decoder assembly

[Anonymous]

need help I am trying to install a mrc ad310 decoder into loco"s the directions i have are more like you would hook up to atlass but when i go to mantua or adhern its compleatly different some only have two wires and some have four the decoder i have has seven wires and a plug the instructions i recieved with the decoders all show eather six or seven wires CAN SOMEONE HELP me THANKS FUZZYPA

[Anonymous]

Hello Fuzzypa,

Determining which wires/contacts inside the locomotive are which, and then determining which decoder wire goes where is sometimes the most difficult part of installing a decoder.

Follow the color codes: gray wire to motor negative; orange to motor positive; red to pickups from the right-hand (engineer's) side; black wire to the pickups from the left-hand rail (fireman's side); blue is light common; yellow is reverse light; and white wire goes to the headlight.

You'll find an illustrated story on Trains.com explaining the installation of a decoder in older Athearn locomotives at http://www.trains.com/content/dynamic/articles/000/000/002/386vdfwa.asp.

This story might be helpful also: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/388hbotf.asp.

Hope this helps,

Paul Schmidt
Contributing Editor
Trains.com