Milwhiawatha wrote:.......I messed up one night trying to pull the decoder plug out of the engine instead of the tender and messed the wiring up so I need to find out how to get into the engine to replace wires. ........
Sorry, but this is another one of those things that if you have to ask, there is no way you will be able to do it. These things are assembled by specially trained people with precision soldering equipment under magnification. It is doubtful that even Athearn (the importer) has the ability to repair it.
Milwhiawatha wrote:Ok I have read posts about people installing tsunami's into the Big boy and now I want to know. I messed up one night trying to pull the decoder plug out of the engine instead of the tender and messed the wiring up so I need to find out how to get into the engine to replace wires. On the second note How the heck did you guys install the Tsunami? the MRC sound system bites rubber tires its my dads statement and dads locomotive. So any photos etc would help thank you.
The ONLY way is to find an installer that does the Tsunami decoder. I had one put in my Atherns Big Boy and it is perfect. There is a person in Augusta Ga. that does them for me. I do all the non sound and he does the sound units. He just did the Hornby H8 and it is perfect.
Belive it or not the instructions that come with the decoders are very easy to read and understand. Go to their website and download them and look. All you need is a steady hand (that is why I have mine done) and GREAT soldering talent. I use a 20 watt iron on the non sound and it worked just fine.
What I meant was I need a photo of the underside, of the Big boy which shows the wiring . Some how I managed to strip the wires and break them and I cant figure out how two o them go. So I need a great person whos willing to photograph the wire on the engine itself ie the plug area of the engine.
Sorry I got to read yournote only today.
I feel your pain.
The very best suggestion I could make is for you to stop fooling around and agonizing over this and have some one fix it for you who has all the know how and tools to do the job correctly.
Try Tonys Train House in Vermount. Google the name for their web page and get their phone number and address there.
Hope this advise helps.
Ø agonizing
THe wires are: (Per NMRA Standards)
(2) leads to the motor (+ and -) (Grey, Orange)
(2) leads to the driver pick-ups Engineer side and Firemans side (Red, black)
(2) leads to the lights. Blue, white
THat is SIX in the engine
Tender:
(2) leads to the lights (blue,yellow)
Speakers (2) purple)
The only thing you keep is the engine and tender and speaker, scrap the balance and instal the Tsunami according to their instructions.
You TRACE these wires using a GOOD VOLT/OHMS Meter. This way you can verify that the pick-ups are correct BEFORE you solder. If you REVERSE the Greay and Orange you can fix that at the programming of the decoder.
My wires are wraped and look like airlines so a photo is can do no good.
DCC is a tricky deal without the proper tools.
I'm use to installing decoders. I have done several. 1 in a Mantua everyone said it cant be done, some imn SW1500 I even built my own 8 pin harness'. Right now the simple issue I have at hand is this.
the wires from the engine that run out of the cab are stripped and 2 of them are actually broken. all I'm looking for at this time is to fix these two broken wires I believe I have them right but want to make sure they are set right. So a simple quick picture of the wires outside of the engine under the cab would be what I'm looking for I dont care what part of the locomotive they go to I just need to know what broken wire goe to what broken wire thats all.