Installing Sound Decoders in a Suydam Illinois Terminal Class B and C

[bobblaisdell]

I am fairly new to DCC. I am using a Digitrax Zephyr. I want to eventually convert most of my locomotives to DCC. My first ones to convert are several brass Suydam Illinois Terminal Class B's and Class C's. Does anyone on here have any experience with these? I'd like to install sound decoders as well as constant intensity headlights. What decoder should I use? How do I wire it? I know I have to isolate the motor from the track pickups but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Bob Blaisdell

[bobblaisdell]

I'm surprised I've received a lot of views but not a single reply. A couple of points to bring up. First off, does anyone know which decoder would be the best to use here? It does not even have to be a sound decoder. These have open frame motors but I also have a GHB Class B that has a can motor and runs very well in DC. Also I am not trying to run with power from the overhead, just from the track. Any reply would be greatly appreciated.

[rrinker]

 STep 1 would be to check the current draw on the open frame motors. Step 2 would be to get them isolated from the frame. Likely they have one motor brush grounded to the motor frame. To install DCC both brushes must be insulated - your GHB with can motor probably has 2 wires coming out of the motor and decoder installation would be simple - interrupt these wires witht he decoder. Red and black would go to the track pickups, orange and grey to the motor side. Use a multimeter to verify the motor isolation - there should be no circuit between either motor lead and the track (once the wire's been cut). Usign the meter is cheaper than finding out that somethign was missed by blowing a decoder.

 For sound, there isn't too much available with trolley motor sounds. A GG1 is too distinctive and big. Fred Miller has some sounds for the Digitrax sound decoders that he recorded off some real trolley cars, but I think they are all passenger trolleys not freight motors, so they have all the goodies like the fare box clank and route sign flipping.

                                --Randy