hello everybody…MERRY CHRISTMAS…i have several non dcc locomotives…a chattanooga ursa 0-6-0,a old time village express…american 4-4-0,and a challenger deisel…all ho bachman…
can i install a decoder in these locomotives and run them with dcc?..if so who makes the decoders and the approx cost…thanks for the info…tishman
Yes. Litchfield Station has generic sound decoders in both steam and diesel for 36 bucks each.
Installing a dcc decoder is kind of a chor ein the older loco’s do to the motor being grounded to chassis. I have installed allot in older loco’s but do not have my system convereted, so I will let the other guys do the choice part on which decoder. Adding sound is not as bad, but does take a bit of time.
I’ve installed a number of decoders in old locomotives from the 1960’s. One of them is running, but I’ve taken the decoders out of the others because they just didn’t perform well enough to be worth it. Many of these old engines had pretty primitive drive systems, and upgrading to modern standards is more than just adding a decoder. On the other hand, for those older engines that are running well, a decoder isn’t that big a deal. Non-sound decoders are under 20 dollars for a basic model.
For many older locos, you will have to isolate the motor, but that’s not difficult. You have to remove the motor and insulate it COMPLETELY from the frame. Most of the time, you can do this with a piece of plastic electrical tape and a nylon screw. Then, you need to do a bit of re-wiring, including the two power leads from the track and the two engine leads to the motor. I’d recommend replacing your headlights with LED’s, and adding some resistors to limit the current. (Otherwise, your Light Emitting Diodes quickly and stinkily become Darkness Emitting Diodes, or DEDs.)
The hard part for me was saying goodbye to the old engines that just couldn’t hack it. I de-motored them, insulated the couplers and now run them as honorary dummy engines. By the way, you owe it to yourself to get one new engine, just to see how far the hobby has come in terms of locomotive quality.
i used a poor choice of words in the subject title…the locomotives i have are less than 1 yr old…i originally asked about converting older locomotives…i should have said used dc locomotives…i hope i have cleared up my guestion…thanks…tishman
It sounds to me like those are engines that came in train sets? If so, they probably still have a frame-grounded motor which needs to be isolated. People talk like isolating a motor is very hard. But it isnt. All you have to do is put a non-conductor between the motor pickups and any metal in the loco. This non-conductor can be as simple as a piece of electrical tape. Once that is done, just solder the motor wires from the decoder to the motor leads, solder the power wires to the track pickups and it will run. If you want lights you use 2 or more lighting function wires to your bulbs or LEDs and sound requires 2 more wires to the speaker. The hardest part about sound is finding a place for the speaker(s). For decoders I like TCS. The 2 decoders I use most are the T1 and the MC2. The T1 is a basic 2 function decoder and will fit in most locos. It runs for $20. If you need more than 2 functions upgrade to a T3, T4, etc. etc. The MC2 is a small decoder which will fit in places where the T1s wont. The MC2s cost $25. I havent had any problems with my TCS decoders and I have installed over 80 of them. Not all mine of course. The best thing about TCS is the “goof proof” warranty. If you screw up the decoder, even if it is all your fault, send it back to TCS and they will replace it no questions asked.
I am told with eneugh patience. tweaking and effort. A DCC decoder can be installed in Any Locomotive. But the process is different for each locomotive and it is up to you to figure out if the time invested is worth it or not.
James