Because I sure as heck don't! If there is anyone in the Seattle area who'd be willing to help me, that would be GREAT. I can pay! (not too much though lol don't charge $5,000!)
Anyone in the Seattle area know how to wire steamers for DCC?
- Thread starter Spawn of Chaos
- Start date
Hi....I'm not in the Seattle area...Not even close..!!! But there's no mystery to this. If you can provide some info on the type, make, age, etc., of the loco, we can probably walk you through it...Also need type of decoder info...and anything else that you think might be of use...Maybe some close-ups of the engine's and tender's innards.
Old old old (did I mention old?) Rivarossi Big Boy.
Old Fleischmann 4-6-2 (dunno the actual classification)
IHC USRA Heavy 0-8-0 w/ reversing lights (no DCC of course)
I'd rather not mess with them...the Big Boy is my PRIDE AND JOY...if I screwed it up I'd never be able to live with myself.
Old Fleischmann 4-6-2 (dunno the actual classification)
IHC USRA Heavy 0-8-0 w/ reversing lights (no DCC of course)
I'd rather not mess with them...the Big Boy is my PRIDE AND JOY...if I screwed it up I'd never be able to live with myself.
If you're hesitant to do it yourself...that's OK. Better to know your limits than to ruin a perfectly good engine. I'm not sure if you can do a search of members in your area....I'm sure I have seen guys with locations in your area....
Anybody else know..??
Anybody else know..??
Spawn,
Call 206-362-4959 North End Train Center North End Train Center - Books
They have a guy who does wiring and charges $25 bucks an hour.
Seattle's Train Center also has a guy who wires, but I didn't get the hourly charge. Seattle's Train Center
George
Call 206-362-4959 North End Train Center North End Train Center - Books
They have a guy who does wiring and charges $25 bucks an hour.
Seattle's Train Center also has a guy who wires, but I didn't get the hourly charge. Seattle's Train Center
George
I've been to both of those places (for things other then wiring) and the service was excellent at both. I especially like North End, great place to be if your a modeler. :thumb:
I live just up the hill from Kirk and Wanda's place (Seattle's Train Center).
I'm not a big fan of old Bob out at North End, but he did fix my Big Boy (came dirty as a goldmine! about as beautiful too, though.)
I'm not a big fan of old Bob out at North End, but he did fix my Big Boy (came dirty as a goldmine! about as beautiful too, though.)
Oh yeah, the BEMRC. I'll look into them. Thanks!
...
Wait, you're not from around here...how'd you find out about them?
(For those of you who don't quite get that image, it's a guy in a tinfoil hat.)
...
Wait, you're not from around here...how'd you find out about them?
(For those of you who don't quite get that image, it's a guy in a tinfoil hat.)
The hardest part - which usually isn't that hard - would be ensuring that the motor is isolated from the frame. It's often just a matter of putting a piece of tape between the motor and the frame !!
Otherwise it would be a straight forward hardwire installation. One wire goes to the left side wheels pickup, another to the right side. Two wires go to the motor and two wires go to the headlight. The wires are color coded and the instructions that come with the decoder tell you which wires are which.
Just be sure to put the engine on the programming track and try to call up it's ID no. before putting it on your mainline. Programming tracks have limited power, so if you do wire up something wrong and cause a short, you won't burn out the decoder.
BTW it's very unlikely you could do something wrong that would hurt the engine, if anything as noted above if you're not careful you could fry a decoder...but then I think TCS allows you to return them for a free replacement.
Otherwise it would be a straight forward hardwire installation. One wire goes to the left side wheels pickup, another to the right side. Two wires go to the motor and two wires go to the headlight. The wires are color coded and the instructions that come with the decoder tell you which wires are which.
Just be sure to put the engine on the programming track and try to call up it's ID no. before putting it on your mainline. Programming tracks have limited power, so if you do wire up something wrong and cause a short, you won't burn out the decoder.
BTW it's very unlikely you could do something wrong that would hurt the engine, if anything as noted above if you're not careful you could fry a decoder...but then I think TCS allows you to return them for a free replacement.