i got a new train today and it is a 88’ mantua penn. RR did they have dcc then or did they not. could i some how i put a decoder in it. thank you
You can put a decoder in anything.
What model engine is it?
88’ mantua gp20 penn. RR
Yes, you can put a decoder in anything. I’ve got an old Athearn F7 from the 1950’s that I put a decoder and LED headlight in, and I was just running it around my layout today, pulling a set of Mantua streamlined passenger cars made of real aluminum.
On the other hand, I’ve got a pile of other engines, Mantuas, Athearns and even an old Hobbytown, that didn’t run well enough to merit decoders. Some of them actually got decoders installed, but they didn’t run well enough, so I took them out. Two of those now run as “honorary” dummy engines, and the rest sit in a sorry pile on the floor underneath the layout.
These old engines were not terribly efficient, and the old motors drew more current than many DCC decoders can supply. On top of that, old gear trains and old trucks may be worn out, and need replacement. Also, the detail level of old engines, particularly mass-market ones like Mantua, was not comparable with today’s offerings. I really did everything I could to resurrect my old GP-9’s (Athearns, gear and rubber-band drives) but in the end it was just more cost-efficient to find new ones.
The decoder is worth more than the locomotive many times over…not worth the installation IMHO.
Best to go and buy a DCC euipped loco for the coin you will be spending on the decoder.
David B
I presume you mean the year 1988. Generally no, DCC became an NMRA standard in 1994. It existed before that, but as a Lenz Command Control product - don’t remember the marketing name.
It should be fairly easy to put a decoder in. As the others have said the most important thing is to determine how much current the motor draws and get a decoder that is stout enough to handle it.
You can put a decoder in anything, it is only a matter of how much you are willing to spend.