Hello everyone! I have an old straight DC CNW C44-9W that I would love to upgrade with DCC/Sound/better lighting. My question is what do I need for a decoder/sound/lighting/etc? Thank you all!
What brand, scale? There may be differences. Lots of differences.
Check TCS and SoundTraxx for recommendations.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/choose/step1.php
Rich
Don’t forget Loksound, they have correct, recent sound files for this loco, plus the Full Throttle feature.
–Randy
How well does the engine run on DC? When you take the shell off, how much empty space is there inside?
Sometimes, when there is too much that needs replacement and upgrading, you are actually better off getting a new engine.
I forgot about LokSound. I will have to look up their site and see if they have a decoder recommendation page. They have excellant deocders also.
Older locos, measure the DC current required at 12 vdc with motor shaft locked.
Most will recommend an LED with 1k, 1/4 watt resistor instead of light bulbs. No heat to worry about and long life. Some decoders have an onboard LED resistor but you will have to check the decoder documention.
All decoders show specs on line.
A photo of your loco with the shell removed could help.
Rich
Thank you gentlemen! Sorry meant to mention it’s HO, lots of room inside, I know it’s not DCC quick plug ready or anything. I will try to get a pic here soon of it. I don’t remember the brand off the top of my head, most likely Athearn or Walthers.
You’ll also be surprised how many videos, tutorials, etc., show up when you Google installing a decoder in a C44-9W, or with any loco. Be sure to click on images too.
Mike.
If it’s ‘old’ it’s probably the Athearn Blue Box one which will require some work, there’s no board to repalce so it’s a hard wire install all teh way, plus you need to isolate the motor. Kato has been making them for a while as well, theirs have an 8 pin plug or you can do a simple board swap.
ESU doesn’t have install pictures like TCS does, but they only have 3 decoders: Select with wires, Select Direct board replacement for Atlas/Athearn/Kato/etc. and Select Micro for smaller locos. Same instructions for TCS apply to any decoder you would install.
–Randy
I was just at the TCS site. They have changed their site You have to type in the loco type. If no response, they don’t have an install.
I typed in C44-9W and came up zero. I had to use the brand of loco to find different installs such as just Athearn. Athearn C44-9W did not work.
Did not see any WOW sound decoders for your loco.
A Google search for C44-9W seems to show Kato, at least with a Tsunami install.
Rich
You are correct on the Athearn Blue Box. And yep, no board, just wires. I’ve been reading about isolating the motor, doesn’t sound too terrbily bad. I just have a basic soldering iron though so electronics soldering makes me a tiny bit nervous.
I recall a short discussion here a few years ago. Someone put a LokSound in but replaced the speaker the decoder came with. LokSound has changed some over the years.
Rich
Loksound no longer comes with a speaker, you get the decoder and then buy whatever speaker best fits. They aren’t oddball 32 ohm speakers any more, either.
There are no C44-9W WOWSound install pictures, but there are some motor only install pictures, one of an Athearn and one of a kato.
Probably the hardest part of doing a BB loco is drilling and tapping a hole in the frame for a brass screw to solder the track pickup wire to. Motor isolation is easy, if you’re careful you can swap the top and bottom clips so the bottom one is plain and the top one has the tabs, but remember that’s ALL that holds the entire motor together. Or you can use some wire cutters and just clip the tabs off the bottom clip, then put a layer or two of Kapton tape in the well. Solder a wire to the bottom clip before reinstalling the motor. After you do a couple of decoders you end up with leftover wire in all the proper colors but you can also buy it from various suppliers, it’s good to stick with the standard colors when extending wires.
–Randy
OK, now how old is the loco?
I have several Athearns from the 50s and 60s. They kind of ran on DC the last time I tried, but it wasn’t what I would call good performance. I chose to “neuter” them by removing the motors and now they run as dummy engines.
Some of these old engines had a well-deserved reputation as “rock grinders” for the noise they made. Today’s engines are very quiet, but consider how much you’re willing to put into a sound decoder for a loco that will drown it out with its own internal noise.
On the other hand, if this is a “newer” old engine, you might be fine. Another think you may still need to consider is the couplers. It’s best to use Kadees, but you have to watch out for metal couplers if you’ve got a “hot frame” engine.
Thank you that is very helpful to know!
As for age, this was new probably around the 1995-1998 time frame. It is defnitely not loud, nice and quiet double flywheel, it runs beautifully smooth and quiet. I’ll try to post a pic or two tonight or tomorrow.
It won’t be that old, GE didn’t even make the real C44-9W until 1993. [:D]
–Randy
Loco diagram. Dated 1995 according to HO Seeker.
http://hoseeker.net/assemblyexplosionAthearn/athearngec449wpg2.jpg
Rich
How do I post pictures?
Here’s a link to posting pictures. It’s the first page of “General Discussion”
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/249194.aspx
The link that Rich posted would be what the OP has. The next newer models had the “dog bone” drive shafts, which ran a lot quieter.
Digitrax doesn’t have their “clip-on” Athearn BB decoder harness any more. It’s a hard wire.
Mike.
Edit: OK, the link thing doesn’t work me, tried it twice.
The HO SEEKER link is broken again, People in a couple other forums have had the same issue. Does not work for me right now.
Go to the ho seeker main page and click on Literature and then the company name.
I just tried to make the link active but it will not work. You will have to copy and paste.
Rich
I couldn’t get the link to posting pictures to work either. It was “live” while I was typing the message, and when I submitted, it went dead. Tried it twice. And yes, I notice the HOseeker link didn’t work either.
Mike