Hello. Being a empty nester I am now getting back into the hobby. I just picked up a Digitrax Super Empire Builder and am putting together a 4x16 layout. My question is I have a few [quite a few] older locos like Proto 2000 in the gold and blue box, some Atlas, Walthers, and some Stewart Hobbies engines. They're good motors and some are still new in the box. My question is where to search to convert them. I tried the search function but no luck. If someone could point me the right direction. Many thanks, I'm sure I'll have many more questions.
New Guy
- Thread starter cfinchum
- Start date
Hello. Being a empty nester I am now getting back into the hobby. I just picked up a Digitrax Super Empire Builder and am putting together a 4x16 layout. My question is I have a few [quite a few] older locos like Proto 2000 in the gold and blue box, some Atlas, Walthers, and some Stewart Hobbies engines. They're good motors and some are still new in the box. My question is where to search to convert them. I tried the search function but no luck. If someone could point me the right direction. Many thanks, I'm sure I'll have many more questions.
lmackattack
old school
Hello and welcome to the site
The older Protos are a littly tricky to convert to DCC. What Locos are in question. I can give you an Idea of what it takes if its an engine I have doen before.
So far I have done GP18s in high and low hood
FA/FB units.
SD9
all were slightly diffrent to wire
If you buy a new engine look for DCC ready, this will make life easy for you when installing DCC decoders
take a look at this link.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/manuals/tsuinstallation.pdf
The older Protos are a littly tricky to convert to DCC. What Locos are in question. I can give you an Idea of what it takes if its an engine I have doen before.
So far I have done GP18s in high and low hood
FA/FB units.
SD9
all were slightly diffrent to wire
If you buy a new engine look for DCC ready, this will make life easy for you when installing DCC decoders
take a look at this link.
http://www.soundtraxx.com/documents/manuals/tsuinstallation.pdf
Hello and Welcome Aboard. If you haven't already done so, check at http://www.tonystrainexchange.com/ for information on what decoders will work with different engines. Some older engines are not difficult to convert if you have basic soldering skills. Others can be so difficult that it's just not worth the effort. We have members here that are very experienced in installing DCC decoders in almost every type of engine you can imagine. If you're the least bit nervous about a particular engine, it's money well spent to have the decoder installed for you.
Ok, Thanks for the reply. Here is some of what I have. Proto 2000 GP18, Bl2 in the gold box, SD9, SD7, GP9, SW9/1200, E8/9 in the blue box. Atlas FP7, Atlas Alco S-4 in a red box. And Stewart Hobbies F3 phase 2,F3a phase4. Walthers Fairbanks-Morse H10-44 and EMD SW-1. This is some of what I have. Hope this helps.
lmackattack
old school
with the proto 2000s GP18 if its a high hood you can hide the decoder in the nose if its a short hood you have to cut some of the metal out in the nose to make it able to house the decoder. Wireing is not that hard of you have basic skills and can follow wires to there ending locations. I remove the stock lights and cut the resistors out of them and just hard wire them back in. use tape over the lights to reduce heat transfer to the plastic and hide the lights rays from shining where they dont belong.
The SD9 might have a DCC board that you can simply replace? if not it will be wired the same as the GP18. I think there were a few diffrent ways to wire that engine?
the BL2 should be the same as the GP18
I have not done the other engines so cant speak for them. On a side note the early Proto 2000 gold box locos had issues with cracked gears. you may need to replace the drivewheels with the newer version if you see the locs jumping and not running smooth.
Just a heads up
Trent
The SD9 might have a DCC board that you can simply replace? if not it will be wired the same as the GP18. I think there were a few diffrent ways to wire that engine?
the BL2 should be the same as the GP18
I have not done the other engines so cant speak for them. On a side note the early Proto 2000 gold box locos had issues with cracked gears. you may need to replace the drivewheels with the newer version if you see the locs jumping and not running smooth.
Just a heads up
Trent
ken_23434
Member
I thought the P2K line was all DCC ready?
I have 2 P2K engines, a GP38-2 and a SD50. Both of them were DCC ready. Installing the decoder was just a matter of pulling a plug from a small circuit card inside the loco, tossing that circuit card, then putting the DCC decoder in it's place.
Most decoder manufacturers have a listing of engines with a recommended decoder and some have links to show how to do it also. I know NCE and Digitrax have a chart with that info, for sure.
I have installed decoders in 3 engines that were not DCC ready. Stripping a few wires, clipping a few wires, a little solder, some tape to hold the decoder in place... That was about it. I thougt it was fairly easy. I did not add any accessory lights or sound, though. The hardwired decoders I installed were Digitrax. I thought the instructions were pretty clear on what wires would go where.
I have 2 P2K engines, a GP38-2 and a SD50. Both of them were DCC ready. Installing the decoder was just a matter of pulling a plug from a small circuit card inside the loco, tossing that circuit card, then putting the DCC decoder in it's place.
I unplugged the lights on the GP, cause there are some that have incorrectly wired lights that might damage the decoder. I wasn't sure if it applied to mine, so I just disconnected the wired. As far as I know, this was a limited problem to the GP38's
Most decoder manufacturers have a listing of engines with a recommended decoder and some have links to show how to do it also. I know NCE and Digitrax have a chart with that info, for sure.
I have installed decoders in 3 engines that were not DCC ready. Stripping a few wires, clipping a few wires, a little solder, some tape to hold the decoder in place... That was about it. I thougt it was fairly easy. I did not add any accessory lights or sound, though. The hardwired decoders I installed were Digitrax. I thought the instructions were pretty clear on what wires would go where.
lmackattack
old school
the later and present P2K models are DCC ready. However alot of the old Gold box and I think some of the early bluebox was not DCC ready. The first P2K models are over 15 years old now and at that time DCC was fairly expencive and uncommon for Train buffs on a tight budget
I also use Digitrax decoders and they are cheap and easy to install. I have only 2 sound units in diesels and bothe are installed in a dummy
Trent
I also use Digitrax decoders and they are cheap and easy to install. I have only 2 sound units in diesels and bothe are installed in a dummy
Trent
ken_23434
Member
I got started in the hobby about a year ago. That start was buying a couple trains and a circle layout under the X-Mas tree. Actually building a layout and running trains other than under the tree didn't start until the beginning of this fall. So, I am another "new guy". I thought the P2K line was fairly new. Heck, I thought the 2k part referenced the year 2000.
lmackattack
old school
I think it was 1995-96 was when Proto2000 came on the sceen? Reason I remember is that It was a few years before High School ended. Around this time I had bought my first p2k engines and shortly after took my layout down.
Ken, The Proto 2000 line was introduced in 1996 by Life-Like. It was produced by Life-Like until 2005, when the Life-Like brand and train business was purchased from Lifoam, LLC, the parent company of Life-Like.
All of the early (pre-2002) P2K models were not DCC ready and need to have the motors isolated from the frames as well as having the decoder hardwired. After that, things get murky. If you look at the proof of purchase tag on the back, it seems that most of the models that begin with "21" after the "77071" do not have DCC plugs although some have isolated motors and are fairly easy to convert to DCC. You need to measure voltage to the frame with an ohmmeter to know for sure. As usual, this isn't always true. I have an SD9 with a "21" number that does have a DCC plug even though it doesn't say so anywhere on the box and and only refers to it in the last page of the instructions.
All models that I know of with a "23" are equipped with a DCC plug although you normally have to replace the 1.5 volt headlight bulbs with 12 volts bulbs or add dropping resistors to keep the original lights. Some DCC decoders come with the resistors in place.
After Life-Like was purchased by Walthers, almost all the P2K line were produced with DCC plugs and compatible headlight bulbs so all you have to do is unplug the dummy plug from the board and plug in the DCC decoder. There were some leftovers from Life-Like still in the pipeline when Walthers took over and those still need the headlight changes. Walthers technical support people are really good and can tell you if you have one of these. If it comes in a gray box with the Walthers name on the back and no reference to Life-Like, it does have a DCC plug and says so on the box.
All the early P2K BL2, GP18, and GP20, and Alco FA-2 had problems with cracked axle gears. If you notice problems with the locomotive running poorly with a grinding noise, it's likely caused by cracked gears. Walthers will send you a new set for free if you give them a call.
I don't know much about the Atlas engines or the Stewart engines in terms of DCC readiness. I'd call Tony's Train Exchange at 800-978-3472 and talk to one of their techs. They know just about everything about any locomotive model produced and what decoder is needed for each one. If you buy ten or more decoders at the same time, you also get a nice discount.
All of the early (pre-2002) P2K models were not DCC ready and need to have the motors isolated from the frames as well as having the decoder hardwired. After that, things get murky. If you look at the proof of purchase tag on the back, it seems that most of the models that begin with "21" after the "77071" do not have DCC plugs although some have isolated motors and are fairly easy to convert to DCC. You need to measure voltage to the frame with an ohmmeter to know for sure. As usual, this isn't always true.
I have an SD9 with a "21" number that does have a DCC plug even though it doesn't say so anywhere on the box and and only refers to it in the last page of the instructions. All models that I know of with a "23" are equipped with a DCC plug although you normally have to replace the 1.5 volt headlight bulbs with 12 volts bulbs or add dropping resistors to keep the original lights. Some DCC decoders come with the resistors in place.
After Life-Like was purchased by Walthers, almost all the P2K line were produced with DCC plugs and compatible headlight bulbs so all you have to do is unplug the dummy plug from the board and plug in the DCC decoder. There were some leftovers from Life-Like still in the pipeline when Walthers took over and those still need the headlight changes. Walthers technical support people are really good and can tell you if you have one of these. If it comes in a gray box with the Walthers name on the back and no reference to Life-Like, it does have a DCC plug and says so on the box.
All the early P2K BL2, GP18, and GP20, and Alco FA-2 had problems with cracked axle gears. If you notice problems with the locomotive running poorly with a grinding noise, it's likely caused by cracked gears. Walthers will send you a new set for free if you give them a call.
I don't know much about the Atlas engines or the Stewart engines in terms of DCC readiness. I'd call Tony's Train Exchange at 800-978-3472 and talk to one of their techs. They know just about everything about any locomotive model produced and what decoder is needed for each one. If you buy ten or more decoders at the same time, you also get a nice discount.
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