I really thought I would install a decoder in this engine, but I chickened out. I would either have to mill the split frame or put the decoder in the cab. Just running the wires would be a challenge.
Jim
I put an N scale digitrax in the cab of mine. Painted the inside of the cab and the decoder itself black. You have to get real close to tell. Great little loco.
Terry
I’ve done four of them, and it is not easy. I had to grind out a cavity in the top of the weight for the decoder, and used a Lenz dime-sized decoder, which at the time was their number LE077FX. The number is now different… The contacts on the motor had to be cut short and have the decoder’s motor output wires soldered to them, and insulated so they no longer touched the frame halves.
At the time, I used an electric grinding wheel but if I had to do it again, I would go to a friend’s house and use his milling machine.
This is good info, I have three of those little switchers ,all are KATO NW2’s good runners(SP)
Thanks
JIM
Yup, I had 3 thoughts:
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There’s already almost enough room for a TCS M1 in the area of the headlight, and a chunk of the weight could be cut out there to make it fit. A new headlight would need to be glued to the decoder since the existing lightboard would be history.
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Mill out a portion of the weight in the fuel tank area. That would require a milling machine, and there’s only just enough room. The nice thing about this is the locomotive could be restored to DC operation.
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Cut out a slot in the front of the cab near the floor, and insert the decoder there with wires coming out to the front. The decoder could be painted grey to match the cab color and would not be too out of place. I think I might leave the existing light circuits unchanged, which would mean they would both be on all the time due to the AC DCC waveform. The decoder power could be picked up at the rear of the cab by tacking wires onto the existing light board contacts with the wires run on the cab floor on either side of the decoder. The two wires for the motor need to be fed forward, requiring grinding channels for them along the top of the weight or possibly run in the gap between the weights avoiding the flywheels and then down holes or channels to the contacts on the motor. I think I would try insulating the motor contacts from the frame using kapton tape, electrical tape, or maybe even paper. I suppose if I got that far, another pair of wires to each lighting board and some cut traces wouldn’t be too hard.
I’m not sure I could to all that without making a mess of the wiring, so like I said, I chickened out 
I had to mill a slot in the top of the weights above the motor. Just ask someone you know who has access to a mill. It will only take them about 5 minutes.
A junior hacksaw and a file is a lot quicker and cheaper. Remember nobody will see the mess when you put the fuel tank back on.
Now where to put the speaker!!?
Jon
I just completed the installation of a micro Tsunami in one of my NW2s. It is not easy. Because of the thickness of even the micro, it will not fit on top even with the weight cut out to the motor. I cut the frame in the front at about a 40 degree angle downward toward the front, just above the location of the flywheel (leaving enough metal to maintain coverage over the flywheel itself), just above the screw hole in the casting. This allows the decoder to sit at an angle with the wire end facing upward and toward the rear. Trim the board for the front headlight down from the rear for extra clearance. I used Goo to hold the board against the top of the hood instead of trying to guess shim it on top of the decoder. It works and sounds great.
Ken
I’ve got one and have been considering the conversion. It’s one of the tough ones. Here’s a link to detailed instructions at the TCS site:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/Kato%20NW2/kato_nw2_m1.htm
I did an install of a digitrax DH-140 in a Kato NW2. I didn’t have a milling machine so I used a bandsaw (with wood cutting blade no less - the frame metal is awfully soft!). The hardest part is getting wires to the light in the rear of the cab roof. WIth modern dime size decoders while it won’t be a piece of cake it should be much easier (and you don’t need a milling machine).
I love the way these switches run. Fantastic.
Charlie
Don’t chicken out–take a shot of moxie. I thought the hardest part was getting the shell off. I used the TCS instructions as a guide, though I didn’t do everything–I didn’t grind off the mounting tabs. As Jon Grant points out, a junior hacksaw (or mototool) will work just fine. I used a Lenz Gold mini decoder, and it’s a terrific runner.