I have a mixture of steam engines, approximately 25I have 5 that are BLI factory equipped with Quantum sound.
So I have about 20 without decoders. A few are Bachmanns, some of them are IHC steamers ( most likely Mehanos), plus 2 Proto 2000 2-8-8-2 steamers.I have NO experience installing decoders, and do NOT want to break mybank account.
So which would be the best way to go?I am using a Prodigy Express DCC system which I like, and got a great price on at the LHSI don't have to convert all of them right now, but can stretch it out for awhile.
Thanks,TheK4Kid
The most important thing is that the motors are isolated. A good clue to this is if there are two wires coming from the motor. Neither terminal on the motor can be allowed to contact the frame (and thus one rail) directly. If the only path is through the wires, then adding a decoder is easy (electrically). If the motor is NOT isolated, you will need to devise an alternate method of mounting the motor so that it is insulated from the chassis before you can install a decoder. This is bascially a mechanical operation, and can vary from pretty easy to "tear apart the whole drivetrain and rebuild it". Never fear, most of the brands you mentioend should be already isolated, or easy to do. It's the old open frame motors with all-metal chassis and all metal drive trains that can be trouble.
Assuming you have an isolated motor, the next hardest thing is where to put the decoder. Usually the boiler is filled with a weight, so the tender becomes the logical place. If one side of the pickup if through the tender wheels only, this actually means you'll only have to run 3 wires up to the loco. If there are pickups on both sides of botht he loco and tender, you'll need 4 wires - also if all pickup is in the loco itself. A posisble oddball - some of the Mehano locos are driven by the tender, and the loco has no motor. That's basically like installing a decoder in a diesel.
A nice low cost way to start adding decoders is to use the NCE D13SRJ. Empire Northern Models has them for $119.95 for a 10 pack - less than $12 each. Hard to beat, and it's a very good decoder, not some cut-rate cheapo. You can also buy 4 packs and singles, but that drives the price up over $12 each. Still a great deal.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Thanks for the advice Randy
To reply to Dave also.
I originally bought the IHC loco's etc before I converted to DCC.True, the BLI's are nice locos.
I have an M1A and M1B, a J1, and two T1's, all Pennsy locos.To add expensive decoders DCC and sound to all of them could be expensive.I am simply looking for an affordable way to do it.
Having been layed off from work for awhile also hurt my extra train funds, but I am back to work again.
I'll probably add sound on down the rails somewhere, I'll add sound to a few now, but the rest can wait.
HI K4; I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH TO DO WITH STEAM INSTALLATIONS, BUT, I AGREE WITH RANDY, NCE MAKES AN EXCELLANT DECODER. MOST OF MY LOCOS ARE OLDER ATLAS AND I'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH NCE. I USE A DIGITRAX 5 AMP. EMPIRE BUILDER SET. RECENTLY I ACQUIRED AN IHC 4-8-4 IN CP PAINT AND PURCHASED DIGITRAX'S SFX SOUND DECODER FOR IT. HAVEN'T INSTALLED IT YET(JUST MOVED) BUT I HAVE INSTALLED SEVERAL DH123 DECODERS IN OTHER ENGINES AS WELL AS THE NEW 'SOUND BUG' FROM DIGITRAX. THESE TWO ARE WORTH CONSIDERING FOR YOUR LOCOS. THE PRICES ARE MID RANGE AND THE SOUND IS REALLY GOOD.
Sorry, wasn't paying attention. didn't mean to shout
HI CP9022,
No problem with the large print.Thanks for replying and sharing your experience with NCE.The LHS exchanged my DCC system for a brand new one .
My PE is expandable, and I can use a power booster with it and add another throttle.
TheK4Kid
Thanks for the reply CP9022 and sharing your experience with NCE .