I am rather new to the hobby and am little confused about the whole DC/DCC issue. I have a few older engines that were given to me and I bought a newer on that has DCC installed. My basic question is since I am starting new and want to run with a DCC layout, are all engines convertable to DCC or only specific one? I know dumb question but I am just not sure.
Most locomotives can be converted, however there are some that will just be too difficult to convert to be worth it. Diesels in general are easier to hardwire than steamers. If they have a plug, installing a decoder is no problem.
Edge
I think if you were to post a list of your non DCC locomotives by type, manufacturer and(if possible) age you would probably get some specific answers as to the how to’s and which are good candidates and which are not. There are a lot of very knowledgeable and experienced people on these forums.
Dave
Edit:[#welcome] Welcome to the forum.
Welcome [#welcome]
If you don’t know who made the loco’s take a picture of them and post them here. Someone will know what it is.
Hello Edge, welcome to the forum.
Not a dumb question at all, in fact one that I suspect we have all asked at some time as we entered the hobby or transitioned from DC to DCC,
As you can see from the previous answers there is not enough information in your initial question to really give you anything but a vague answer.
I consider myself to be somewhat adept with a soldering iron and will try any install of a decoder no matter how hard. In my opinion every locomotive can be done, but many of these really should not be done.
My general comments and advice would be as follows:
- Plug and Play are usually the easiest, but even then it may not be as simple as just plugging in a decoder. Sometimes lamps have to be changed, sometimes circuit board tracks have to be cut. This is especially true of older “DCC ready” locomotives.
- Hard wiring is not hard if you have a basic understanding of the current paths within the loco and can handle a soldering iron. Be willing to use a cheap meter looking for shorts etc.
- Try a couple of non sound installs first. Have success installing non sound decoders before the added complexity of fitting a speaker is introduced.
- If the model runs poorly under DC, it is not going to get better under DCC. Don’t even bother trying to convert something that does not run well.
- Visit the TCS web site often for reference ideas on decoder installation. It has, I believe, the best selection of installation examples on the web http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/index.php (installation example link on the left)
Anyway, feel free to post specific questions here. There are a ton of folks with a lot of experience and in all likelihood there will be someone that has converted the specific locomotives that you ask about. Have fun with
Thanks for all the information. As I was going through the engines I read all the instructions. The ones that didn’t mention they were DCC ready are listed here.
Spectrum Master Railroad series GP-35
Spectrum Master Railroad series FMH16-44
Mantua LTD Ed Atlantic 4-4-2
I have never done any small scale electronic work but I have done some electric work around the house so I should be able to handle some basic wiring. I would like to do all sound eventually but I can do that over time. In all honesty the engines themselves are my main focus. I haven’t really thought about a layout or theme yet other than the PRR.
In the instructions do any of the 3 show an 8 or 9 pin plug for a decoder?
IF so those would be a very quick job and get you running the fastest.
DCC ready can mean a couple of things. It usually means that there is a plug installed ready for the upgrade. Sometimes however it only means that the motor is isolated from the frame but still needs hard wiring.
Oh and forgot to ask. What gauge is the loco? HO or N?
I am working in HO scale. Was going to go O but not enough room. You need a football field for those guys. [(-D]