Bachmann Plymouth dcc

[TinyTurner]

Eyeing up an N Bachmann Plymouth on the bench, theirs not a lot of room in there for a decoder.
Quite a lot of metal would wave to go.
It's a later version, so it runs ok.

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It would be my first proper effort at hacking conversion.
Maybe relocate a golden LED, file off a bit behind the radiator and jam a decoder in there?
Anyone attempted such surgery?

[brokemoto]

Kato sells  some different JNR brakemen's vans that are electrically live.  With a minimum of surgery and adding details, you can bash any of them into a convincing North American industrial hack.  Its North American caboose also is electrically live.  Isolate the motor then run the wires required to the caboose.  Put the decoder in there..  Disguise them as electrical/air lines.  Another choice is to find an older version of this with a burned out motor. It ain't difficult to find one.   Almost anything other than the last versions of these from B-mann in a cardboard box or the newer one in a plastic box is JUNQUE. It need not even be a B-mann.  All that you need is the electrical contact.  If the motor is still in it, remove it and put the decoder there. Isolate the motor in the powered unit. Run the necessary wires between both locomotives; powered and dummy.  Disguise them as air/electrical lines.

I am not a DCC user. I have two of these that I use as industrial switchers.  Due to their small footprints, they are prone to stalling.  To fix this, I hardwired a Kato four wheel JNR brakeman's van that I had bashed into an industrial hack.  For the other one, I had  an older version of one  that had fried its motor (those ain't hard to find).  I hardwired the good one to the old one, as it was still electrically live.  All that I wanted was the electrical pickup.  These things push and pull no more than three cars at a time; usually one or two.  I do not need two powered units.

[peteski]

I agree that stalling will likely be a problem. Does this model even pick up power through all the wheels?

DCC needs reliable pickup to work properly. And  there is really no room for any additional keep-alive in there.  And of course removing some of the metal to make room for the decoder will make the model lighter (which only degrades power pickup).

Having said that, give it a go and see how it works.  I would probably try to install the decoder in the cab area.  Doesn't look like there is much space between the front of the frame and the screw holding the frame halves together.

[brokemoto]

Does this model even pick up power through all the wheels?

All six wheels are live on the last models in the cardboard box and the plastic box versions.  On some of the older versions, both by B-mann and the others, only four of the wheels are live.  The dummy B-mann plastic box version that I am using strictly for its electrical contact was something that I bought at a show with a non-functional motor.  This guy was selling them for five dollars apiece.  They had non-functional motors.  I bought two  Twelve live wheels prevents almost all stalling. The other one is hardwired to a four wheel, electrically live JNR brakeman's van to which I made some alterations to make it look like a North American industrial hack.  Ten live wheels eliminates most stalling.  The single unit with the caboose will stall more frequently than the powered/dummy pair but the difference is almost negligible.

[peteski]

If doing the install using a permanently coupled car, then might as well install the decoder in the dummy car too.  That way the loco's chassis can remain as heavy as possible (for better pickup and traction).

[nickelplate759]

If doing the install using a permanently coupled car, then might as well install the decoder in the dummy car too.  That way the loco's chassis can remain as heavy as possible (for better pickup and traction).

...and if you are doing all that, add a keep-alive in the dummy along with the decoder.