Evening,
I picked up a couple of engines over the weekend. A B'mann 2-8-0 and a Mountain 4-8-2.
The 2-8-0 package says the engine is DCC ready.??
What does that mean exactly? I'd like to know before I start tearing into the engine what I'm looking for that makes this engine DCC ready?
DCC ready means that the motor is electrically isolated from the frame, making it easier to install a decoder. The 2-8-0 has a split frame mechanism and some room for a SMALL decoder in the tender.
enjoy them trains!
Quote from: kevin2083 on December 17, 2007, 09:43:35 PM
DCC ready means that the motor is electrically isolated from the frame, making it easier to install a decoder. The 2-8-0 has a split frame mechanism and some room for a SMALL decoder in the tender.
enjoy them trains!
I'd think installing the decoder into the engine would be a better choice for the long run. You'd have no problems with the wiring to the engine causing problems like those that seem to crop up with LL 0-8-0.
Two illustrated guides:
http://mvns.railfan.net/dcc //bach280_dec_inst.pdf (http://mvns.railfan.net/dcc%20//bach280_dec_inst.pdf)
http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/Bachman%20N%20scale%202-8-0/bachman_n_scale_2_8_0.htm (http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/Bachman%20N%20scale%202-8-0/bachman_n_scale_2_8_0.htm)
The Digitrax DZ123
will fit if you trim the heatshrink way back, but if I were to do another one, I'd look at the TCS M1 or one of the other
really small decoders.
Mike
For what it's worth, the decoder installation was easy for the 2-8-0. and it runs like a top! Definitely one of the easier non plug-n-play decoder installations out there!