I recently acquired an Overland Models Union Pacific TR-5 cow-calf switcher. It is brass. Is it better to paint the model first, then do the DCC install? I plan to run them together. I have Don Strack’s book “Union Pacific Switchers and Slugs” to use as a reference. Lot’s of info and photos, some in color. Has anyone tackled this particular project before - ie: running a cow and calf together under DCC? - Mike Johnson
If it was me, I’d do all them mechanical and electrical mods first, test to insure they work as intended, then paint.
The easiest thing to do would be to just use two decoders, one in each unit, then run them as a consist.
Another possibility is to hardwire the units together, use one decoder to drive both motors, and take advantage of the 16-wheel pickup such a set-up would provide. This would be a more complex undertaking and the wiring between the two units is subject to problems that simply having two decoders would solve,