Fitting DCC Decoders to Triang Hornby locomotives?

[AyJay]

Hello.  I have a couple of Triang Hornby locomotives which even though they are over 50 years old, are still very good runners.

They are the Flying Scotsman 60103 and an 0-6-0 diesel shunter.

I would like to know if the motors that they have are suitable for working with DCC?

Yes, I understand that one of the issues to take care with, is that the motor must be isolated from its chassis.; I think that a couple of layers of PVC electrical tape should do the job here without lifting the motor so far that the worm disengages from the gear wheel.

It's just that they were so well built, I have a strong emotional connection with them and I don't think that they should spend their lives sitting on the shelf.

Plenty of space under the tops too :-)

 

Thanks.

[smokebox]

The motor does NOT need to be insulated from the chassis, only the motor brushes need to be isolated and one brush is already insulated with a piece of insulating material between the brush and the brush spring.  Do the same to the other side of the brush spring IE fit some insulation between the brush spring and the brush. 

 

Triang motors take relatively more current than modern motors so be sure to use a decoder that can handle that current.

 

 

Edited March 14, 2021 by smokebox
More info added

[Nigelcliffe]

2 hours ago, AyJay said:

Hello.  I have a couple of Triang Hornby locomotives which even though they are over 50 years old, are still very good runners.

.........

Yes, I understand that one of the issues to take care with, is that the motor must be isolated from its chassis.; I think that a couple of layers of PVC electrical tape should do the job here without lifting the motor so far that the worm disengages from the gear wheel.........

 

Altering the gear mesh on what was a "good runner" is likely to make it either a bad runner, or wear out the gears very rapidly.   Don't do it. 

 

As Smokebox says, just need to ensure the motor brush gear connections to chassis are isolated, and fit a decoder with plenty of head-room on its maximum power.    Suitable insulation might be a small piece of thin printed circuit board material.   

 

 

[john new]

2 hours ago, smokebox said:

The motor does NOT need to be insulated from the chassis, only the motor brushes need to be isolated and one brush is already insulated with a piece of insulating material between the brush and the brush spring.  Do the same to the other side of the brush spring IE fit some insulation between the brush spring and the brush. 

 

Triang motors take relatively more current than modern motors so be sure to use a decoder that can handle that current.

 

 

Any decoder suggestions?

[smokebox]

A Lenz Standard should be suitable.

[GoingUnderground]

Way back in 1970, in the 16th edition catalogue, Triang gave current consumption for these locos as:

 

R.850, Flying Scotsman was shown as 560 millamps (0.56 amps) with firebox glow. 

R.152 Diesel Shunter (Class 08 style) was 490 milliamps.

 

Current consumption will increase if the magnet has weakened which it might have done with age, and if they run poorly on DC then I wouldn't risk a decoder. But if they are OK on DC then I'd be looking at a decoder that could deliver at least 1 amp, possibly as much as 1.5 amps to be on the safe side.

Edited March 14, 2021 by GoingUnderground
Add date of the 16th edition catalogue.

[Tim123]

I’ve found the decoders which work best in my X03 motor conversions have been Digitrax, which can cope with up to 1.5 amps. They’re also marketed by Gaugemaster in their “Ruby” DCC90 series. They worked well without tweaking any of the settings.