I've got a small HO layout (4' x 11'). I'm thinking of converting from analog to DCC, mainly so that I can run two engines at a time, maybe run consists for pulling up a grade, and some decent sound. I'm getting a bit confused by the information that I'm reading and would like some help. I've got a BLI 4-8-4 that is DCC ready, , a Bachmann 4-8-4 and a Bachmann 0-6-0 both of which are currently analog only. I've looked at Bachmann and Digitrax, and right now I'm leaning toward a Digitrax Zephyr Xtra set-up since it looks simple for a starter and has adequate capacity for my set-up. Any opinions or alternate recommendations?
I'm unsure of what to use for the decoders to convert my Bachmann engines to run on DCC. Digitrax installation manuals for their decoders seem to be very detailed and helpful, other brands not so much. Any help here would be appreciated.
I'm confused about sound decoders. I'd obviously want to install the decoder and speaker in the tender. But how do I get power to it?From the engine? If from the engine then I'd prefer to use connectors so that I can uncouple the tender from the engine when I need to perform maintenance, but where can I get the connectors? Any recommendations on sound decoders and speakers?
You have to understand that geeks really revel in DCC and can, and do, make it WAY MORE COMPLICATED than it really has to be.
Buy a sound equipped engine right now so you can enjoy right away the benefits of DCC operation without having to be a geek before you can do anything at all. Then, pay a tech to fix a couple of your engines up with sound. Unless you REALLY LIKE electronics and soldering, all that decoder install work is not for you. After you get train operation going , THEN you can geek all weekend without having to be done with it to operate at all. You are not ready to make all those decoder and speaker choices yet. After you operate a while, you will understand better.
I'm sure the entry level Bachmann DCC system is fine. I used EZ command for a year and then moved on to wireless NCE, which only required a switch out of the main command station and nothing else. NCE gave great advice in their set up instructions. Hook your system up first to either a loop of track or a short piece of straight track to get used to the throttle and to operation before you redo the layout. After a day of that I was ready to change over the whole layout. "That" took about 10 minutes , see below.
With a 4x11 layout, don't let the geeks talk you into breaking the layout into blocks with individual circuit breakers, boosters, and on and on. They do all of that because they like electronics, not because the railroad of your size needs it. I have a more involved railroad than yours, 50' of mainline and 20 switches, and for more than 8 years I've run just fine with TWO wires to feed power to the track and nothing else...... with NO PROBLEMS.
Once you try DCC / sound, you will NEVER GO BACK to what feels like pushing a corpse around the track.
Good luck. It's all really pretty easy.
have you considered a NCE POWER CAB. for me the learning curve was easier than the digitrax.they also sell decoders for most any application you would want.for starters you can just hook up your dcc power source to power your layout&later you can add a main buss feed around your layout &add feeders every 3 ft.there is a well know train supplier in maryland that uses a single feed hookup to run their store layout using kato track &has been running for a few yrs now.regarding your dcc ready locos you will just need to add a decoder&some soldering might be involved.some other mfg's just drop in&some you just plug in.in regards to unhooking your tenders for servicing,why would you want to do that other than changing or adding a decoder.you can clean your train wheels by placing unit in a support foam cradle or place on track using alcohol swab pads.if you want to see how easy it is to program a loco using the nce power cab,google arthur housten's web site.i am sure there will be a lot of comment about whose system to use,but again my preference is the power cab,i can run 6 locos at one time with dcc and or 3 safely with dcc&sound i switched from dc to dcc at age 69 and am 75 now it it was easier than anticipated.
good luck &goodday regards&later KEWATIN
I should also have said ...... Wireless is simpler. That is how I run with only two wires to power the track. Unless you are wireless, you need to tun two more wires to the track to send the DCC signals to the engine. They call that the "cab bus.".
I do also have a NCE power cab for a small portable layout. It is very good too. The only flaw is that it assumes you have a layout fascia to attach a bus plug into. I don't have a fascia on that layout, so I figured a way to get it all into a plastic tackle box so I could carry it around with the layout.
I'm not getting into pros and cons of various DCC systems. I also have a digitrax throttle for the club layout. I like NCE better. Some folks feel differently..
Quote from: Trainman203 on September 06, 2015, 04:22:40 PM
I should also have said ...... Wireless is simpler. That is how I run with only two wires to power the track. Unless you are wireless, you need to tun two more wires to the track to send the DCC signals to the engine. They call that the "cab bus.".
?????
what is a cab bus and why is it needed in addition to the track connections?
dcc sends the signals from the command station to the rails. only two wires are theoretically needed to do this, though adding parallel track connections greatly improves the reliability of dcc.
You can find decoder installation infor on the B'mann 4-8-4 'Niagra' here:
http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/Niagara%204-8-4/bachman_niagra_4-8-4.htm (http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Bachmann/Niagara%204-8-4/bachman_niagra_4-8-4.htm)
Even if you use someone else's decoder, the install process is the same.
Is the 0-6-0 the 'Saddle Tank', or the "Smoke/Lights" version with a tender? The installation's are different.
Len
I'm a model railroader, not a DCC geek. I saw "cab bus"somewhere in some over complicated bunch of stuff. I'm a two wire guy, have great operation, and am perfectly satisfied. Look in all the encyclopedias people have written about DCC, "cab bus" will be there.
Focus on NCE Power Cab* and the Digitrax Zephyr Xtra. Connect the system of your choice to your layout per DCC systems manufacturer's instructions. Run a DCC locomotive with sound around your layout and you will quickly find out if your present layout wiring meets the minimum requirements of DCC.
*NCE Power Cab, with good reasons, requires all locomotives it controls to be DCC decoder equipped.
Search 'Cab Bus' on NCE Information Station webpage. (https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=cab+bus) Trainman203's recollection is faulty. ;)
At my age you all should be understanding, and gently helpful. :D
the 0-6-0 is the version with a tender. It was a Christmas present.
Quote from: Trainman203 on September 06, 2015, 04:11:00 PM
With a 4x11 layout, don't let the geeks talk you into breaking the layout into blocks with individual circuit breakers, boosters, and on and on. They do all of that because they like electronics, not because the railroad of your size needs it. I have a more involved railroad than yours, 50' of mainline and 20 switches, and for more than 8 years I've run just fine with TWO wires to feed power to the track and nothing else...... with NO PROBLEMS.
Geeks are smarter than you give them credit for. The reason they use block control is for narrowing down problems whether it's track work, wiring or unforseen objects shorting the layout. I wish I had known or thought of this before doing my layout and I am not an electronics guru or geek as you refer to them.
@ejseider.... Think of getting a new DCC On Board 0-6-0 till you get more experience in converting, I hear this one will age you quickly ;D.
Jerry
RIGHT ON JERRY, RIGHT ON....
Until I understood the nature of model railroad DCC geeking for geeking's sake, I couldn't figure out DCC either, it was buried in a swirl of absurd insider techno talk wherever I looked. NCE gave the best advice........ Hook it up simply to just a piece of track and when you are comfortable put it on your layout. Once the static got cut through, DCC became easy. I'm now one of the better steam engine DCC cv set guys on the Gulf Coast, I set up all the steam engines at the club. I knew more about steam engine Cv's than an installer at a regional HS. But all I do is get the engines running and sounding right... I don't get into all of the overboard blocking and bussing track stuff. And I've never found it necessary.
Model railroading has always had its share of frustrated electricians building model railroads when they ought to be building radios or computers instead. They were around in the early 60s when I first subscribed to MR. Except back then they were doing "transistor throttles", trying to get open frame motor engines to crawl. They were also doing an alternative engine-crawl thing called "pulse-power." They were doing "high-frequency lighting" to keep the headlights on all the time when the DC power was off, to stop the train. They were doing hundreds of variations of signalling circuits. They were doing slow motion switch machine circuits. And they were doing any number of convoluted electrical ways to individually control trains in those pre DCC days. In short ..... they were doing everything except RUN TRAINS!!!!!!i they were dominating the magazines in those days. I recall thinking that they ought to have a separate magazine.
I told the original poster the same thing. Get a DCC / sound engine before you try to figure out the geeking. I let techs do that stuff for me. Keeps me young :D
Keep throwing mud at those you ridicule as DCC geeks - you will get ignored plus lose ground. ;D
I don't need all the extra technology that some insist is essential to run trains. The original poster is unnecessarily bamboozled by it all. He doesn't need it all either. Some do. Simple message. What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander.
What you opine is perception behind the creation of the Bachmann E-Z Command Control Center. At some point you realized lots more can be done with DCC that the use of that system cannot support.
Quote from: ejseider on September 06, 2015, 09:05:50 PM
the 0-6-0 is the version with a tender. It was a Christmas present.
Ouch! It has a split frame, pancake motor, design that uses the frame for part of the electrical pick up. It can be converted to DCC, but it's a real pain to do.
I have to agree with Jerry on this one, you'll save yourself a lot of aggravation just replacing it with the can motor "DCC On-board" version.
Len
Hunt ..... I've been using an NCE wireless pro cab for years. I adjust at least a dozen or more cv's on my steam engines for crawl speed, overall volume balance of sound, momentum, EQ, getting the PROPER PROTOTYPICAL whistle ok it, etc etc etc. It's the excessive trackwork blocking, circuit breakers, boosters and all of that which I, and the original poster, just don't need. On a big club sized layout, likely, but there's some threshold below which you just don't need all of that stuff. The thought that you do, we see over and over, confounds beginners because a certain element insists how necessary it is, when at that level, it isn't.
However , I will say that I've been a little rough on the geeks, and do offer apology for the tone of my message. Roughness in message delivery is something I need to work on. I know that I've gotten too intense when it brings out my old friend and neighbor Jerry. :D. The message, however, that geeking, while necessary at wider levels of modeling, can get inane and beginner-confounding at entry level, still stands.
Quote from: Trainman203 on September 07, 2015, 10:19:03 AM
Hunt ..... I've been using an NCE wireless pro cab for years. I adjust at least a dozen or more cv's on my steam engines for crawl speed, overall volume balance of sound, momentum, EQ, getting the PROPER PROTOTYPICAL whistle ok it, etc etc etc. It's the excessive trackwork blocking, circuit breakers, boosters and all of that which I, and the original poster, just don't need.
I know that I've gotten too intense when it brings out my old friend and neighbor Jerry. :D.
3 things go with this quote.....
1- you must be a geek if you are fooling around with cv's :D :D :D :D :D
2- I don't know how you can say the OP does not need any of this since he only started off by asking for advice on a command system and decoder installs and you went into the geeks using block control and everything else. A simple nod to NCE if that's what you prefer would have done without degrading the great advice given by the expert modeler's that are on here ( I am not in that group by the way). If he is analog now he may have block control set up already? then all he would have to do is open all the blocks and install the DCC system ( check for reverse loops).
3- only Jim has the right to call me an OLD FRIEND ;D. I remember you quoting to someone that that would not be possible.
Jerry
All taken in stride, neighbor.
Quote from: Trainman203 on September 07, 2015, 10:19:03 AM
. .. It's the excessive trackwork blocking, circuit breakers, boosters and all of that . . . . there's some threshold below which you just don't need all of that stuff.
Trainman203,
Here we are like minded and the need for or not need for "that stuff" is worth emphasizing. It is putting forward that ejseider or any beginner using DCC just needs two wires for DCC because you do without qualifying such is only valid if his layout wiring quality, power and power distribution requirements duplicates your requirements.
Hunt it appeared that he had a smaller layout than mine, which isn't very big.
And Jerry, once an apology is offered, which I did do, there's really no need to continue. I know I was incorrect and impolite and said so. I would hope that counts for something.
I'll bow out of this discussion . Hopefully the guy can figure out DCC .
If you're new to DCC, I recommend these books:
This one's about as basic as it gets, while stil getting you off on the right foot:
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/model-trains/books/12448__Basic-DCC-Wiring-for-Your-Model-Railroad
This one gets into a bit more technical detail, but it's still aimed at beginners:
https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/model-trains/books/12417__The-DCC-Guide (https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/model-trains/books/12417__The-DCC-Guide)
You can order direct from Kalmbach, Amazon, your local book store, or LHS.
Len
Welcome.
I am over 74 and and learned some years ago, when you go from DC to DCC, you are entering the world of geekdom. No getting around it. Research will be necessary.
When you remove the shell of a loco, you are going deep into this world.
I am fortunate to have started with tube circuits and come up thought the rank you might say.
If you no doubt have high speed Internet, the Bachmann forums and Google will be a great asset.
Since this is new to you, form your Favourites URL list with results of searches or what others here suggest.
Since DCC came out, I have accumulated about four hundred links on various aspects of model railroading with DCC. But I like the challenge.
I also use the Power Cab.
DC to DCC has a learning curve.
Surely you remember having to program a VCR some years ago to record programs.
Quote from: richardl on September 07, 2015, 07:43:33 PM
Surely you remember having to program a VCR some years ago to record programs.
DCC's not that hard! ;D
Len
ej, I am surprised that no one has mentioned that you can run more than one loco togther (consist) and also run and control more than one loco at a time, using DC, two good DC Power Packs and Common rail wiring. Perhaps you know this already but in the event you did not, there it is.
Quote from: Jerrys HO on September 07, 2015, 10:50:02 AM
3- only Jim has the right to call me an OLD FRIEND ;D. Jerry
Thank you for that old friend :)
I agree with my old friend and
Len and would pass on trying to convert this loco to DCC. For that, if that is the direction you are set on, there are better choices out there.
Quote from: Trainman203 on September 06, 2015, 08:58:12 PM
At my age you all should be understanding, and gently helpful. :D
It is good that you apologized
TM203 as I did not witness a lot of gentility or understanding coming from your corner.
Bachmann has an 0-6-0 with tender that is DCC ready, and I could likely ask for as a Christmas present, but the description that they give doesn't say anything about sound. Does anyone know if it comes with sound, or is that something that needs to be added? Also, if it does come with sound, what's your opinion of it?
Quote from: ejseider on September 28, 2015, 01:48:51 PM
Bachmann has an 0-6-0 with tender that is DCC ready, and I could likely ask for as a Christmas present, but the description that they give doesn't say anything about sound. Does anyone know if it comes with sound, or is that something that needs to be added? Also, if it does come with sound, what's your opinion of it?
The Bachmann 0-6-0 does not come with sound or a speaker nor does it come with any provisions for adding sound. Also Bachmann does not make a DCC ready 0-6-0 with tender, just a DCC equipped version (no sound of course) and an analog DC version with smoke. And
in my opinion it would not be a project for someone without a great deal of experience to attempt to add DCC and sound. Adding DCC without sound might be something you might want to try but adding the sound makes it more difficult of an install. If you are a beginner the better move would be to purchase the Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul with DCC and sound, these can often be found for a little over $100 online.
Can't remember the name, but I once found a guy on line (had his own site) who took the 0-6-0 and used two decoders; one for the motor and lighting (inside the loco), and one basic sound decoder (a digitrax I think) which he installed in the tender. He installed all wheel pickup on the tender wheels for the sound decoder and kept the locomotive electrically separate from the tender.
Seems like a project that would be easier to handle than trying to completely rework the whole locomotive. Just sayin'
Plus, Bachmann USRA 0-6-0s with DCC on board also come with smoke generators, with an on/off switch. Again, just sayin.
Regards,
Jonathan
(http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/uu146/jsnvogel/Rolling%20Stock/DSCN0328.jpg) (http://s642.photobucket.com/user/jsnvogel/media/Rolling%20Stock/DSCN0328.jpg.html)
I've got 2 tenders (short haul & sloped) for the 0-6-0, which I change out for different run scenarios. I keep the one that's not being used on a siding. So, if I wire both of them for sound, do I need to assign different ID nos to each of them? Where can I get information on setting up the tenders for sound, as described above? Where can I get the wheels, power pick-ups, etc that are needed? Also, if I want to go against the advice above and try to convert the engine to DCC, how can I get a wiring diagram for it?
PS: I used to build electronic kits (amps, tuners, etc.), so I'm used to wiring and soldering, and I've had the shell off of the 0-6-0 several times already, just looking at what's under the hood.
Quote from: ejseider on September 29, 2015, 01:45:20 PM
I've got 2 tenders (short haul & sloped) for the 0-6-0, which I change out for different run scenarios. I keep the one that's not being used on a siding. So, if I wire both of them for sound, do I need to assign different ID nos to each of them? Where can I get information on setting up the tenders for sound, as described above? Where can I get the wheels, power pick-ups, etc that are needed? Also, if I want to go against the advice above and try to convert the engine to DCC, how can I get a wiring diagram for it?
PS: I used to build electronic kits (amps, tuners, etc.), so I'm used to wiring and soldering, and I've had the shell off of the 0-6-0 several times already, just looking at what's under the hood.
You will need to either store the other tender on a track with a toggle switch or give it a separate address. To put sound in each tender if you are as skilled as you claim to be, it is pretty simple, simply wire in a sound only decoder with speaker like normal, nothing is any different than a "normal" installation. It would be advisable to create a baffle for the speaker and create holes for better sound quality. Any metal wheels with one side insulated will suffice for this, for pick-ups some use brass strips while others prefer other methods for pick up, perhaps someone may suggest their favorite method. As far as a specific wiring diagram goes, I don't think one exists as far as I know, so unless someone here draws one up for you, you may need to figure things out on your own. Good luck
Also there is nothing to the tenders for the 0-6-0, there are no electrical components inside unlike most Spectrum locomotives and other with DCC which generally have tender pick up and a decoder with speaker if applicable inside.
Quote from: ejseider on September 29, 2015, 01:45:20 PM
I've got 2 tenders (short haul & sloped) for the 0-6-0, which I change out for different run scenarios. I keep the one that's not being used on a siding. So, if I wire both of them for sound, do I need to assign different ID nos to each of them? Where can I get information on setting up the tenders for sound, as described above? Where can I get the wheels, power pick-ups, etc that are needed? Also, if I want to go against the advice above and try to convert the engine to DCC, how can I get a wiring diagram for it?
PS: I used to build electronic kits (amps, tuners, etc.), so I'm used to wiring and soldering, and I've had the shell off of the 0-6-0 several times already, just looking at what's under the hood.
Your LHS will carry much of the stuff. Also many online shops.
You will need #30 wire. You can buy the wire online and has the NMRA DCC wire colours. Also 1/16 colour, shrink is nice to insulate wire to wire solder splices. I have done that with a Vandy sound install.
Wire from an old PC mouse is very nice.
The new SoundTraxx Econami decoder is a good choice.
Below is what I did to convert the tender to metal wheels and pickups.
http://www.55n3.org/cars/tender_wipers/
Miniatronics sells some nice two pin and four pin connectors.
I buy a lot from Litchfield Station. They sell much of the stuff.
For the installation, just follow the NMRA connection instructions. Quite easy with your skills.
There are times you just have to use your imagination.
Google the names I have put in the message. You will get a lot of info with links to store in your PC.
This guy has a lot of good DCC info. He prefers Soundtraxx as does Bachmann.
http://mrdccu.com/
When testing, don't leave any wires loose that might short. Decoders are sensitive and can smoke rather fast.
If new to DCC, take your time. There are Gotchas if you jump too fast. At about seventy to ninety dollars a decoder, you have to0 be careful. SoundTraxx does repair decoders for a decent fee.
The below site has many persons experienced with using DCC and SoundTraxx products and they are discussing the new Econami decoder.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/soundtraxx/info
Rich
Just remembered, decoders come with instructions. Same for all the locos I have done.
Use a nine volt battery to find the proper terminals on the motor for forward direction.
Rich
About five years ago I put a DZ125 decoder in a 0-6-0T but not a Bachmann loco. Just followed the wiring instructions on the decoder. Had to unsolder one motor wire going to the frame. The other motor wire came from the tender. Typical DC setup.
Later I bought a old Bachmann tender and put a SoundTraxx LC decoder into it. I later put a Micro Tsunami into it. The deocder needs a load so I put a 100 ohm, 1/2 watt resistor across the orange and grey decoder wires for a motor load. That issue is covered in the MR DCC link. A decoder has to have a load for your DCC system to recognize it.
I used two wires between the tender and loco to simulate hoses. Those two wires were from the loco pickups. In addition to the tender pickups, it worked very well.
Rich
Rich,
Thanks. This is a big help. Hopefully I'll have the time to work thru this and do a decent job.
Took me a few weeks as I took my time. Careful planning pays off. Our inner child can be impatient. lol
If you do not have one, get a Photo Bucket account to post pictures here. A picture is worth a thousand words and can help solve an issue much quicker at times if everyone has a clear idea of what you want to do and show results after.
http://photobucket.com/\
Scroll down to General Questions forum for details.
Rich
I've removed the shell on my Bachmann 0-6-0, and gone thru the insides with my VOM. The motor shows that it's insulated from the body and the body is in two halves with each half connected to a wheel pick up (right & left) with each half electrically insulated from the other. There is a red and a black wire from the circuit board (H597X#PCB02, Rev A) to the motor. Each lead has an insulating sleeve where it attaches to the respective motor terminal. I assume that I can clip each lead between the circuit board and the motor and solder the respective leads to the decoder. Correct?
I did not know the 0-6-0 had a PC board. The ones I had at one time, there was no PC board. Exactly which 0-6-0 do you have? I just looked at the three DC only 0-6-0's and there is no PC board inside. The motor terminals connect directly to the frame halves. Maybe Bachmann has changed the design.
Rich
I just remembered, do you have the 0-6-0T? The saddle tank loco. If you the 0-6-0T, it comes DCC ready. Remove the clips and solder the decoder wires according to the NMRA leads for DCC. I have that loco also and remember seeing the PC board with two clips. The instructions are on the diagram page. I just looked at them. Very easy.
Rich
I've got the 0-6-0 with tender, not the T. It does have a pc board.
It occurred to me that I sent the original loco, which was a gift, into Bachmann for repair. I sent it without the tender, but received back with a new tender and, I suspect, a new loco instead of the one sent to be repaired. Could the PC board be a DCC decoder that was included with the replaced loco? How do I check this?
Not trying to talk down to you. This is part of model railroading. Open up the loco. Do a visual. Use your VOM to verify connections.
Being a retired mechanic, I have had to do this thousands of times over the years.
I looked at all three diagrams for this loco and I do not see a PC board in the loco. I suspect this PC board is a tie point for the wires and headlight in the loco. Two wires for each item. DC is simple.
Bachmann never shows the wiring diagrams except for installing a decoder in the tender and only the seven decoder leads.
I suspect the loco will have a light bulb instead of an LED but I could be wrong on the part. You might see a resistor on the PC board. This is why a picture makes it so much easier for troubleshooting on the Internet.
Your VOM will easily determine that. A light bulb will be under 100 ohms resistance. If your meter shows max resistance, an LED. Then you use a 9 volt battery and 1k, 1/.4 watt resistor to verify an LED. LED's are polarity conscious. I am assuming the LED is ok with a new loco.
If it has a smoke unit, I think it is directly connected to the pickups, maybe via the PC board or might be directly connected to each frame half. To use the decoder for smoke, you need a small relay from Radio Shack. Decoders usually do not have enough power for smoke units.
The NMRA wiring for decoders spells it out. Hope you have taken time to look that up. All decoders come with instructions.
All you have to do is to make sure, no wires going to the motor terminals.
Rich
Quote from: ejseider on October 12, 2015, 01:24:29 PM
Could the PC board be a DCC decoder that was included with the replaced loco? How do I check this?
Sir, a picture is worth 1000 words, please do us a favor and upload a photo to photobucket or your favorite image hosting site so we can be of more help to you.
With out seeing any pictures I can tell you this, it is most likely not a decoder, if your original locomotive did not have a decoder Bachmann would not send back a DCC equipped locomotive unless it was in error. Further all the analog Bachmann 0-6-0 locomotives with a tender I have seen do not have a PC board.
It might be easier and cheaper to invest in a DCC/sound equipped loco.
As an example, at Micro Mark a 2-6-0 HO scale with DCC and sound is $150.00. It might cost at least as much to convert a DC 0-6-0 to DCC and sound. with a lot of work involved and it still will not be as good as the one he buys.
Want something bigger? A 2-8-4 for $195.00.
A 2-8-2 for $237.00.
Massive steam? 2-8-8-4 $219.95 DCC equipped. Add the Tsunami sound module. later.
Rich
there is a very simple way to find out if a locomotive had a decoder. place it on a track powered by dcc. if it doesn't have a decoder, the motor will emit a high pitched squeal when stopped. do not leave a non dcc locomotive sit on dcc track for very long periods, but this checque should be ok.
that said, I have a couple of these 0-6-0s I bought in train sets around 2011-2012. they do have a small pc board in them. you can add a small non-sound decoder relatively easily by removing the pc board and soldering the wires to the appropriate ones on your decoder. if you remove the smoke unit, there is enough room in the cavity for a z scale decoder suck as a digitrax dz125.
OP perhaps at this point just take our suggestion and go ahead and purchase a Bachmann Soundvalue 2-6-0 Mogul. I am fairly certain you will be pleased with its performance.
Looking at sound decoders instructions: they say to synchronize chuff, connect wire to cam output connection. Where is the cam output connection, and how do you connect to it?
Quote from: ejseider on October 25, 2015, 09:33:18 PM
Looking at sound decoders instructions: they say to synchronize chuff, connect wire to cam output connection. Where is the cam output connection, and how do you connect to it?
Not all steam models have a cam. Usually located on one of the driving wheel axles.
Cheers
Roger T.
Message to EJSEIDER.. I too have the 0-6-0 with the PC board H507X#PCB02.. Did you ever get a helpful answer - on wiring? Did you just use the standard decoder wiring to the motor ( Orange and Gray wire leads ) and did your 0-6-0 run OK.. I was going to abandon the smoke - and possibly the light - But I just wanted to get the Motor to run OK Thanks Copperline Foreman - John