Need help with DCC conversion of Spectrum GE 70 Ton

[JoeinPA]

Loathar:

The Older units had 2 motors.  The newer ones have a single can motor and a drive system similar to other single motor units.

Joe

[loathar]

Are these 2 motor units old production models? I thought the new 44 and 70 tonners had single motors?? Neat little thing. I could use a couple for some re power projects.

[dragenrider]

Does this help?

Truck is right on the money with wiring the motors in series.  This little 44 tonner is one of my best running engines now.  Have fun!

[Truck]

      I have installed a DZ123 in a 44 ton witch uses the same twin motors.  You should wire the motors up in series to avoid frying the decoder. I have learned these motors can burn up. If you are not sure how to do this you need to determin positive & negative for forward direction of each motor. Then connect positive of front motor to negative of rear motor. Then connect orange wire from decoder to pos. terminal on rear motor and gray wire to negative terminal on front motor. I learned this the hard way the first decoder I wired in paralell fried. then I was advised to wire the second one in series and the switcher runs runs sweet. It also cuts speed by half so they run pretty slow.       GOOD LUCK,   Truck.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, folks.

Yeah, now that I put down my coffee and unscrewed everything, I can see what to do.  I assumed one the piece shown by my arrows was a contact and, of course, it was not.

I have done the 44 Ton conversion, but mine was an older single motor version .... completely different.

That's a good price on a new one, John.  However, I picked this up for $15 on Ebay, and I would much rather put in a DZ123 than use the Bachmann "DCC On Board" item.  Price works out to $30, but my labour is free. I'll have to put a price on that one day.

[jfallon]

    Bachmann now has the 70-ton with a DCC decoder installed, for less than $50.00 (I bought mine at a train show for 35). It would be a whole lot easier to get one and swap the shell than to try and wire this one up.                              John

[hcmodels]

There's an article in the Jan 2001 issue of MR on converting a Spectrum 44 tonner. It's the same basic mech.

Here's a link to an online article, no pics though.

 

Tony's Trains

The article is good but if you can get ahold of the magazine do it, much easier to follow.

[Anonymous]

I need tips only on the isolation of the motor.

This little loco is at the end of my list of conversions.  Although I have done many other split frame converstions, this is a little unusual for me.

I haven't pulled it apart completely yet, but thought I should ask a question while sitting here having a coffee this Sunday morning.

I am going to hardwire a Digitraz DZ123 here, not needing a sound installation.  But I need a tip on isolating this motor setup.  Perhaps I need a nylon spacer between the motor/truck frame and the loco frame and then try using a nylon screw to hold the motor frame to the main frame?

Right now I can't even see where the other motor contact is???

Anyone have experience isolating these, or have a link to an example on the net?

Thanks in advance.