A simple conversion using a Hattons DCR-8PIN-HarnessMini. Very Important - Both arms of the brush spring must be sleeved to isolate both brushes from track power otherwise the decoder is likely to be destroyed. Decoder has been fixed with a sticky pad to the left hand side of the chassis within the cab. The massive smoke unit is retained for ballast, it is not connected to the decoder. Interference suppression components removed. Decoder harness wires are hard wired directly to the motor brushes with unshrunk heat shrink sleeves as strain relief. Track power is connected to the decoder from the pickup wire and the solder tag retained by the motor mounting screw. Unused wires from the connector and the opposite end of the decoder are cropped. Discussion always Jim Return to Index
I like this type of things as it shows what can be done with older locos that some people are getting rid off. I have picked up a few for converting.
I have a fondness for vintage locos and rolling stock and quite freely mix them with the latest models, and I suppose I enjoy the challenge too, the Dublo and Wrenn locos I have concentrated on this year have certainly been tough at times, but rewarding when they finally rattle, rumble and grind their way around my railway
I have one or two which I need to look at as they seem to be giving some of the issues you have mentioned in another thread. I have been using Lais decoders for cheapness butit maybe worth trying some of the ones you mentioned. The only issue I have is I can not really test them under DC before converting them. I only have a small test track I could use which does show the motors work.
I have that test problem too as my railway is all DCC, so what I use is a rolling road or just over a 1m of track fixed to a narrow plank along with a meter as in :- DCC Loco Conversions - 15 - Testing and Programming Tools https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/inde...rsions-15-testing-and-programming-tools.6004/ Other members find the Lais decoders are good, but I have not actually used them myself because I kept with others available before Lais appeared. Certainly I have come up against issues where a vintage loco does not respond well with one family of decoders but is fine with another, in all fairness neither these locos or the decoders were designed for each other with some 50 years between them. One size (or family) does not fit all in my experience, one particular loco the Dublo 2-6-4T gave me the run around and I ended up with 5 with one decoder and the 6th with another, even switching between a Rails RoS-6D and a RoS-218 required different CV speed settings on another loco! Jim
If someone does wish to connect the smoke unit, they should check the current draw first. Many such units draw too much power for direct connection to a decoder, so require a relay (or a similar switching device) triggered from the decoder but using track power to actually feed the smoke unit. The BoB has a lot of space inside allowing room for a fairly large decoder. There's also room to add some useful extra weight like some lead sheet around the insides of part of the casing. That applies to the newer super-detailed WC/BoB locos from Hornby as well.