Decoder For The Life-Like GP9RM

[BCR751]

Anyone know which decoder(s) will fit in the Life-Like GP9RM chop nose switcher?  Looking for a 4-function one that will either fit the existing mounts or one that requires minimal milling.

Doug

[spookshow]

Sorry, not quite sure what you mean by "GP9RM chop nose". Are you talking about the LL/Hobbycarft GP9 "chop nose"...



...or the LL/Hobbycraft GP9-R?



If the former, your best option is likely a TCS "CN series" decoder (designed for the old school "two lightboard" locos) -



If the latter, pretty much any small/wired decoder should work (after a bit of milling on one of those weights) -



Cheers,
-Mark

P.S. Prepare to see this thread relocated to "DCC" by one of this forum's overly anal-retentive moderators - where no one with any actual knowledge of N scale locomotives will ever see it, let alone respond to it 

[BCR751]

I better get my post on here before the anal ones move this thread.  Thanks for the head's up <g>.  The loco is the first one you mentioned, the LL/Hobbycraft GP-9RM with the low short hood, the CN version.  I was looking at the TCS CN series as well although it is a bit oversize for the chassis.  However, I think it can be made to fit with a little TLC <g>.  Anyone tried any other decoders in this loco?

Doug

[Philip H]

Gentlemen, as you will notice, the thread seems to be staying put.  Really, they Mods aren't all that bad, and they actually do allow a lot of latitude in a topic.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[peteski]

P.S. Prepare to see this thread relocated to "DCC" by one of this forum's overly anal-retentive moderators - where no one with any actual knowledge of N scale locomotives will ever see it, let alone respond to it 

Mark, you must be mistaking the Railwire with the Atlas forum    That forum's DCC forum was somewhat sparsely visited.  I actually welcome the moderators promptly moving threads to their appropriate forums.  I guess I like order. 

As far as not visiting the DCC forum, I always visit it when there are new messages in there.  I suspect that other people who have some DCC experience do the same.  When you first login in, don't you check all the forums which have new posts?  Unlike other forums, the daily number of new messages posted here is not overwhelming. That allows me to at least read all the subject lines of all the new messages (in all the sections of this forum).

[Ian MacMillan]

Has nothing to do with being anal-retentive. Has to do with us having the forum organized the way that the staff has elected it to be, and also doing the "job" that I was asked to do. While not the $88k that Atlas was shelling out, the free McDonalds coupons that Tom gives me are alright.  While helping in organization, it also helps to move viewers to those forums which may not have as many as the N scale board. The more that we get to view those boards, the more informative those boards can be for people. If everything was in the N scale board, a la Atlas, then many worthy threads may get passed over in the fact that they get bumped to page 2 and beyond so quickly.

So as stated before in other threads. If someone is unhappy with their thread being moved, please contact the moderator team via PM and not out front.

And with that, off to the DCC forum it goes.

[tom mann]

Mark,

Can you send me a PM and explain what your problems are?  These sub forums existed since before 2004, and no one had any problems with this organization until recently.  Certainly no one has ever made any passive agressive comments to the moderator team about trying to enforce this organization.

[wm3798]

I would suggest using a Z2 or other small hardwire decoder that will fit under the rear light board.  The CN would be an easy install, but the SM LED would set a fire in the cab, and you'd lose the nose headlight.

Hopefully my post won't get moved to the nose headlight forum.

Lee

[peteski]

Hopefully my post won't get moved to the nose headlight forum.

Lee

Would that be the hi-nose or low-nose mounted headlight forum?
(Sorry, couldn't resist). 

[trainforfun]

I did DCC conversion to 5 units like that , the low nose one with frames that looks similar to Atlas Gp-9 , I had to sent the frames to Aztec ( no affiliation ) , they milled the frames for me for $ 10 / ea. and used hard wired Digitrax DZ125 , of course it was a couple of years ago even before the TCS split decoder time , it's still a good job to do as you will have to dismantle most of the loco to insulate the motor and solder the decoder wires to the brush caps , I always remove them from the motor to solder it . I used the same light boards that came with the unit , small modification to each .
Hope it help . 

[robert3985]

I just got done with two Atlas GP30's and an Atlas GP9 using the TCS "CN" and "CN-GP" split decoders.  The GP9 required no frame modification, whereas the two GP30's needed me to modify the frames a bit.  I used my Sherline mill on them, but I could have done the job with a Dremel or big bastard file.  Only took me about an hour per install, even with having to mill the frames a little.

Of course, the engines were old, not-DCC-compatible frames, but the most difficult part of the conversions was getting the new circuit boards to fit into the light board sockets...the new boards are slightly thicker than the stock light boards.

Everything went very well, and the running quality of the TCS decoders is excellent, and I am very happy with that brand for non-sound decoders.

It appears they would work on any split-frame engines with integral light boards on either end of the chassis, and even with having to modify the frame a little around where they mount, they would be easier to install than hard wiring in a decoder that does not replace the light boards and having to grind/file/mill a thick part of the frame to accommodate the thickness of the decoder.