What is this?

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

This is the frame from a P2K E-unit I purchased via Hoyardsale. It was new and unopened. This is a different board than all the older E-units I have from P2K. Is this DC or DCC. Nothing on the box gives me a clue.

Was going to do a test run and didn’t want to fry it via my DC.

Thanks for your insight.

2

That is a DC lighting board. I have not had my E units apart in a long time to remember what they look like, but that little plug is a decoder bypass jumper and there is no decoder.

So it is definately a DC unit.

What did the box say? was the box blue? I’m sure its DC.

Sheldon

3

Thanks Sheldon. Yes - blue box.

Paul

4

That’s the DC constant lighting board and mars light controller, if the loco has a mars light. There’s a NMRA dummy DCC plug on the back of the board that can be removed to plug in a decoder.

5

Given the number of wires I see going up front, it does have a Mars light. My advice is to disconnect the wires from the stock board and connect them to the approriate decoder wires directly. And replace the silly 2 filament Mars light bulb with a 1.5V bulb and appropriate resistor - pretty much any decoder’s mars light effect will blow away the P2K one. Repalce the normal headlight with a golden white LED and a 1K resistor.

Forget if I took any pictures of the one I did, but to return it to stock would mean simply cutting the wires and reconnecting them to the circuit board.

–Randy

6

Thank you, all.

7

Paul,

Looks like the same guts as the Proto 2K PA Limited Ed.

That’s a DC model, probably with an 8 pin socket under that big black lump at the front.

Here’s a link to the TCS Site with some pix:

http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Life_Like/Proto_2000_Alco_PA/Proto_2000_Alco_PA.html

8

CTValley - thanks for the link.

Paul