Hi, tried to post this in the DCC forum but there does not seem to be a message button.I have a Bachmann Southern GP50 I would like to add DCC to.Is there an easy way to do this,or should I just buy a GP 38-2 or 40 with DCC and just swap drives?
NCE makes a swap DCC board for this!!!!!!
Is this the older style with light bulbs? If so you need to make sure the motor is isolated from the frame. If it's the newer one then it's DCC on board and the NCE decoder will replace the decoder in the loco. Or do you want to add sound to it ? Joe
Quote from: Catt on May 20, 2014, 09:14:07 AM
Hi, tried to post this in the DCC forum but there does not seem to be a message button.I have a Bachmann Southern GP50 I would like to add DCC to.Is there an easy way to do this,or should I just buy a GP 38-2 or 40 with DCC and just swap drives?
All you have to do is post in the proper forum for the scale of interest.
Try to put a space after a period. Makes it easier to read here.
Many locos do not have plug and play.
Always open your loco and see what you have inside. You are going to have to open it up anyway.
Without more details or a photo, it can be difficult to figure out what loco you really have.
Google, NCE Bach-DSL.
Rich
The GP50 is a older model analog unit.his is what I have,what have I got?
(http://boylerwerx.0catch.com/baregp50.jpg)
This looks like an old, really old model.
Why would you want to put DCC into it?
Just buy a new and better quality model that comes with DCC.
Sometimes it's just not worth the time, effort or money to upgrade an older model. All you end up with is an older, poor running model when compared to today's models.
I gave away all my all Athearns, even though they were still in good operating condition because the newer diesel models are far, far better.
I would never put DCC into them, just not worth it.
Cheers
Roger T.
if that were an older "gp50" wouldn't it have the pancake motor instead of the can motor shown in the photo?
that drive looks similar to the b23-7. the conversion to dcc isn't particularly difficult, there is more than enough room in the body for whatever decoder you choose. the motor contacts the frame with metal contact strips. you can remover those strips, then solder the decoder wires directly to the motor brush caps. cover those solder joints with electrical tape an the motor is isolated.
note: be sure to carefully remove the brush caps from yhe motor before you try to solder to them. try not to disturb the motor brush and spring when the cap is removed.
Catt,
Quote from: Catt on May 20, 2014, 08:24:27 PM
The GP50 is a older model analog unit.his is what I have,what have I got?
(http://boylerwerx.0catch.com/baregp50.jpg)
This link should help. It is was posted by Jim Banner way back.
Jim states it will help you with most split frame installs. Hope it helps.
http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/tmaster/tmaster.html
Jerry
Roger T.The locomotive runs very well thank you.As far as I am concerned it is well worth the investment involved for DCC. As for the Athearn's I have they all run sweet with a little TLC which even the much newer units require at times.I also have a Bachmann SD45 that will be recieving DCC.
What you have is not a split frame model. It looks like the motor is wired to the PC board as well as the track power and bulb. NVE decoder # BACH-DSL should work for this. Unsolder the wires from the board and replace the board with the decoder. You will need to cover the top of the frame with a piece of plastic or electrical tape to keep the decoder from shorting out. A length of double side tape will work as well. Go to the NCE DCC web site for more details. This decoder has LED's attached to it I believe , if not get a pair. LED's are better then bulbs. Joe
Very nice with the photo.
The Bach-DSL decoder was developed specifically for the Bachmann diesels. Reason for the label for the decoder. No doubt it can be used in other brands of diesels.
The LED's are attached to the board when you receive the decoder.
Isolate the two motor contacts and connect two wires.
Rich
Quote from: Catt on May 21, 2014, 11:19:24 AM
Roger T.The locomotive runs very well thank you.As far as I am concerned it is well worth the investment involved for DCC. As for the Athearn's I have they all run sweet with a little TLC which even the much newer units require at times.I also have a Bachmann SD45 that will be recieving DCC.
If you're happy with spending the money who am I to argue?
I guess some of us have higher standards when it comes to detail and running qualities of locomotives, rolling stock etc..
As I wrote before, all my Athearn diesels were given away as better detailed, more accurate (No more Athearn over sized GP hoods) and better running models became available. But, each to his own.
Cheers.
Roger T.
Roger, while you'll admit you don't recall the type of motors the Athearns you gave away had, I suspect they were the grey magnet, "jet motor" types not the newer "gold can" motors with gold flywheels. These models run much better, have better shells and are DCC friendly and convertible compared to the ones you likely gave away. To lump them all in the same boat, would be wrong ole boy and the equivalent of categorizing the performance of all Bachmann locos together, disregarding improvements made since the pancake motor ones were produced.
Catt and bapguy, I know who I am going to if I ever decide to convert locos to DCC :)
Quote from: bapguy on May 21, 2014, 12:21:03 PM
What you have is not a split frame model. It looks like the motor is wired to the PC board as well as the track power and bulb. NVE decoder # BACH-DSL should work for this. Unsolder the wires from the board and replace the board with the decoder. You will need to cover the top of the frame with a piece of plastic or electrical tape to keep the decoder from shorting out. A length of double side tape will work as well. Go to the NCE DCC web site for more details. This decoder has LED's attached to it I believe , if not get a pair. LED's are better then bulbs. Joe
Nice catch Joe, I completely overlooked that it was not a split frame.
Catt, as Joe stated the NCE decoder would be a great candidate for your engine. I have one installed on one of my Geeps and what an improvement it has made in the running characteristics.
Roger, the NCE Bach DSL sells for 20.00. Well worth the investment.
High standards are what you make of it, you can always add detail cheaper than some of the overpriced other manufactures. Then again most who see my trains would not know what to look for anyway ::).
Jerry
Quote from: jbrock27 on May 21, 2014, 04:52:33 PM
Roger, while you'll admit you don't recall the type of motors the Athearns you gave away had, I suspect they were the grey magnet, "jet motor" types not the newer "gold can" motors with gold flywheels. These models run much better, have better shells and are DCC friendly and convertible compared to the ones you likely gave away. To lump them all in the same boat, would be wrong ole boy and the equivalent of categorizing the performance of all Bachmann locos together, disregarding improvements made since the pancake motor ones were produced.
The Athearn locos I gave away were indeed the older Athearns. The ones with the wider than scale hoods, sintered steel wheels and pre-DCC ready locos, not with the gold motor. Which is why I gave them away. They just don't come up to today's standards in either detail nor smooth operation, though of course, in their day, they were THE diesels models of choice. But no longer. As you can tell, I'm rather fussy about detail and the smooth running of my locos. Locos that don't come up to scratch are retired.
I hadn't used the Athearns since Atlas introduced their line of really nice diesels which was what, 20 plus years ago? :)
In fact, other than two 4-6-2s and two 2-8-2s I have no Athearn locos of any kind in my loco fleet.
Cheers.
Roger T.
Rog, if you consider Atlas/Rocco diesel locos to be really nice, then the '70s; if you are considering the Atlas/Katos diesel locos to be the ones that are nice, then the '80s.
Quote from: jbrock27 on May 21, 2014, 09:12:57 PM
Rog, if you consider Atlas/Rocco diesel locos to be really nice, then the '70s; if you are considering the Atlas/Katos diesel locos to be the ones that are nice, then the '80s.
Yes, I think you have it. Most of my diesel fleet is the Atlas/Kato models supplemented by some recent Bachmann units.
I've put a lot into them, custom painted, detailed and decaled for the home road so they now have little resale value. As they run brilliantly, they are candidates for DCC, with sound of possible but that's a big investment that will be handled slowly.
Cheers.
Roger T.
Quote from: Catt on May 21, 2014, 11:19:24 AM
Roger T.The locomotive runs very well thank you.As far as I am concerned it is well worth the investment involved for DCC. As for the Athearn's I have they all run sweet with a little TLC which even the much newer units require at times.I also have a Bachmann SD45 that will be recieving DCC.
Amen, Catt - I agree. And you know, I do wish that when folks come onto model railroad forums with a question about one of their locos, that the supposedly wiser, more knowledgeable veterans would kindly attempt to answer the question to the best of their ability - rather than simply disparage the loco as not worth their time and money.
It is - in my own personal opinion - simply bad manners and smacks of elitism.
Quote from: JNXT 7707 on May 21, 2014, 10:07:36 PM
Quote from: Catt on May 21, 2014, 11:19:24 AM
Roger T.The locomotive runs very well thank you.As far as I am concerned it is well worth the investment involved for DCC. As for the Athearn's I have they all run sweet with a little TLC which even the much newer units require at times.I also have a Bachmann SD45 that will be recieving DCC.
Amen, Catt - I agree. And you know, I do wish that when folks come onto model railroad forums with a question about one of their locos, that the supposedly wiser, more knowledgeable veterans would kindly attempt to answer the question to the best of their ability - rather than simply disparage the loco as not worth their time and money.
It is - in my own personal opinion - simply bad manners and smacks of elitism.
But sometimes it's simply not worth the effort to fix. Giving someone that advice
is a valid point. Better to spend the money on investing in a better quality unit than trying to either add DCC or repair old, outdated, poor running technology. And that is just as good advice as any. It's not bad manners nor is it elitism. It's simply good advice. Don't waste your money!
If you want it for sentimental reasons, put it on a shelf, like I and others do. I've a few old locos and cars that don't meet my current standards. Ones that I spent a lot of time detailing and painting, so they now sit on a shelf, including the six wheeled Walthers' private car named after my wife. But that was a smart move. :)
I also have a scrap line on which sit older steam that don't meet today's standards. They been heavily weathered, had parts removed, stacks capped, windows blanked off and made to look like they've been retired for a while. Like these two here: -
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/Endoftheline2_zps705cac6e.jpg) (http://s94.photobucket.com/user/rogertra/media/The%20new%20Great%20Eastern%20Railway/Endoftheline2_zps705cac6e.jpg.html)
Cheers.
Roger T.
I agree with both Jerry's and Roger's points.
Jerry, I know you are part of a TYCO forum and therefore have some positive vibes toward their locos, but I think there are times, not this one in particular, where the advice to not invest time, effort or $$ is good advice, given what is available these days to serve as a replacement.
There is no need to "FIX" my GP50.I simply want to install DCC in a very nice running DC locomotive.The same goes for my SD45.
I can see no reason to spend several hundred dollars for a replacement loco when there is nothing wrong with the two I want to DCC.
roger,
having quite a few of the newer bachmann gp40 types, i whole heartedly agree with catts statement. to repeat this is NOT a poror running locomotive by any stretch of the imagination. as far as i am concerned the ONLY drawback is the lack of flywheels. other than that it runs as well as if not better than the athearns or atlas locomotives you once used. and by converting this locomotive to dcc, you can program the acceleration and decelleration to get the flywheel effect. all the decoder costs is about $25 and an hour of your time at the workbench. how would that be a waste of money?
Quote from: Catt on May 22, 2014, 08:23:58 AM
There is no need to "FIX" my GP50.I simply want to install DCC in a very nice running DC locomotive.The same goes for my SD45.
I can see no reason to spend several hundred dollars for a replacement loco when there is nothing wrong with the two I want to DCC.
BACH-DSL decoder is an exact replacement for the decoder in the following Bachmann "DCC equipped" locomotives: GP30, GP35, GP38-2, SD40-2, GP40, GP50, FT-A, FT-B and other non-spectrum series locomotives.
$15.56 at Litchfield Station.
Rich
Jeff, while on the topic of holding on to things that have past their usefulness, have you done anything w/your busted computer? I recently purchased a new one myself, to replace my 7 year old one. Money well spent and a much wiser expenditure than having spent $89 in an attempt to reinvigorate the 7 year old one.
Quote from: jbrock27 on May 22, 2014, 11:19:26 AM
Jeff, while on the topic of holding on to things that have past their usefulness, have you done anything w/your busted computer? I recently purchased a new one myself, to replace my 7 year old one. Money well spent and a much wiser expenditure than having spent $89 in an attempt to reinvigorate the 7 year old one.
A couple times my stepson and I have picked up laptops at Walmart for about $350.00. Vista a few years ago and about a year ago. W7. Don't touch W8.
Backup files to flash drive or external hard drive.
I convert my PC's to Linux OS.
Failure is not an option, it comes bundled with Windows. lol
Rich
Failure is not an option, it comes bundled with Windows. lol
Rich
So you have noted many times in the forms of Rich1998 and lexxon.
"A couple of times" ??? How often do you go through computers Rich? I have had 2 in 7 years and obviously don't change them as often as some change underwear.
With regard to Windows 8: It is not the downfall of society as some would lead you to believe. It is rather simple to navigate and just like many new things, takes some getting use to from older Windows OPs. No big deal. So on Windows 8, I disagree with you.
Quote from: jbrock27 on May 22, 2014, 11:49:39 AM
Failure is not an option, it comes bundled with Windows. lol
Rich
So you have noted many times in the forms of Rich1998 and lexxon.
"A couple of times" ??? How often do you go through computers Rich? I have had 2 in 7 years and obviously don't change them as often as some change underwear.
With regard to Windows 8: It is not the downfall of society as some would lead you to believe. It is rather simple to navigate and just like many new things, takes some getting use to from older Windows OPs. No big deal. So on Windows 8, I disagree with you.
Never said that. With regard to Windows 8: It is not the downfall of society as some would lead you to believe.
One laptop for home. One for travelling.
A local PC shop has had many come in to have their PC's downgraded to W7 when W8 came out. Microsoft wants to forget about W8 if you keep up with the technology articles. I watch the articles in news feeds.
Many don't like the navigation. Business defiantly don't.
Stepson liked W7 much better than Vista so he gave his Vista PC to my girlfriend.
I will delete the Off Topic eventually.
Rich
Thanks for sharing.
Quote from: jbrock27 on May 22, 2014, 11:19:26 AM
Jeff, while on the topic of holding on to things that have past their usefulness, have you done anything w/your busted computer? I recently purchased a new one myself, to replace my 7 year old one. Money well spent and a much wiser expenditure than having spent $89 in an attempt to reinvigorate the 7 year old one.
had to spend $175 to get the jack replaced so the battery could charge. for that kind of money, i would have preferred to get a second battery and an external charger, but couldn't find what i need. so yes, i do finally have my old computer along with my photos and anyrail files back. just got it back about 2 weeks ago. one problem child down, now to work on the car.......
rich, so w8 is the new vista? glad i run w7. and $350 is not in the budget for the forseeable future so i have to make do with the one i have. next to be replaced would be the old desktop running xp.
so w8 is the new vista?
Hardly. The Fuss over Windows 8 is a lot about nothing.
Quote from: jward on May 22, 2014, 10:24:54 AM
as far as i am concerned the ONLY drawback is the lack of flywheels. other than that it runs as well as if not better than the athearns or atlas locomotives you once used. and by converting this locomotive to dcc, you can program the acceleration and decelleration to get the flywheel effect.
Jeff-
Programmed momentum and inertia cannot really replace flywheels. The reason is that moving flywheels store energy in the form of their spinning mass. That spinning mass (or the stationary mass) accounts for the smoothing effects, but the stored energy aspect can also serve to keep a loco moving over an electrically dead spot like dirty track or turnout parts. You can't program that in. Of course, you can put a capacitor into the control circuit to maintain sound over dead spots, avoiding the annoying reboots, and to keep the loco moving until power is restored. So there is a work-around for no flywheels but simply adjusting decoder settings provides only some of the benefits of actual physical flywheels.
-- D