I need to find a dcc decoder for my passenger car that works for just lighting. The passenger car has a plug and play dcc plug exactly like the athearn ready to roll locomotives. But I can't find a lighting only decoder. Can someone give me the name or names of lighting only decoders that will work? Thanks!
TCS and I believe Digitrax make function only decoders. What brand of passenger car are you going to install a decoder in? I have never heard of a passenger car equipped with a plug for a decoder.
MR had an article about adding a function only decoder to a passenger car in an issue a couple of months back.
Will
its an Overland Models passenger car with a plug and play.
John,
You may want to have a look at this new offering from Blackstone. It is intended for their narrow gauge D&RGW coach but it may be of use.
Vernon
Vernon in Central Indiana
Digitrax makes the TL1 single-function decoder for this purpose.
http://www.digitrax.com/prd_statdec_tl1.php
MSRP is $16.95. This is kind of an old product, and I've never actually seen one. I'm guessing that it would be cheaper to get the cheapest motor decoder you can find, put a 100-ohm resistor across the motor leads and connect your ligts to one of the headlight outputs.
If you have an LHS that does installation and repairs, ask them if they have any decoders with dead motor outputs. People save crap like this. They may just give one to you, which would be just what you need.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
It might be easier to just install a small switch somewhere under the car to turn on when you use it. Or just park them on a siding with a power routed turnout. My Concor's are lit all the time when on the track or not on a siding.
Springfield PA
Train Control Systems FL-2 and FL-4 and Digitrax TL1 and TF4 decoders will do this.
I have use the FL-4 in several projects and they have wored very well.
but will the digitrax TL1 plug and play? As in do I have to do any wiring? Because I don't want to....not on an overland models car.
There isn;t plug and play for car lighting - not controlled car lighting. Unless you have a Rapido car and use their Easy-Peasy lighting board, but be prepared to stock up on batteries. Walthers has plug in lighting boards for their passenger cars, but they are not controlled - they light up whenever there is power on the track. Installing a decoder to control the lights is going to take some wiring. It's not terribly difficult.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
If you use one of the function decoders already mentioned, you won't have to do any wiring to the car itself, but you may have to wire an eight pin plug to the decoder so you can plug it in.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums