Decoder in a Bachmann Speeder

I am hoping to put a decoder in one of these, and was just wondering if anyone has had any success with one? I have done numerous searches but have come up empty so if anyone has had any experience or maybe some links, I would appreciate it.

Thanks, Freelancer
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
The smallest thing I have seen a decoder in is a Lambert brass Mack RailBus. The owner used a Lenz Gold series with a USP unit. Both fitted into the luggage compartment. The USP (Uninterrputable Signal Processing) is needed as the bus only picks up on the (tw) drive wheels and would therefore stall at all insulated frogs unless so equipped.

I am guessing that you might have to 1) look for a Zscale decoder, and 2) perhaps permanently link a trailer to the speeder to house the decoder.

Good luck with the project, and make sure to take some pictures for us!

Andrew
 
Andrew, thanks for your input. Right now I have a Digitrax DZ123 that I was going to use. Is it possible to obtain a USP unit or is that a special feature of the Lenz decoder?

The speeder comes with two work carts so I debated on placing the decoder on the cart like you mentioned and then covering it with a 'tarp' or something to disguise it, but decided against that to reduce the amount of wires going to the speeder. The trailing carts have metal wheels so I am working on putting power pickups on the carts to give the unit 12 wheel pickup instead of the original 4. I am planning on running the right rail pickup through the draw bars, and hope to disguise the left rail pickup as some kind of safety chain or something like that. Even if I cannot get a decoder in it, I am hoping that this will greatly improve its DC operation.

Right now my main problem is trying to figure out how to get the wires inside of the unit and isolate the motor without hacking it to death.

Freelancer
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
I don't know for sure, but I think that the Lenz USP must be paried with a Lenz decoder (and a Gold-series at that) to work.

I like the idea of using the drawbars to conduct the power, so that you only need one wire, but you will have to make sure then that the motor AND decoder are insulated.

Andrew
 
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