DCC conversion of old chassis

[dibber25]

Tweaking my un-numbered Rapido BC Rail Dash-8 (numbering and trying to figure out how to fit the rock lights) has got me interested in reviving some of my old BCR and PGE equipment. Much of it is 30+ years old and therefore has Mehano chassis as these were the easiest to obtain in the UK at the time. In particular I'd like to renovate the Northern Alberta SD40 and the Tumbler Ridge electric. I was always quite pleased with the latter as an all-Plastikard effort. It needs some cosmetic work and that's a quarter century of real weathering (stored under the layout)! Is it likely that I would be able to convert the Mehano chassis to DCC? Has anyone done one successfully? Should I just shove it back under the layout and forget it?

I've also got early blue box Athearn's that I'd like to do. There used to be a really nifty conversion kit for DCC but the supply of the special phosphor bronze clips dried up and manufacture ceased. Is there an easy way of converting these without the kit? (CJL)

[Oldddudders]

Chris - there is simply no mystique about converting to DCC. As long as you can ensure the motor + and - leads only feed from the decoder orange and grey leads the job is effectively done. "Red and black go to the track" tells you about the other important wires. ISTR the Model Power SD40 has a small can motor, so no problems with the chassis being a live feed to the motor itself. Headlights can be a pain, with low-voltage lamps, but you might think of putting resistors in circuit to get the desired level of output, anyway - so many of today's RTR models look like Eddystone lighthouse! 

Edited January 17, 2018 by Oldddudders

[dibber25]

Chris - there is simply no mystique about converting to DCC. As long as you can ensure the motor + and - leads only feed from the decoder orange and grey leads the job is effectively done. "Red and black go to the track" tells you about the other important wires. ISTR the Model Power SD40 has a small can motor, so no problems with the chassis being a live feed to the motor itself. Headlights can be a pain, with low-voltage lamps, but you might think of putting resistors in circuit to get the desired level of output, anyway - so many of today's RTR models look like Eddystone lighthouse! 

 

I actually think I've gone backwards over DCC conversion. I successfully converted several models in the early days, usually by following the guides which TCS posted up on the internet. I've been spoiled, I guess, by more recent models with plug'n play decoders and even sound which doesn't require more than a couple of wires soldered on. I guess the answer with these two is to open them up and take a look.............except I'm struggling to remember how I attached the body to the electric loco and I don't want to do any more damage trying to take it apart. I don't know how its pantographs got so damaged - looks like something was dropped on it. (CJL)