Digital Control Engine

Many DC engines can be easily upgraded to DCC, usually with a small bit of work, mostly soldering and mounting a decoder board. What makes and models of engines do you have?

Hello Robert

The 2 engines I'd like to convert are Athearn 3220 F78 Super PWR and a Athearn 4101 SDP40 PWR

Many DC engines can be easily upgraded to DCC, usually with a small bit of work, mostly soldering and mounting a decoder board. What makes and models of engines do you have?

These should be easy enough to convert. I believe the 'trick' is to turn the motors upside down and insulating the lower engine mount from the frame, after removing the power pickup wiper. You need to solder wires to the motor connections, attach a wire to the frame and to the two contacts on the gear towers. This gives you four wires, two from the motor and once from each the frame and the two gear towers: the frame is one rail and the two two gear tower contacts are the other rail. There are several DCC decoders meant for these vintage Athearn engines.

Do not turn the motor upside down! That will reverse the running. Carefully remove the copper straps from the motor and solder the correct wires to the clips then reinstall the top clip on the bottom and the bottom clip on top.

Er, no, it won't. Turning it end-for-end would do that, but since you're re-wiring it anyway it really doesn't matter.

~Pete

On 2/28/2009 1:49 PM Robert Heller spake thus:

It seems to me that this may be beyond the capabilities (perceived or otherwise) of a lot of folks who just want to run trains. What would be

*really* helpful would be a set of illustrated instructions on line. Anyone know of any out there?

All this is bit new to me. Before I start soldering I'm curious how likely it would be to find a chassis w/ DCC motor that would accept the Athearn shell(s)

If not likely, it sound like you're telling me that there are digital controllers that are small enough to fit inside the shell and that have wires rather then connectors. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at. Agn I'm really only trying to achieve smooth constant low speed. For example is there a good starter set that just has a controller and wireable motor control modules?

Er, no, it won't. Turning it end-for-end would do that, but since you're re-wiring it anyway it really doesn't matter.

~Pete

I wouldn't consider two engines to be a lot. Choose your system based upon how the controllers feel and work. You will get some decent slow motion control as the power is a pulse width to the motor and that will easily allow for slow full power control. FWIW, I sold off a fair bit of my power and still have about 20 engines or more still on hand.

-- Bob May

rmay at nethere.com http: slash /nav.to slash bobmay http: slash /bobmay dot astronomy.net

Until I read the above sentance it never dawned on me that there might be something for vintage Athearn engines. Found this, thanks

These should be easy enough to convert. I believe the 'trick' is to turn the motors upside down and insulating the lower engine mount from the frame, after removing the power pickup wiper. You need to solder wires to the motor connections, attach a wire to the frame and to the two contacts on the gear towers. This gives you four wires, two from the motor and once from each the frame and the two gear towers: the frame is one rail and the two two gear tower contacts are the other rail. There are several DCC decoders meant for these vintage Athearn engines.

" W4NNG" wrote in news:VBjql.23654$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe17.iad:

There are places all around that will install decoders for you. This might be cheaper than trying to find a motor to fit the shell. (If the motor runs rough on DC, it's probably not going to run all that much better with DCC.)

There's two basic forms of decoders out there: "Stacked change" and "popsicle stick". (I just made these terms up, but maybe they'll stick? lol) The "stacked change" decoder is something like the TCS T1, where it looks like coins stacked up and taped together. They're short and fat. The "popsicle stick" decoders are long and thin. An example of that is the Digitrax DH165AT.

You CAN use N-scale and Z scale decoders on HO scale locomotives, so long as the current draw does not exceed maximum. (Smaller decoders mean less current can be drawn before failure.)

There are decoder installation pictures available in many places on the Internet. TCS has several on the website:

As for inexpensive DCC systems, I'd probably head towards the Digitrax Zephyr myself. The Zephyr has the advantage of Loconet and being able to be part of layout expansions as the need arises. Add in a UR-91 and DT400R throttle, and you can control your train wirelessly. Other systems are available, so you'll have to ask your LHS if they have samples to try out.

Puckdropper

David Nebenzahl wrote in news:49a9c011$0$2721$ snipped-for-privacy@news.adtechcomputers.com:

Take a look at TCS's website,

Dig around the N scale stuff and they've got a book that shows you how to do all the isolation and everything. Good pictures too.

No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.

Puckdropper

"Bob May" wrote in news:6sGdna-Sdd3QVTTUnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@o1.com:

From the number of locomotives we (model railroaders) tend to collect, it's a wonder that locomotive servicing facilities aren't more prevalent on layouts. :-)

I've bought 4 in the last year that I didn't really need. One of them even came looking for me!

Puckdropper

Bob, Those Athearn locos are *very* easy to convert to DCC.

I'm surprised that nobody already mentioned Digitrax even makes a low-cost, "no soldering required" decoder conversion kit specifically for them:

Complete instructions for those conversion kits can be found here:

HTH, Stevert

A) convert using a simple decoder (the simplest control direction, speed, and lights). Simple decoders don't take much wiring. Some engines are more difficult to covert because part of the weight has to be filed or milled away to make room for the converter. Most older engines must be rewired to isolate the motor from the frame, which is used as ground, and that's the only really tricky part of the job.

B) Bachmann makes a line of cheap "DCC On Board" engines, some of which should suit you.

HTH

wolf k.

Bob, if you only need to run at slow speed without reversing, are you saying that you always run your trains on one direction?! If that is the case then I really don't see how you would benefit by retrofitting your locos with DCC. DCC's main advantage is that it allows you to individually control speed and directions of many locomotives while they ride on the same track. Why invest all this time and money in DCC to just slowly run your locomotives in one direction?

If you like really slow running then you might want to look into retrofitting your locos with better motors or gearboxes. That would give you slow running engines.

Peteski