I am working on a small N scale layout, approximately 10x3 and I am to the point of deciding between DC and DCC. I will be running the layout alone with two locomotives max. I would really like to change over to DCC but I can't seem to find a DCC locomotive for the railroad I am modeling.
I am modeling the Cotton Belt in the late fifties and early sixties. So far the only locomotives that I can find are Atlas RS-3's that will fit my time frame. Can these locos be fitted with a decoder, or am I going to have to stick with DC?
I'm not an N scaler but I'll bump your thread with an answer. The short answer is Yes. The long one is, sometimes the locos, if not DCC ready, require that something be milled out for the installation. If I'm not mistaken, someone sells replacement frames for these locos with the milling done. The decoder would usually sit in the fuel tank area. That's old school though, and they may have a simple replacement board for the loco nowadays. Tony's Train Exchange
is probably the best place to find out for sure..
To answer your other question (paraphrased) 'is it worth it', I will always reply with a resounding yes to that question. Your answer may differ.
Good luck..
Keller,
TCS has a decoder for the Atlas RS3 that is supposed to be a drop-in, although it looks as if some soldering may be required. Here's a link to a webshop that is advertising them:
www.blwnscale.com/Atlas%20RS-3.htm
You might try Googling "TCS" for more info. Maybe someone has tried one of these already?
Here's another link with more information about this decoder:
www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=95362
The short answer is yes. Any of the small Z scale decoders (DZ-123, etc.) will fit. There's not a lot of frame modification, but it is really tight, and you get to perform some surgery on the headlight.
If I was going to install another one (oh, wait, I do have another one to do), I would try the TCS-CN. It isn't really drop in, there is soldering to do, but it looks like a much easier istallation to me.
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
Before you dive in too deep, remember that since 1985 there have three variations of the RS-3 mechanism. Whichever one you have will require some frame modifications. The easiest one to work with is actually the oldest, which came without flywheels, so there's more room in the frame to cut away material for the decoder. The newer ones can be done, but you'll need to use the smallest decoder available. Either way, the decoder will fit under the big round radiator fan at the end of the long hood, but you have remove part of the frame to get it to work.
TCS makes a very simple decoder that simply involves replacing the light boards, but I'm not sure if it will fit in the RS-3. It works in older Classic mechanisms, such as the GP35.
If you can take off the shell and take a picture of your mechanism, I'll be able to see better what you're up against.
Another option would be to purchase a Lifelike/Walthers RS-2, which uses a drop in decoder. I've been told that the Atlas RS-3 shell fits over the LL mechanism with little or no modification.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Thanks for the replies. I'm glad I didn't get this far on the layout and have to rethink my plans for a prototype. At present I only have two loco's. One is the older Kato RS-3 (Cotton Belt) which isn't the greatest runner in the world. It runs too fast and has problems getting through the turnouts.
The other loco is a Life-Like FA (Great Northern). It runs good but a little noisy at higher speeds, but it's the wrong road name. At least I can run some trains when I need a break from working on the layout.
I have spent the past few months mostly working on the layout and didn't give much thought to buying new locos because I thought it would be too much of a distraction. Sort of like when I found some Atlas HO True Track for half price at the LHS and ran my HO trains in the kitchen floor until the wife complained. She threatened to take back the space allocated to my n scale layout unless I got the HO off the floor.
Since I got back to work, I just now reached the point to seriously start looking and was a little surprised to find out how few my choices were. I could just change to Southern Pacific and make things easy, but I had my heart set on Cotton Belt. At least I know there is hope.
Thanks Guys!
After fitting several decoders from TCS i found their useful for decoder instalations , if the loco is the 2008 type here is the link to it ........... http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/Atlas%20N%20Scale%20RS3/RS3.htm
or go to this page on the TCS site for ideas for fuure locos you may wamt to sort out in dcc
http://www.tcsdcc.com/installation_pictures_and_inform_N_Scale.htm
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
From looking at the installation guide, I feel confident that I can install a decoder in that loco. I don't remember seeing if it required changing light bulbs or not. I'll have to go back and take another look.
I think I'm going to give it a try. Hopefully, with a little luck, I'll be enjoying DCC with everyone else.
I used the method here:
http://www.raybob.boche.net/
go to the DCC pages, and look for the RS-1. I used a DZ123. I think the TCS-CN would fit easily from the pics I've seen, the example on the TCS site is an RS. I had to file the LED down, but it works. The frame mods are easy, much easier than some.
The TCS decoder will only work in the most recent frame. The older ones have shorter light boards, so the TCS boards extend out too far.
wm3798 wrote: The TCS decoder will only work in the most recent frame. The older ones have shorter light boards, so the TCS boards extend out too far.Lee
Good info to know!
I have a small n scale layout wih an NCE Power Cab, threee locos, 2 Bachman GP40s with TCS decoders installed, and one Atlas #42103 RS3. The 2 GP40s are DCC, the RS-3 is not but the NCE will run it. The TCS decoder will fit if you want to mess around, but it is a switcher, the other two are mainline so those 2 are DCC.