Although this article is specific to the electric motor coach it can be used as guidance towards converting a 3300HP loco. There is little attempt by Hornby Dublo to conceal any of the mechanism or framework in the EMC or fit an interior so I have opted to use the RoS-218 mounted on top of the mounting plate (joining bar) even though it is visible through the windows. Mounting elsewhere out of sight requires a RoS-6D or similar to mount below the mounting plate, this would be possible on this coach as it is not fitted with the additional lead weight shown in the service leaflet. I do prefer however that the decoder is mounted on the loco chassis so the loco can be tested and maintained with the body removed. Very Important - the motor bogie was modified as in article 36, failure to do so can destroy a decoder. https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/inde...-dublo-ringfield-motor-bogie-emc-3300hp.6167/ The wiring is performed in two stages as power pickup is provided from both bogies which mirror each other, this is illustrated on Hornby Dublo Servicing Leaflet 22. There is a wiper on the unpowered wheel of the the motor bogie and standard collector wire on the other bogie, note they apply to opposite track rails. Each bogie also has a tag attached to the bogie frame which connects via plunger(s) to the axles, also applied to opposite track rails. A single plunger to the unpowered axle of the motor bogie and a plunger each to both axles of the unpowered bogie. The EMC is wired with 10/0.1 PVC insulated wire. Wiring Stage 1 - Linking bogies Collector/wipers on one bogie are connected to solder tags on the bogies at the other end of the coach. The wires are routed via unshrunk heat shrink tube, anchored mid way to the mounting plate (joining bar) with Kapton tape. At each solder tag an additional wire is added which will connect to the appropriate track power connections of the decoder. I have chosen to wire according to motor coach leads as forward so the right hand rail is wired red, this is the opposite to how this coach was originally wired. Of course, it ran in reverse on the test track later, probably the first time I have been caught out in these Dublo conversions! Wiring Stage 2 - Connecting Decoder The decoder is mounted topside on the mounting plate with a sticky pad and the 10/0.1 wires hook jointed to those on the decoder connector and sleeved with shrunk on heat shrink sleeving. Where the wires pass though the mounting plate they are protected by an elastic cable sleeve. Warning - I found prior to dismantling that when lifting the motor coach centrally the original insulated brush plug could make contact with the underside of the mounting plate, which although not an issue when used on DC without a decoder it is decoder burn time when running on DCC. To avoid this method of decoder burn I glued a thin piece of flexible plastic on the underside of the plate as shown below. Summary As it ran in reverse, I used the CV to invert the direction for forward, otherwise smooth and responsive, pity it has a slightly eccentric driving wheel (not the tyre), but on a bogie it is less apparent in practice than on a steam loco chassis. It may actually look better running in reverse with the detailed driving trailer distracting the eye from the internals and the slight wobble when running of the power car. Discussion always Jim Return to Index
