What loco electrics is this please

[hayfield]

I bought a mixed lot off our favorite auction site and this piece of electrics was in it, I assume its from a loco and perhaps a Mainline as there is a Mainline motorless chassis in the lot

 

 

No idea what it is or if it works, happy to bit it but if its a spare that might be of use happy to pass it on

 

Thanks

[Wheatley]

Looks a bit complex for Mainline, its got wires for a start. All the mainline stuff I've had has either had the motor built into a split chassis or the minimum 2 wires plus supressor to stop it interfering with the telly. I suspect its more modern than that. 

[NIK]

Hi,

 

At a guess and without knowing what size it is it looks like most of the  main PCB for a diesel or electric outline locomotive, possibly US given the age of the chassis it was sold with.

 

It seems to have a digital command control decoder of some type built in to the PCB, could be NMRA DCC and it may be a sound decoder (if the roundish thing at the top is a speaker and not an energy store).

 

In which case its probably nothing to do with the UK Mainline chassis apart maybe for being part of a modeller's project to mate it with the chassis.

 

If you want to test it on NMRA DCC you may need visual confirmation it is NMRA DCC (hopefully someone on here will recognise it or you can look online at DCC decoders for non UK locos - could be from a loco with narrow engine compartment - probably a US 'mainline' diesel loco, not a streamlined loco or a B unit).

 

Take care.

 

Nick

 

 

[cypherman]

Hi all,

is this possibly a Hornby Zero 1 module.

[Dagworth]

10 minutes ago, cypherman said:

Hi all,

is this possibly a Hornby Zero 1 module.

No, definitely not.

 

As Nik said, it's almost certainly a DCC sound board.

 

Andi

[hayfield]

Thanks all for the info, I had no idea what it might be other than something from a loco

 

A google picture search turned this up

 

 https://www.digitrax.com/products/sound-decoders/sdn144k1e/

 

Could it be a Kato N gauge sound decoder ? The Mainline may just have been a red herring as it came with this lot

 

 

A GEM loco kit box with a nearly complete Cambrian 2-4-0T, some parts for an Agenoria 0-6-0ST and various other bits including a Tenshido small motor with a decent motor mount and gears

 

Thanks again

[Dagworth]

Kato sound decoder:-

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=kato+sound+decoder&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0pbfVy_ToAhWIiVwKHeWTAg8Q_AUoAnoECAoQBA&biw=1366&bih=663

 

Looks like that's exactly what it is.

 

Andi

[Kaput]

2 hours ago, Dagworth said:

Kato sound decoder:-

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=kato+sound+decoder&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0pbfVy_ToAhWIiVwKHeWTAg8Q_AUoAnoECAoQBA&biw=1366&bih=663

 

Looks like that's exactly what it is.

 

Andi

 

Yup, looks exactly like a drop in sound decoder for a Kato loco of some sort. Probably a Digitrax due to the stay alive capactior

[NIK]

Hi,

 

Well done to Andi for an identification.

 

At first I thought a bit was broken off the PCB at the speaker end but I think its a bit of insulating tape hanging over the edge of the PCB - It might be very thin Kapton or aged Sellotape.

 

If it is sticky tape then any tiny debris from the other items in the consignment might collect on that tape and possibly short out any tiny contacts on the components. So maybe carefully look at replacing/removing the tape before applying power for the first time (remembering to identify where the DCC track power should enter the PCB).

 

If you are going to test the PCB I would start out with a standard programming track output as the power source (not one slightly boosted for sound use). If no smoke appears then proceed as per any sound decoder (may need to use programming output tweaked for sound decoder use).

 

That capacitor hanging off the PCB may have been added by the previous owner. Without further research I would recommend removing it with its wires before any testing in case it fails and shorts out. I've had a main track on a loco PCB burn out just due to a derailment.

 

Also the PCB was resting on bubble wrap. That could be a cause of static damage so until the PCB is installed in a loco I would recommend you keep it in an all paper envelope or all card box.

 

Take care.

 

Nick

[Yardman]

Looks like a sound decoder. Connect a motor or 100R resistor to it (the big pads either side of the board), some track wires (small pads at the end), connect to a program track and the DCC system should report back a manufacturer and model type. Decoder Pro is best for this.

[hayfield]

Thanks for the tip, but I have no DCC equipment, I have put it on eBay as a bit of a lucky dip for someone. Initially I thought it may have been a bit of broken control board for a loco. I neither have the ability or desire to check it out, leaving it to someone else