Thanks RANDY, i understand that now.
PATRICK
Yes, you can change to LEDs. Depending on which decoder you plan to use, yo uwill need a 1K resistor to go with a white LED. There are a couple out now that already provide current limiting for LEDs whichw ould not require a resistor. Thre are also a few older ones that have resistors to allow the use of the stock 3 volt bulbs in Proto 2K locos - those you need to bypass that resistor (the instructions show you how) and use a 1K resistor with the LED. Just rememebr blue is the PLUS side, the function wire (white or yellow) is the minus. The flat on the LED marks the minus side. The resistor can go on either side of the LED. IE: blue wire---resistor----led---white wire OR blue wire----led---resistor----white wire.
Here is a good site that shows how to determine the polarity of an LED http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_polarity_of_LEDs
Just remember, decoders are 'backwards' compared to some things - the blue 'common' wire is plus. Each function wire is the minus. This is called a current sink, and is quite common in electronics.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Hi everybody, its off. no thanks to the drawing supplied.
I found the small screw hidden under the bogie,secondQUESTION , can i change the lights to leds, which i prefere.
many thanks for all your help.
Hi Patrick: I have a P2K SD45. I'll quote from the instruction sheet. "Remove the coupler box assemblies from both ends of the locomotive. Remove the fuel tank cover. Unscrew the two small black screws shown in the exploded view of the chassis. DO NOT remove the large brass screws. Grasping the shell by the solid area between grills, lift shell straight up and off of the chassis." Note, the two small screws referred to are on each side under the fuel tank. I also had a problem with the fuel tank dropping down, so I drilled and tapped a small hole in the casting and used a small flat head screw to hold the fuel tank in place. BTW, I have a Loc Sound decoder in mine, sounds and runs great.
I'd be VERY careful with the WD-40, Patrick. The shell and/or the paint may not respond very well to it.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
I have tried what you said ,there two screws just beside the fuel tank and one small one.,i took these out as well not a budge!!!!
I WILL spray it with wd40 and see what happens,this is a real mystry as ihave never had the problem before,i like the p2k locos mine all run well.
Patrick,
On my Proto 2000 GP38-2s there's a screw under each truck. You can gain access to them by rotating the trucks slightly. You'll also need to remove both the front and rear coupler boxes, too.
Once the above have been removed, the shell should come off with a slight bit of wiggling. (The shell just snaps over the chassis.) The four (4) screws in the fuel tank do NOT need to be removed.
Hope that helps..
I don't have the SD45 but I have a GP38 and an SD60 :
Take out coupler boxes, then remove screw that are ounted on the underside of the body - there should be one on each side near the inside of where the coupler box is. That should be enough to remove the shell. try to gently wiggle it off. There should be other screws on the underside of the body. You can try and remove those but I beleive they are used to fix the weight onto the frame.
Hi everybody.
I have recently bought an sd45 ,it runs fine on dc,now i want to fit the decoder,i have followed the instructions in the box, but to no avail. I must be missing something,as the shell will not move,any help would be welcome.
Patrick
model is HO FROM proto 2000 C&NW. FROM TRAINWORLD