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DCC Chips in Really Old Locos


JST
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Another option for older models, might be building new chassis and keeping the old ones intact? Of course where possible.

 

I have a few mainline/Bachmann panniers that are split chassis, I was planning on replacing them with a comet chassis rather than hack at the split chassis. As I need to convert it to p4 also it seems more sensible for me. I've a few old Lima items I'll probably convert too at some point as stop gap models until replacement is possible. (The 73s run fairly well, the 50 too, the 37s terrible)

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I have chipped one of these Bachmann split chassis panniers - the material was quite soft - it can easily be cut. I did cut it with a circular saw (proxxon FKS - do it only if you know your saw very well and you know what you are doing - health and safety...) Also as you can take the chassis completely apart it is easy to get all sawdust out. Can show that model later, at the moment it is at a friends layout 

Edited by Vecchio
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  • 2 weeks later...
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Leds arrived, but no time to put them in. I found a mistake in the wiring - now the stay alive is properly working and the old loco performs like a new one. Can only recommend to do it. It is worth upgrading them. Will start a new thread showing the complete upgrading of my old Lima fleet.

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  • 2 months later...

Just as a bit of follow up I can report that my old Wrenn "Dorchester" has now been converted. It was done by Scalespeed in Hampshire who I can really recommend (I have no other connection to them). The loco was overhauled with the armature re-wound, the magnet re-magnetised and the DCC conversion done using a Hornby decoder. I have to say that the result is way beyond my expectations. I had the loco done mainly for sentimental reasons but I have to say it'd performance is now staggering! I did not expect such an old loco to run so sweetly on DCC and the slow speed control is superb.

I have also now converted a couple of old Mainline split chassis locos with good results. I used Digitrax decoders in them as they do not take up much space and have a 1.5amp rating and all is well - very pleased.

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  • 6 years later...

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