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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by joebardzil Does any one have experience of wiring DCC decoders into Proto Power West chassis? I am having difficulty have already blown two decoders. What is the motor setup, the solder to the frame and to both trucks do. Can someone explain? Thanks [/quote] I am not familiar with that particular chassis, but, if it is older, then I would bet that one motor brush is connected to the frame for power. If that is the case, then it would explain the blown decoders. To install DCC on any locomotive, the motor must be electrically isolated from the pick-up. I would bet that the pick-up from one side of the track is connected to the frame and one motor brush is also connected to the frame. What you need to do is to make sure that the ONLY electrical connections to the motor are the orange and grey wires from the decoder. On some locos, that can be a real chore. I'm sorry that I can't be more specific, but, as I say, I am not familiar with that particular locomotive. But, I do know that many older locomotives did use the frame to bring power to one side of the brush plate on the motor. Athearn blue box diesels have spring clips that hold the brushes in place, and the bottom clip has a little nub that contacts the frame. When I DCC'ed my SD40-2, the decoder I bought had replacement spring clips and I used electrical tape to further insulate the motor from the frame. Try to trace the path that the electricity takes from the wheels to the motor in the original setup on your engine.
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