N scale older Lifelike GP60 loksound install

[Steveruger45]

Just completed this one.
This is an older LLGP60 with the not dcc ready frame, which I acquired on a well known auction site last week.
I have done one of the dcc ready versions a while ago with the micro select 73800 but that took a lot of shell work to squeeze everything in. So on this one I have used the narrower and longer select direct micro 73100.

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The width of the shell is only 9mm but this one all fits without shell sanding in anyway.  Initially I was trying to put a 9x16mm speaker in but by the time I put on an enclosure it would be a tad too wide to fit in the shell without sanding it out, which is what I wanted to avoid. So I went in with an 8x12mm speaker in a roll your own enclosure 5.5mm tall.
You will note on the enclosure I added some stand off strips at the front and back to be sure the board would not touch the speaker.  I put four 100uF poly tantalum caps in a block behind the speaker and with an 0603 led on top of these for the rear light. The front light is one of the 3mm leds supplies with the decoder.  The rear light lens does protrude into the shell quite a way and the location of everything is such to clear all protruberances. The frame was pretty easy to modify mostly at the rear for the speaker, on top for the decoder and I removed a bit more aft of the motor so I would have clearance for the wires to be soldered on the pads on the bottom of the board.  All done with a hacksaw and file.  I made a forward light shield so as not to light up the whole cab interior. This loco didn’t have one just a bit of shrink tube over the led.  With this older frame you need to be careful for shorts so I kapton taped the motor metal top and bottom and to ensure no misalignment on the drive I filed a slight groove in the motor on one side in the plastic part to run up the gray wire and insulated with kapton tape around the brush holders area.  The photos below show the progression of the mods.
This was a much easier instal than the last one I did, but I don’t like how close the solder pads are on this board to the other components. You need a real steady hand, the finest solder tip and thin solder.  I use Kester “44” 63/37 at 0.020” thickness but I think the thinner  0.015” would be better in these tight spaces.

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[jdcolombo]

Very nicely done, Steve!

John C.

[Steveruger45]

Thank you John.
BTW, you all might notice the solder on the upper board motor tabs.  I was going to solder the motor wires on those but I decided to use the much bigger pads on the underside instead. I just didn’t like how close the upper pads are to the onboard components. I believe those components may be the H-bridge, but anyhow what ever those components are, those upper motor pads are too close for my comfort level and soldering skills.  That’s why the frame was notched in that area so everything clears on the underside.
You all may also notice I ran out of blue decoder wire.  I have some on order but shipping is late. For the caps positive I used red and for the caps negative I used black and for the rear led positive I used purple.  I know it’s not the “done” thing to use the wrong color wire but I had to do what I had to do. The caps positive was soldered to the U+ pad and for the negative I just scraped away the solder mask to make my own pad just a little ahead of the the group of three pads on the underside.

[tehachapifan]

Great install and one I have been trying to figure out how to do, so this post really helps.

[Steveruger45]

Hey Russ, glad it will help.  BTW I should also mention that I removed the frame nubs, one at top on one frame half and one on the other half of the frame at the bottom completely in the end.  Also be sure to double check the bearing block fingers on the right frame half don’t touch the left frame half. They are really close on this model.

[tehachapifan]

Thanks for the info, Steve! Glad you blazed this trail as these locomotives are absolute gems, except perhaps for the incorrect truck sideframes. They're right up there with Atlas and Kato in the running dept. as well as with shell detail and paint quality.

[Steveruger45]

Yep, I like these too.  And yes the Achilles heel is the truck side frames.  Should be Blomberg type M.  I was considering chopping off the offending bits at each truck end to fake it a little closer looking to the type M.  Not sure if anyone has done this and if so did it work without ruining the truck.    Could also fit Atlas trucks from a GP40-2 or GP38-2 I’ve heard. Atlas 486300 IIRC. 

[tehachapifan]

Yep, I like these too.  And yes the Achilles heel is the truck side frames.  Should be Blomberg type M.  I was considering chopping off the offending bits at each truck end to fake it a little closer looking to the type M.  Not sure if anyone has done this and if so did it work without ruining the truck.    Could also fit Atlas trucks from a GP40-2 or GP38-2 I’ve heard. Atlas 486300 IIRC.

I've heard about substituting Atlas trucks too, but this would still be somewhat incorrect for the GP60. I've also pondered cutting off the end pieces that make up, in part, the outermost brake pads but am also concerned about what this would do to the overall integrity of the sideframe assembly.

[tehachapifan]

...BTW, which sound file did you use for this? It sounds somewhat different from the samples on the ESU site for 73831 and 75820. I found that at least the sample for 73831 seemed a little too tinny and high-pitched, so I put 75820 in my FVM GP60M. I like this file a lot but could do without the constant ramping up and down between high and low idle. I do like the effect but wish there was a way to extend the time it stays at high and low idle.

[Steveruger45]

...BTW, which sound file did you use for this? It sounds somewhat different from the samples on the ESU site for 73831 and 75820. I found that at least the sample for 73831 seemed a little too tinny and high-pitched, so I put 75820 in my FVM GP60M. I like this file a lot but could do without the constant ramping up and down between high and low idle. I do like the effect but wish there was a way to extend the time it stays at high and low idle.

I used sound file 73831 and for the same reason about the slow/fast idle. I too think 73831 is a little high pitched but I have found or at least To me it sounds less high pitched and fuller by placing the speaker right side up in the enclosure.  It also sounds a lot better with the shell on, so if testing options I would suggest put the shell on before deciding.  This was one reason I first attempted to put a bigger 0.7watt 16x9 speaker in, instead of the 0.25watt 8x12mm.  BTW you could get a 16x9 speaker in but it would have to be in an enclosure of 9mm wide only (if you want to avoid shell sanding) and notched at the front bottom to extend the additional 3 to 4 mm of length. You can’t extend aft and keep a reasonable enclosure depth without removing the rear light lens and chopping it down some.  I couldn’t get the rear lens out without risking damage and was the reason I filled the available space at back with the caps.

Also, BTW not sure if you can see it in the photos but the top of the frame is filed down more at the front and tapers up towards the back. The docder then fits in with a slight incline upwards toward the back to give just a little more room to maximize depth for the speaker enclosure.

[jdcolombo]

FYI -

If you find the sound of the prime mover (or any other sound) too high-pitched, try reducing the "sound speed" for the prime mover sound slot (Slot 1).  This will lower the pitch.

John C.

[Steveruger45]

Thanks John.  Good to know.