I ended up using a service to wire the ditch light board to the decoder for me after melting off one soldering pad and having the decoder repaired by Digitrax. Once I got it back and got everything installed it works great. I have always wanted to have an N scale loco with operating ditchlights that could flash independently when the horn sounded, and now I do. I love it.
Ron
Owner and superintendant of the N scale Texas Colorado & Western Railway, a protolanced representaion of the BNSF from Fort Worth, TX through Wichita Falls TX and into Colorado.
Check out the TC&WRy on at https://www.facebook.com/TCWRy
Check out my MRR How-To YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RonsTrainsNThings
While it's hard to argue against Loksound, if only for the superior sound and motor control, the SDN1440A0 IS a direct drop in board replacement for that particular loco, as in slide out the factory directional light board and slide in the decoder. Doesn't get much easier, at least in N scale.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
If I may make a suggestion.
Don't get the Digitrax. Get an ESU LokSound Select Micro with the correct sound file. It's smaller, will fit into the N scale diesel easier, will be easier to fit an 8mm by 12mm speaker, and wiring the ditch lights is easier (soldering to wires rather than pads).
If you read the instuctions that came with the decoder it shows what pads are used for extra lighting functions. You will have to read the decoder manual to see how to program for ditch lights. And that is a seperate manual you can download frommDigitrax.
I have an Atlas n scale Dash 8-40CW which has led ditch lights. I want to add a Digitrax SDN144A0 sound decoder, but I am not sure how to wire the ditch light leds into the board. Can anyone hellp me here? Thanks.