Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

BLI steam loco with TCS decoder running intermittently

1240 views
0 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2011
  • From: Lancaster city
  • 682 posts
BLI steam loco with TCS decoder running intermittently
Posted by cats think well of me on Monday, December 19, 2016 6:37 PM

Hi All,

I put a TCS Wow decoder into a BLI Paragon2 K4 and it runs intermittently for a couple seconds to about a minute both on my test track and the club layout. I've never had this problem with my other Wow equipped BLI K4, though it had been a Paragon1, not Paragon2.

To install the decoder I took out the BLI wiring harnesses, the smoke unit, the chuff sensor, and used a TCS 6-pin connector for the wires running between the loco and tender. To attach the left and right rail wires I attached a wire to each of the two screws offset from one another ahead of the gearbox. I did check to make sure the frame halves are isolated. Are there better places to attach the red and black wires? I did not solder them as I thought screwing the wires in the screw holes would be secure enough. I'll check that over again soon. 

I also attached the tender pickup wires to the red and black wires to take advantage of the extra electrical pickup points. 

In addition to the intermittent running, the model's weight distribution is off, so after taking the smoke unit out I added weight to the area the smoke unit used to be. I hope that helps it track better, because in addition to the intermittent running, the model easily derailed in some places. 

I'll try and get some photos taken and show people what I have going on here. 

Thank you in advance,

Alvie

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!