Being a radio station engineer for 30 years, you would think I know this, but I don't so bare with me:
If I can separate the power pickup up wires from the actual motor, then I can insert a DCC decoder there. Correct?
Worst case scenario, a Bachmann Santa Fe F7 $15 "train set" engine, the pick up is on the front wheels, the motor is located at the rear wheels, they are connected with the traditional red and black wire, there is where I cut and splice....yes, no.
Thanks
Bob
Generally, yes.
But before you splice, check for continuity between the brushes themselves (not just the motor's case/frame) and the chassis.
The chassis is often hot and you want to keep the decoder's motor outputs, and therefore the brushes, isolated from that.
HTH,
Steve
I recently took one of these apart to look into using it as a sound dummy and found that the motor has a plastic case and the plastic chassis doesn't conduct electricity either. BUT the ons I disassembled also had power pickups on the drive wheels. Look close for wires since they're short.. Either way the power pickup wires can be isolated from the motor so DCC is an option.
Modeling the Cleveland and Pittsburgh during the PennCentral era starting on the Cleveland lakefront and ending in Mingo junction
Thanks folks - good input.
I know the situation. I just finished completing a detailing and re-painting of 2 late 70s Atlas FP7s and 3 Model Power E8s. The latter were the only alternative to AHM Es (which had terrible nose profiles and an antiquated motor) during that time period. Plus they had a decent can motor and a huge flywheel.
Anyway, like you, now that I have invested additional time and monies, I am faced with the question of adapting to DCC.