non dcc ready wires

Simon,

The Bachmann O8 is easy, you connect the red decoder wire to the RH pickup and the black decoder wire to the LH pickup, and the orange wire to the right side of the motor and the grey wire to the left side of the motor. I removed the small circuit board at the front of the loco and stuck the decoder to the circuit board retaining pins that remained with the supplied sticky pad.

Don't have any Hornby stuff other than "Thomas " and Hogworts Castle so can't help with the others.

Mr Burkin's site shows the first 2

A Hornby Class 110 DMU, Doug

Thanks Doug, and Eddie. I will add the site to my fav`s, it looks very useful indeed Simon

> A Hornby Class 110 DMU,

Best site I have found for explaining decoder fitting to a Bachmann 08 in pictures is

Eddie

> A Hornby Class 110 DMU,

Except that he used a black beetle motor bogie so it doesn't really count as chipping the 110.

Beware, Hornby seem to change the design of their motor bogies. I've seen instructions for converting Hornby locos (e.g. the 110 in the files archive of the DCCUK Yahoo group) that are different to what would be possible on my examples. Here's how I did my (old, purchased on Ebay) 110. Yours may well be different:

I used a Zimo MX64.

Locate and gently releas the 6 clips holding the body on, these are part of the glazing moulding. Four are in the central section, two under the unpowered bogie.

Disconnect the black wire from the motor and connect to the decoder black wire.

Remove the screw holding the right hand brush holder and remove one side of the capacitor. This screw is screwed into the plastic half of the motor with a clearance hole in the rear metal half of the motor. There is no need for any further isolation. Insert the decoder grey wire where the capacitor was and replace the screw. Take care not to lose the brush or the spring.

Remove the screw holding the left hand brush holder and remove the capacitor completely. This screw is screwed into the metal half of the motor, and is live to the non-traction tyred wheels. You need to make a connection from the screw (or the metal of the motor body) to the decoder red wire and from the decoder orange wire to the brush holder whilst isolating the two. I isolated the screw by sleeving a couple of mm where it passes through the brush holder and using a nylon washer under the head of the screw. A brass washer between the head of the screw and the nylon washer was used for soldering the decoder red wire. The decoder orange wire is inserted where the capacitor was and connects to the brush holder.

You could replace the left hand screw with anylon one to isolate the brush holder but then you need to somehow connect to the metal motor body. I didn't fancy trying to drill and tap a new hole.

Check thoroughly for shorts/open as appropriate with a multimeter or continuity tester.

Test on the programming track.

I've found even three pole Hornby motors are capable of very smooth running (even at low speed) with a good quality high frequency decoder.

Hope this helps,

Andrew