I have two of these large locos in N scale one undecorated and one in U.P. colours and wish to put dcc decoders in them, on one of the locos only one truck is driven but the other is both trucks with two flywheel motors suggesting possibly i have two different releases of it.
There is a board in each roof providing light at either end … although i would like install dcc decoders in them and provide light for the main front lights not just the headboxes as now, replacing them with LED’S, also with the space on the chassis sound could be a posibility, have any of you installed dcc in one of these big locos.
To be perfectly honest, unless you have replaced the geared axels(I think NWSL offers or did offer some), I would not bother. I have two of the Spectrum versions(two motor versions) and most of the axle gears have cracked. I got several replacement gears from Bachmann(Bachmann no longer has any) and many of them cracked also. Between the two engines and the replacement gears, I don’t have enough gears that are not cracked for one engine.
I unscrewed the boards from the shell to better see, the wires look long, but it allows the shell to be removed for service with the boards still attached
one other note, the axle gears from a Bachmann F9(not the F7) are the right size to replace the gears in the DDA40X dual motor versions, I don’t know if they will fit the pancake motor versions though.
I have converted one of mine also as a test before a more important retrofit (my Challenger) and have obtained a decent runner when it seems to feel like it.I needed a model that was a little challenging to retrofit and expendable should I fail and the Spectrum DD was just that.Would I do it again?No way in both cases…the DD isn’t worthed the effort and the Challenger is now available with DCC and sound from Athearn.
If you still wish to convert yours,then drop me an email,and I’ll be happy to help you in the process.
Thank you to you all for your replies i have since asking my question purchased another DD this time painted in red for some reason without the handrails and details added as yet although soon it will wear U.P. # 6936 livery. along with brass and reworked parts where needed. Thank you river eagle for the youtube link it provided me with some good ideas as did the dcc pictures on conversion.
The Bachmann N gauge EMD DD40XX is now fitted with its decoder and LED’s it is a huge loco i hope can negotiate any curves i decide to use decoder of choice was digitrax’s DZ143 to use it up and the fact it is of course 4 function as the purple lead has been cut short and tucked away the green lead for a beacon to be fitted at a later date … i have a 1.5mm incandescent bulb for this but it is rated at 1.5V and need to know how to reduce its voltage
The loco need some attention on the body where over the years it has lost its front and rear rails though the whole of the rails i will replace with brass, and finish the trucks in Harbour mist grey adding etched irons and piping.
Here are a few pictures of it showing how huge it is next to a class 37 for comparison and the wiring installed …
decoder of choice was digitrax’s DZ143 to use it up and the fact it is of course 4 function as the purple lead has been cut short and tucked away the green lead for a beacon to be fitted at a later date … i have a 1.5mm incandescent bulb for this but it is rated at 1.5V and need to know how to reduce its voltage 