I have two big haulers, one of unknown age( I bought it at a thrift store) and the other one is still in the box, as I got it last Christmas (dose that make it an "Annie") I am a complete rookie on all of this so I am looking for a step by step article on installing the Airwire system in each of my Big Haulers . I have read all the articles I can find on doing this but find that a lot of "Jargon" and Abrieviations are in them wich tends to confuse the issue.
I am hoping to find an article that is specific on what batteries in what form and in which location they are placed together with a lacation guide to the location of the Airwire parts.
it would help if a basic wiring diagram was included, in short I am looking for a description of a job that has been done with these actual parts
The Limey
I'm afraid you're out of luck on finding a step-by-step article on how to install the AirWire into your locomotives, because every locomotive is made differently as far as the way they're wired and whether or not there's room for the receiver/decoder and batteries.
I have installed AirWire and sound into two Bachmann Consolidations, a Bachmann 2-truck Shay, a Bachmann Mogul, a Hartland Doozie Rail Bus, and two homemade engines, and every one was different. In most cases, the Bachmann circuit board must be removed from the locomotive, and Bachmann provides no wiring diagram for anything they make so you have to perform a lot of wire tracing to figure out what wire goes where.
On the Bachmann Consolidations and Mogul, the AirWire receiver/decoder was fit into the front of the boiler with the antenna wire sticking up into the smoke stack. This required removal of the smoke generator, which I never used, anyway. The Shay has the sound system in its tender but the AirWire decoder and batteries had to go into a trailing boxcar.
I'm afraid you're on your own in figuring out how to install AirWire and most other R/C systems, or you'll have to find someone who has done it to offer you some help. If you have a garden railway club in your area, maybe someone there can offer advice and help.
Good luck.
Hi 361, Just go for it the instructions with Airwire are very good. Be sure to remove all track pickups. I mounted the Airwire board with 2 face tape in the boiler, I left the smoke unit in, but use it very little. Battery in the tender, I use a 12 volt gel cell in one and 14 volt packs in some of the others. Add Phoenix P-5 and you will have a winner.
Allen
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