated. Usually when I see two wires like that, the motor is isolated. My MDC Roundhosue steamers where like that.
One wire came from ther tender, one wire went to the loco frame. A few older steamers had an open frame motor and both motor leads and wired the same.
Rich
Thanks Rich going give what you posted a try and see how it it turns out.
Hi Rich
I got the decoder install. It was alot easier then I thought it would be. I disable the light for now since it just too much hassle. I used a nce d13srj with a harness.