Non DCC ready N scale diesels...a crazy idea...and may be not so...

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

Well…OK…I didn’t do it…cause I’ve sold my non DCC ready diesels instead.Been lucky I guess,found someone who wanted them.But I had this “crazy” idea in mind…I wanted sound in one or more of my N scale diesels wich are all DCC equipped but the prospect of replacing the Digitrax decoders for MRC’s less than trustable units didn’t appeal to me.Then I thought…if I take a dummy,without motor,it should have enough room to fit a sound only decoder in so that I could consist it with any of my other locos.Or else,I could give it the same adress than one of my DCC units and run them together all the time.

Then it struck me…I suppose dummy units (if available) probably don’t have the electrical paths from the wheels to the shell so I thought of another solution.I had very nice non DCC ready units that were sitting in a drawer that I couldn’t use on a DCC layout anyway,so why not have them de-gutted and even mill the frames to install sound decoders in and use them as second horses behind DCC units?I was about to try one unit as a test when I let these go.I think it would have worked…what do you people think?

2

I don’t see why it couldn’t have worked. The only problem would be where to place the speaker.

3

I think you’ll find power pickups in the dummy units, and this would be an easier way to go - it would involve less modification. Manufacturers try to use as many common parts between models as possible, to try and reduce tooling costs. Even if there’s no power pickup system running into the loco, the trucks would still be equipped for it - just cut a slot and solder a wire through.