I’m hoping to get into DCC fairly soon with an NCE system. Seeing as I know very little about this stuff, I was hoping y’all could help me out. I just need to know what decoders would work best in my locomotives, if it matters at all. Here’s what I would have to convert:
P2K GP60 (fairly new-under 5 yrs old)
Kato SD38-2 (new)
Bachmann 44-tonner (new-I have heard it is difficult to install because of size)
Bachmann DASH 8-40C (fairly new-under 5 Yrs)
IHC GG1 (10 yrs old)
Bachmann Spectrum F40PH (10 yrs old)
I would like to have sound at least in the GP60 and SD38-2; maybe in the GG1 if somebody makes sound for it. I doubt there is enough space in the F40PH for a speaker without maybe milling out the frame, definitely the same with the 44 tonner.
One of the best sites for decoders is Train Control Systems - TCS. They have pictures of installs for most common locos. Of course they are all using their decoders, which are very good, but you can use any decoder with a similar form factor to duplicate their illustrations.
You can check each of the decoder manufacturer’s websites and most of them have a decoder selection/cross-reference list of their own product. Here’s some of them; a few with links:
I have not installed a decoder in a 44-tonner. However, you can probably us a Z-scale decoder for that. I have one in a Proto 2000 S1 switcher and it works just fine.
Is your 44-tonner a one engine or dual-engine version?
Speaking of Ye Olde 44 tonners - I have a pair of the older 2 motor ones. Does anyone make a repower kit for 'em? I’d like to DCC convert them, and if I’m gonna do all that work, I’d like to repower them as well. One runs OK, the other barely runs at all right now.
Is the 44 tonner you have, DCC ready, DCC on board?
Yes. A DZ125 in a two motor 44 tonner. I have done this but the loco was not DCC ready… It would work in a single motor 44 ton.
Some prefer a TCS decoder. They are quite small also.
Do a search for both brands.
All my single motor 44 tonners where DCC Ready. I stripped out all the original electronics.
A LokSound Micro I have in three 44 tonners with 16mm x 35mm speaker. I cut out two tiny pieces of the frame to accommodate the speaker.
A big suggestion, do some research concerning DCC. It is too easy to smoke a decoder with little knowledge of the wiring and soldering if all your knowledge is based on DC.
Decoders come with wiring instructions but some still miss certain things.
None of this is plug and play. Hard wiring. The 44 tonners I have come with light bulbs. Possibly the newer ones come with LED’s.
Some are DCC ready and you just solder the wires to the PC board.
My two motor would have a brush on one motor hang up. Touch both brush holders with a tiny screwdriver and the defective motor would start working and the loco ran just fine for a little while.
One truck developed a cracked gear so I returned it and Bachmann sent me a two motor DCC ready.
I have the newer 44 tonner with single motor, it wasn;t too hard to put a TCS MC1 in there. There are solder pads to connect the decoder wires, and it’s printed on the PC board which color wire goes in which hole (they are NOT in order, so pay attention). They key to getting most recent vontage Bachmann locos to run smoothly is to remove the capacitors they put across the motor terminals. These interfere with the operation of any decent decoder.
Dang. I wonder how hard it would be to chop down the frame from something else to repower one? Or build a frame and … what would I use for trucks? Sideframes? Or if I’m biting off more than I should chew with a conversion in the first place?
If you can convert the two motor to a single motor, you are a far better modeler than I am.
The diagram for the single motor at the Bachmann site. It shows you where the decoder connects. Like was said. Remove the capacitors. Usually the caps are yellow blobs with two wires.
Digitrax makes a board-replacement sound decoder for the Kato SD38-2 that comes with the correct sound scheme. No need for the PR3 to download a different sound scheme.
Some folks don’t think the Digitrax sound decoders sound as good as QSI or Soundtraxx, but they don’t cost nearly as much, either. Motor control is generally pretty good.
Dropping this decoder into a Kato SD38-2 would be a good project for a beginner. Something to get your feet wet before you get involved with a more expensive and potentially less forgiving sound conversion/installation.
