has anyone done this installation yet? if so is it necessary for me to take the boiler off to get to the motor? don’t feel comfortable doing this as this is my first steamer dcc installation.know how to hardwire the diesel’s but i just don’t want to ruin this new decoder.its an nce decoder with a 9pin plug with bare wire’s at the end.any help would be appreciated.the ihc steamer is one of their primere series steamer’s.thanks.terry.
If you’re asking about one of the older IHC engines, I have done several of them, ranging from a Mogul to a 4-6-2. The IHC motor brushes are already isolated from the frame and there was room in the boiler for the decoder to fit on top of the motor.
The biggest problem with IHC engines is the way the headlights are wired. Some, but not all, pick up the headlight power from the front of the engine, and some have the headlight wired to the motor terminals.
There is a screw under the front of the locomotive that loosens the boiler from the frame. If the locomotive has a pilot truck, it may be concealed under this, or it may even be the screw that holds the pilot truck on. There is usually also a screw under the cab that has to be removed.
There is a metal weight in the boiler that can be slid out to the rear once the boiler is removed from the frame. Sometimes this weight has to be removed to get to the headlight wiring.
If the headlight is wired to the motor terminals, it is easy to have a DCC controlled headlight. If the headlight is wired to the front wheels, I usually just leave the wiring alone and have a headlight that is always on.
Unsolder the wire that is connected to the left side of the motor (as you’re looking at it from the back of the engine) and solder that wire to the black decoder wire. The gray decoder wire solders to the left motor terminal.
Remove the wire from the right motor terminal and connect it to the red decoder wire. The orange decoder wire solders to the motor terminal.
If the headlight wires were also soldered to the solder lugs on the motor, solder them to the decoder’s white and blue wires.
Then reassemble the locomotive. I use a piece of double-sided foam tape to fasten the decoder to the top of the motor. When the backhead is put back in place, you won’t see the decoder.
thanks for the info charles.their is only two wires leading from the boiler and these two wires go back to the tender where their are truck pickup wires and wires for the lights.all of the wires are black.their is also a diode in the tender.thanks for reply.will atempt to get the boiler off when i go over to the layout room.terry…(i do beleive someone has said the motor in the premier series steamers is isolated)
hey charles thanks a lot.i did it and didn’t ruin the decoder thanks to your excellent instructions.also thankful you replied to my post.guess their aren’t to many people who have done this engine as your the only one who chimed in.[;)]