I'm gonna try and get my Thomas DCCifed (i really don't care if its not a word ::) ) Any way can i improve the running? it'll probably lead most trains but on its own... is what I'm worried about. it's going to get a back knuckle. Any suggestions would be great!
Traction tires
Re: jettrainfan
If you do "DCCify" your Thomas, could you guide us on how you did it? I ask because I wish to "DCCify" my own Thomas engines. And by the way, are going to use Bachmann's E-Z Command system?
a friend at the club is doing it but im gonna ask to watch him. I'm using a Bachmann DCC chip
Quote from: TobyTheTram16 on January 24, 2011, 08:41:44 PM
Traction tires
wouldn't that not give contact to the engine on the track
Quote from: shining time on January 25, 2011, 03:40:06 PM
Quote from: TobyTheTram16 on January 24, 2011, 08:41:44 PM
Traction tires
wouldn't that not give contact to the engine on the track
mabey not if you put 'em on the back wheels and a "dip" in the space where the wheels touch the rails thats where the traction tires
Quote from: jettrainfan on January 25, 2011, 03:16:31 PM
a friend at the club is doing it but im gonna ask to watch him. I'm using a Bachmann DCC chip
Thank you. Learning how to put DCC chips in Bachmann Thomas engines would be great.
I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.
Quote from: RGC on January 27, 2011, 07:41:31 PM
I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.
what about gordon and spencer wouldn't they be just as bad?
I haven't done gordon or spencer so I don't know the "inside" of either, but if you look at the "parts list" of each engine on this web site I'm sure it would be easy to figure if they would be a problem. I've done Thomas, Henry,Percy,Mavis and Toby. I'll be adding another 3 engines in the next few weeks, but I'm not sure yet which ones. I found the digitrax DH123D are a great chip. I have no experence with the Bachmann chips. We have a EZ command and a Digitrax dcs 50 for controllers. I also use the decoder pro software w/ a locobuffer and the dcs50 to program and sometimes control the trains.
Quote from: RGC on January 27, 2011, 07:55:22 PM
I haven't done gordon or spencer so I don't know the "inside" of either, but if you look at the "parts list" of each engine on this web site I'm sure it would be easy to figure if they would be a problem. I've done Thomas, Henry,Percy,Mavis and Toby. I'll be adding another 3 engines in the next few weeks, but I'm not sure yet which ones. I found the digitrax DH123D are a great chip. I have no experence with the Bachmann chips. We have a EZ command and a Digitrax dcs 50 for controllers. I also use the decoder pro software w/ a locobuffer and the dcs50 to program and sometimes control the trains.
ok but if you want my opinion on the next ones to do I reccomend james,edward and gordon considering what youve done earlier for some obvious reasons but I don't have dcc so yeah
I think James might be in the next group, but that's totally up to my 6 year old son. He picks the engines.
traction tires are an extremely bad idea.
small locomotives like thomas and percy are prone to contact problems as it is. add dcc and contact becomes critical. traction tires do not conduct electricity, and any gains in pulling power they give will be more than offset by poor running. have you ever seen a locomotive with traction tires trying to pull too amny cars? they hop around until they hop right off the track......
Quote from: RGC on January 27, 2011, 07:41:31 PM
I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.
i think you would run into the same problem with gordon because he and henry share the same chassie along with all the gears and such inside. oh, and by the way, was it easy to put DCC in Toby and Mavis?
Both Toby and Mavis had plenty of room as did Percy and Thomas. Henry and any like it would be an easy deal if you put the decoder in the coal car, but that would mean always using the coal car with them. It would also involve some wiring between the engine and coal car.
if i can pull 3 cars on the helix, i'll be happy...(i want to run it on its own but have a few cars on it...) i MAY get Annie & Claribel but i doubt it. Thomas will probably help my 2-8-0, geeps, and future 4-4-0... but the pipsqueak needs to prove i spent my money well on that $25 dollar decoder! ;D
Really? Is there no room in the cab?
there is, just unscrew the circuit board and push it down, then cover it with somthing in my case electrical tape
would it be possible to add traction-grip-tires (sorry i don't actually know what they are called :S ) to Thomas to maybe improve his speed and pulling power? The Hornby Thomas has two on its center wheels and it pulls very well..
A better motor. He's got an old open frame one. Why not put in a can motor or something like that. Sure is easier to maintain than a open frame.
More weight. We all can agree on this.
A DCC plug in? I for one and honestly thinking about DCC conversion, but I am not going to waste money on an entire DCC system if I cannot convert these engines to DCC. That is going to be my main fleet and all my other engines were my Dad's when he was in the hobby years ago. So those models are out of the question.
some more detail on the shell would be nice, not to mention a front coupling.
GTW4918 hasn't brought it back, still working on it. Hes complaining about something with the shell...? he won't explain but i told him just connect the wires. I'll ask him at the club layout on Thursday whats going on.
it is possible to hard wire a digitrax decoder (dh123 or dh163) in thomas, but it needs to sit in the cab. as soon as i am able to get a decoder i will convert my percy and take photos.....