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Discussion Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: 780 trainman on May 12, 2008, 10:49:31 PM

Title: spectrum 4-6-0 ten wheeler item # 82307
Post by: 780 trainman on May 12, 2008, 10:49:31 PM
I' am trying to wire in a DCC decoder into this unit . There was nothing in the tender just the two connectors. The two wire connector has a red wire and a black wire . The four wire connector has a red ,orange, yellow and a brown. The tender does not have a rear lite. I'm hoping that there is someome there  that can tell me what these wire connect to

tks 780 trainman
Title: Re: spectrum 4-6-0 ten wheeler item # 82307
Post by: the Bach-man on May 12, 2008, 11:48:11 PM
Dear 780,
There is a PC board in the tender. On the board is a socket with a plug. Remove the plug and insert the plug on your decoder.
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Title: Re: spectrum 4-6-0 ten wheeler item # 82307
Post by: SteamGene on May 13, 2008, 01:05:47 PM
Make sure you put the pin with the red wire into the socket with the red wire.  It may be necessary to cut the capacitors.
Gene
Title: Re: spectrum 4-6-0 ten wheeler item # 82307
Post by: 780 trainman on May 13, 2008, 05:30:12 PM
The problem I have is that there is no pc in the tender. the only thing left on the tender was the two connectors that were cut off the original pc. that is why I need to know where each colored wire goes.
tks 780 trainman

Title: Re: spectrum 4-6-0 ten wheeler item # 82307
Post by: Yampa Bob on May 14, 2008, 02:17:32 AM
There should be a diagram with your decoder, check colors with chart below.

Color codes for the decoder, may vary but this is NMRA recommended. Wiring in the locomotive and tender may be different colors, trace out the wiring to be sure.

Orange.......motor right side
Yellow........rear light
Black..........left rail
Gray..........motor left side
White.........front light
Blue...........front light, also common to rear light
Red............right rail

If there are tender wheel pickups, wire them in as above.

Someone may have switched the tender wheels around. Look at the wheels, one end is insulated. The wipers pick up rail current via the axle from the non-insulated wheel.  If the wheels are in wrong you will have a short.

Normally the front two tender wheels contact the right rail, the rear two contact the left rail, but I have seen some come from the factory switched, and the rear wheels contacted the right rail,  front wheels to left rail.  Doesn't matter as long as you match up the colors above,  (red to right rail, black to left rail, in both the loco and tender) and orient the wheels correctly.

The two wire connector to the loco is probably red to right rail, black to left rail but verify it by looking at the pickups on the bottom and the wires from them. The four wire connector colors you named do not follow the color code, so trace them out to see where they go.  Two of the wires go to the motor, two to the light. You'll have to remove the loco shell to check.  Separate them as pairs.  Draw a diagram to help match up the colors in the loco, through the plug and to the decoder. 

Logic is straight forward, two wires from loco pickups to decoder, two wires back to motor.  Two wires from decoder to front headlight. (total 6 wires). Tender pickup to decoder is optional but helpful.  Any left over decoder wires, just tape them up.

Trace the wires, if you can't figure it out, I'll email you instructions and a diagram.

Good luck

Bob