lehigh switcher wrote:I have been told that my engines are too old for dcc. I was told that if I hooked them up to dcc they would probably burn up. I need to know if I need to buy new equipment or if what I have can be used. Please help!
I've been told the same thing. I tend to believe it since all of my old stuff dates from the early to mid 1980s. And since they're N-Scale, the insides need to be milled down to allow a decoder to placed in them. So you might be getting some good advice about getting new stuff.
Irv
It all depends on what you have. If it runs well on DC, it can probably be made to run well on DCC. There may be some work onvolved.
More details would be helpful!
Jeff But it's a dry heat!
lehigh switcher wrote:I have been told that my engines are too old for dcc. I was told that if I hooked them up to dcc they would probably burn up. I need to know if I need to buy new equipment or if what I have can be used.
Ya it depends on the engine...but remember when DCC started there was no such thing as a "DCC ready engine" yet people made the conversion. You can convert any engine to DCC if you want, it might take some effort, but you can do it.
The biggest thing with older engine is isolating the engine from the frame. On Mantua/Tyco steam for example, this involves removing the screw holding the engine on, putting down some sheet plastic or rubber tape on the chassis, and replacing the motor using a nylon screw.
I converted a thirty year old Bachmann to DCC BEFORE I remotored it, so it can be done. There are some things you need to ask yourself though.
1. Is it worth it?
2. How much trouble is it going to be?
3. Will I need to remotor in order to convert?
4. Would it be cheaper to buy new equipment?
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
I agree with Jeffrey. I had a bunch of engines, mostly Athearns, in the 40 to 50 year old range. I put decoders in 4 or 5 of them, but they ran so poorly that I took the decoders and motors out and made them into dummy, or "honorary," engines to run in consists. Only one of these was worth leaving powered on my layout. It's so noisy that it's not worth putting sound in, but it's a link with my childhood.
But, yours are much newer. You may be in luck. The general rule is "If it runs well on DC, it can be converted to DCC, and it will be OK. If it doesn't run well on DC, don't bother. It won't run well on DCC, either."
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I agree with Mr B and Jeffrey, however, having experienced the same problem myself I decided to run my old unconverted DC locos on a seperate layout within the DCC layout making sure that neither system can accidently cross over onto the wrong system. It works well and looks fine. This way you avoid the extra expence of converting difficult locos and/or the replacement of old stock. Hope this helps.
Peter
Caveat - I run analog DC and have no intention to convert.
That said, I have some HOj brass that's older than one of the presidential candidates that would be easy to convert, huge old open-frame motors and all.
The main consideration is, Does the engine run well on DC? If the gear train sounds like a meat grinder, the answer is, Don't waste a decoder. OTOH, if it's quiet and smooth, move on to the next question.
How hard is it to isolate the motor brushes from the locomotive frame? You don't have to isolate the whole motor if the brushes can be isolated. In many cases, all it takes is breaking one solder joint. I have several motors with wishbone brush tensioning springs. All it takes to isolate the 'grounded' brush is to slip a piece of insulation onto the uninsulated spring end.
Now, Is there room for a decoder? Several of the locomotives are box cab electrics with cavernous car bodies - all kinds of room. The second worst, a 2-6-2T, has enough space above the window line in the cab or inside the coal bunker to take a late model decoder (no sound, though.) The impossible dream is an 0-4-0T with a solid lead superstructure that fits around the vertical shaft motor like a glove. That's the DCC deal-breaker for me.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - analog DC, MZL system)
I am debating as to whether four of my n scale locos are worth persuing and fitting a decoder ......... i would be very interested if anyone has converted either of them as they work great on dc, they are both EMD E8 types two Atlas made in italy versions, and two undecorated kato/concor EMD E8'S they are marked under the fuel tank 'concor japan' leading me to believe the chassis and motor are from kato as they are silent silk smooth runners.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
iomtt wrote: I am debating as to whether four of my n scale locos are worth persuing and fitting a decoder ......... i would be very interested if anyone has converted either of them as they work great on dc, they are both EMD E8 types two Atlas made in italy versions, and two undecorated kato/concor EMD E8'S they are marked under the fuel tank 'concor japan' leading me to believe the chassis and motor are from kato as they are silent silk smooth runners. Any help would be appreciated.Thanks.
Chances are the can be converted but you might need to get digiframes for them or get someone to mill down the frames so you can fit a decoder under the shells. Either way, you are going have to get the right decoder and hard wire those decoders to the motor. You'll also have to replace the light bulbs with LEDs as well.
I have 7 old N-Scale diesels which I know aren't worth the trouble of converting since the new stuff really runs much better or so I've been told. The only ones that have any use left in them or three Trix diesels (1 C30 and 2 F-7s) but the documentation that comes with the new Digitrax Zephyr I'm waiting for says I can run one of them with no decoder installed on address 0000 so maybe I don't resally have to do anything with them.
Hi Irv,
I have completed one chassis successfully, although it is the B unit for the E8 which uses the same chassis without the light of course.I removed the tab on the motor touchin the chassis and used the tab trimmed to solder the orange wire to, remove the old black wire from the other motor side in preparation for the grey wire. Where the old wire leads to the front truck from motor brush i removed the metal plate, leaving the original sprung stud resting on the plastic plate. On the front truck the copper tracks on the underside of the brown central plate were cleaned along with the wheels, on the topside of the truck a roughened a spot on each of the two chrome like plates to accept solder with an abrasive wheel in the minicraft drill was needed red to one plate black repeated on the other the wires threaded through the slit in the plastic where the previously removed metal contact had been. Out wth the voltmeter for testing on dc track of the pick ups, (if the truck is tested alone make sure the truck retaining screw is removed as the spring pushes it to the contact tracks on the little brown board)with the front truck the hole on top of the plate where the retaining screw passes through to the chassis it needs a tiny piece of tape just as insurance to save any shorts, i left the light wires a little long for future use of the decoder in another loco, the front wires were left long to allow movement, a TCS M1 decoder was fitted and tested voila success. Pictures of the fnished chassis are here http://nick--orwin.photoblog.me.uk/p51656181.html click on the pic to see the other views.
more informatoin on the chassis can be found at these other links ......http://www.visi.com/~spookshow/rive8.html
http://members.aol.com/dgosha/E8s.html