I am now entrenched into DCC to ask this question. Sure there are some rare engines like my 2-4-4-2 that would be redone but what about my Atlas S-3 or others.
Is conversion the kind of thing you would enjoy and do you have the necessary skills?
In older locos it can be challenging to find a place for the speaker.
We all enjoy different parts of the hobby more than others. If fiddly soldering isn't your thing, and you have the money, buy new and ebay your old engines.
I've converted 6 and now have the confidence to do it but not something I love. I'd rather be doing scenicking. I have an Atlas S1 and decoder for it, but it doesn't seem to get near the top of my to do list.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I had an Atlas RS-3 converted for me professionally, it was expensive, but I wanted the DCC with sound. Since then I have purchased others at lower cost and have seen some sell for more. Bid carefully.
If you have the skills, (I don't) convert your own locos. If not, see what you can find to replace them (new or used), purchase those and sell your others. How you do it depends on your skills and your desire to have certainn locos run DCC. If you have a relatively rare loco and can't do it yourself, have it done for you. If they are reasonably available models search for them.
Good luck,
Richard
The ones to just skip are things like Tyco with self contained power trucks. Getting at the wiring, let alone isolating the motor, is a task unto itself, and the running quality just doesn;t justify the effort. If the shell is something special, using a more modern chassis and motor that is more easily converted is one way to do it.
But a loco that has some space inside it, runs well on DC, and has a decent motor - no reason to scrap it. The Atlas Alco switchers, the older ones made by Roco, are not terribly difficult to convert to DCC. They do need the motor insulated fromt he frame and a nylon screw used to replace the metal screw, but there are plenty of pictures and examples to show how to do it.
If you are all thumbs and can't manage tiny wire or small screws and disassembly of a loco, I guess all bets are off. It's not that difficult, but it does take care when disassembling a loco, not to lose any screws or detail parts, not to apply too much force and break plastic shells, etc. But that's a learned skill. Having or finding copies of exploded views that came with many models is very helpful. Install pictures work even if you don't use the exact decoder - ie, TCS has lots of installation photos for many locos, all of course using their decoders, but the steps are the same regardless of what decoder you actually use.
If I had to scrap what I have and buy new with DCC, I wouldn't have bothered. That's an expensive proposition. I still buy brand new locos without decoders if the factory sound one uses a decoder I don't want, or if only the DC ones are available. For example, my last two locos - I got an Atlas RS3 with DCC and sound, it's great. I came across the other road number, but it was the DC only version. I bought it anyway, it's not going to be that hard to change over to match the factory sound one.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Most of my engines are DCC ready with 8 pin plug. I have a bunch of Proto 2000 0-6-0 and 0-8-0, Atlas and Stuart HH660, Stuart VO1000 and some Spectrum. Don't all have to be sound. I must say that decoders have come along way, remember club members and their problems which is what made me shy away from it. Then got a deal on a Digitrax DCS51 and a full featured MTH engine for under $200 and loved the sound, bought a few Bachmann sound value in steam and diesel for as under $100 steam and under $60 diesel from a major retailer and was hooked, I seem to be going into DCC full bore now but a little kicking and screaming as there are alot of things that pop up like the DCS doing weird things at tines, proubly me. Got to say those cheap Bachmanns are sweet.
Lastspikemike DCC will be relatively easy for most locomotives built in the 90's or more recently. DCC with sound is a different ball game. I like sound in my brand new DCC locomotives but not so impressed with anything more than about 5 years old in design. For a DC locomotive on a DCC track you only need DCC, sound is not necessary. I find this TCS site very useful when evaluating a used locomotive for ease of DC to DCC conversion, including whether sound is feasible for my skill level: https://tcsdcc.com/installations just click on the icon for the area of interest. Really clear instructions and very useful pictures.
DCC will be relatively easy for most locomotives built in the 90's or more recently.
DCC with sound is a different ball game.
I like sound in my brand new DCC locomotives but not so impressed with anything more than about 5 years old in design.
For a DC locomotive on a DCC track you only need DCC, sound is not necessary.
I find this TCS site very useful when evaluating a used locomotive for ease of DC to DCC conversion, including whether sound is feasible for my skill level:
https://tcsdcc.com/installations
just click on the icon for the area of interest. Really clear instructions and very useful pictures.
rrebellMost of my engines are DCC ready with 8 pin plug. I have a bunch of Proto 2000 0-6-0 and 0-8-0, Atlas and Stuart HH660, Stuart VO1000 and some Spectrum. Don't all have to be sound.
rrebell,
If all don't "have to be sound" and come with the 8-pin plug then yea - those will be fairly straightforward to convert to DCC. The two Proto 2000 switchers have room in the tender to add a speaker. The diesels switchers will be a little more challanging to add sound to and may require machining part of the chassis to make room for the speaker.
I have both the Gold (sound) & Silver (non-sound) versions of the HH660. I'll see if there is a difference in the chassis. My Stewart VO-1000 has a motor-only decoder, which is a simiple install: Remove the shell, plug in your decoder, reattach shell. I think I spent more time re-installing the coupler gear boxes.
For switchers, I highly recommend the TCS motor-only decoders for their excellent motor control. I want all my switchers to crawl at speed step 001.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
rrebellSure there are some rare engines like my 2-4-4-2 that would be redone but what about my Atlas S-3 or others.
I have no experience with DCC decoder installations, so I might not be should replying in this thread... but...
Your comment about the 2-4-4-2 is probably the main reason I will never switch to DCC. I have too many locomotives that fall into this category of things that will never be produced DCC Ready, so the conversion work is much more than I would ever consider.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Again, the level of difficulty makes a difference. I got a bargain bin diesel switcher and installed a motor decoder myself, but later I paid to have sound installed in the same engine.
I did one steamer. It was relatively easy because the tender had lots of space for the decoder and speaker.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyAgain, the level of difficulty makes a difference.
Agreed. I have one - actually two - Kato NW2 switchers that I would love to convert to DCC because they run so smoothly. However, converting them is no small matter because the chassis needs to be milled out in a particular way.
If I still had access to a milling machine I would do the machining myself in the heartbeat. I do personally know of a local machine shop in town that does low-volume jobs and I may ask them to quote me on milling the said chassis. However, I'll need to first come up with the milling specs for the size decoder that will be using in my NW2s.
tstageHowever, I'll need to first come up with the milling specs for the size decoder that will be using in my NW2s.
The TCS site has an extensive "how to" install for their M1 decoder in a Kato NW2:
https://tcsdcc.com/installation/ho-scale/1358
And I forgot there are actually two machining slots required: A thru-hole in the top (for the decoder) and channels on the sides (for the decoder wires). There's also the four protrude chassis dimples that secure the shell to the chassis. I already took care of that with a flat file, as it's a bear to remove the shell otherwise.
It also pays to look around - if not for a video I watched on YouTube, I would not know about the neat half curve speakers tha Streamlined Backshop sells. They fir neatly under the cab roof of steam lcos as well as many diesel switchers. They don't even stick down below the window openings, so the only way you can really see they are in there is to look up from below. Perfect for locos where there is a board replacement decoder, but no space without milling the weights for the speaker.
I saw those on a decoder-install video I was watching recently, Randy. They are pretty slick and I may have to give one a try.
I converted something like 60 locos when I went to DCC. I didn't worry about sound in most, the diesels, but my brass NG steamers all got Tsunami sound. The most important thing with sound is good contact, so I add wipers to all drivers on steam with sound. Take your time, learn as you go, and there's really nothing too intimidating in HO.
N scale is a whole nother ball of wax. You'll want drop in decoders there.
For the Kato NW-2, I used my trusty Dremel to get the slotting done, but I also converted them to a straight hood to accomodate dynamic barkes and a steam generator. That gave a little extra room under the hood to fit the decoder. Oh, and they were narrowgauged in the process.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I converted many of my locos, but only those that were worth converting (the best and the sentimental pieces). The others are kept for parts. It was a great learning experience, albeit the costs involved. I converted a few Atlas diesels, and I agree, the worse are the Kato switchers. Older Roco engines and the recent chinese built locos are easier and don't require any special tools or milling.
Simon
It's difficult to covert an engine like that NW-2 that have the N-scale style split halves. Doing that gave the DC engine plenty of weight and pulling power, but is a nightmare to take apart and convert to DCC. My second HO engine from when I started in HO in the late 80's was a GN GP-30 from Bachmann that had that kind of insides. Ran pretty well, a bit noisy, but externally nicely detailed for the time.I was able to get it converted to DC, but there's virtually no room for a speaker and enclosure. I ended up finding a great deal on a recent Bachmann "Sound Value" equipped SP GP-30 and just swapped bodies. I figure the cost of the new engine worked out to about the same as a good sound decoder, speaker/enclosure, and new can motor would have cost.
I would check the TCS decoder site. They have many installs for different brands, scales non sound, sound. Click on Installations. Select.
https://tcsdcc.com/
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I think many older DC locos are worthy of being converted to DCC if they run well, you keep the instalation simple, and lighting is straight forward.
I have found the biggest issue with older locos is making room, especially for wiring to the lights, some times i have had difficulty installing the shell afterwards due to the harness when hard wiring in a decoder, add lights and it can get a bit bulky. You will learn to make wiring very neat and minimal.
I have added sound to DC locos such as P2K SW1200 and and Atlas S1 (HO scale) both turned out great but the speaker takes up the entire cab, I can over look it as it was all I could do at the time.
As already mentioned Streamlined Backshops has some great speakers available. TCS has excellent tutorials.
With steam you usually have the tender available to locate the decoder, speaker and now Keep Alive. With older steam I would ensure you have good rail current pick up.