I am installing a decoder in an IHC Consolidation using a diagram I found in Allan Gartner's web site. Here is the link -
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/horivconsolidation.htm
I have the motor hooked up and it works great. The question is the lights which isn't really covered in the diagram. The diagram shows a light in the firebox, but there isn't one on this model, Instead there is a rear light on the tender. Inside the tender there is a lead coming from the rear truck directly to one side of the rear light but the other lead goes to a resistor then to the other side of the light. The head light was connected directly to the motor.
Question is - do I need to use that resistor or can I just go ahead and connect both lights to the decoder using the blue wire as common, white to the front, yellow to the rear. The other issue is I cannot see what side of the front light will be common so it may be just a guess to get everything connected.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
All of the IHC models I've installed DCC into used 16 Volt incandescent bulbs for the headlight, so no resistor is necessary; however, I'm not sure about the current draw of the bulbs so I wouldn't try having them both on at the same time.
If it already has a resistor in the circuit it's almost certainly NOT a 16 volt bulb, you'll need to leave that in, or possibly even get a larger one as the resistor is sized for DC operation where you will (hopefully) not be at full power all the time. A DCC decoder puts out a constant full voltage for the functions no matter what speed the loco is moving. Not having any IHC locos I have no idea what they used but it's possible the last ones switched from 16V bulbs to LEDs. They made them for a long time so things certainly could change over different runs.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
cacole All of the IHC models I've installed DCC into used 16 Volt incandescent bulbs for the headlight, so no resistor is necessary; however, I'm not sure about the current draw of the bulbs so I wouldn't try having them both on at the same time.
Under DC the front and rear lights worked according to the direction of travel so they weren't on at the same time. They look like 16 volt. Thanks for the help!
On the IHC engines I have, it is a diode in-line with the bulbs, to provide for the directional lights on DC.
I would think the supplied bulbs should be fine for DCC use. If you can reduce the brightness through the decoder, that would be a good thing, to avoid melting the plastic around the headlight. Changing to LEDs would avoid the melting issue.
Make sure to hook up the tender trucks to the power pickups. These engines also pick up on the drivers, but adding the tender trucks helps avoid stalling.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
Thanks for the help. I got everything hooked up including the tender trucks, bypassed the diode and everything works like a charm. I will look into substituting the bulbs with some smaller one I have on hand. Haven't had an IHC in a while - nice little engine.
It depends on the decoder you are using! For example the QSI decoders are already set up for 1.5 Volt lamps.
Read your decoder manual. It will tell you what the outputs are for your lighting! Chances are it's 12V
If that is the case, you'll need about a 350 Ohm resistor to the light. (Assuming a typical 1.5V 30ma lamp) The color bands 350 Ohm resistor should go orange->green->brown (then either gold or silver band)
HOWEVER if I am not mistaken, the risistor you are seeing is NOT a resistor, but a diode. (Has silver band on one side) This is for constant intensity directional lighting.
BTW: I have the same model consolodation and need to convert it to DCC. So I can crack mine open tonight and tell you.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
DigitalGriffin It depends on the decoder you are using! For example the QSI decoders are already set up for 1.5 Volt lamps. Read your decoder manual. It will tell you what the outputs are for your lighting! Chances are it's 12V If that is the case, you'll need about a 350 Ohm resistor to the light. (Assuming a typical 1.5V 30ma lamp) The color bands 350 Ohm resistor should go orange->green->brown (then either gold or silver band) HOWEVER if I am not mistaken, the risistor you are seeing is NOT a resistor, but a diode. (Has silver band on one side) This is for constant intensity directional lighting. BTW: I have the same model consolodation and need to convert it to DCC. So I can crack mine open tonight and tell you.
Thanks for all the great information. What I found in the tender was indeed a diode and I just removed it. On the advice of the LHS I used a Digitrax DH123D and after I got everything wired in, the engine works great. The biggest headache was routing the wires around the flywheel - there is enough space but it is tight. I used virtually all the wire length in the decoder and when I moved the lead weight out of the way, I found additional wire for the headlamps.
I would suspect yours is the same but let me know.
Thanks