How to tell if a loco is chipped

[stucashmore]

I'm hoping somebody can help with a very simple question.

 

I've got two identical N-gauge locos. They're a few years old so they don't have a socket for a DCC chip. I paid to have one of them chipped and knew which one it was. Unfortunately my wife "helpfully" tidied them up and now I don't which is which. Is there any way to determine has been chipped and which hasn't? I know I could disassemble the loco but I would really prefer not to. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[WIMorrison]

If you put them onto a DCC track and they buzz then they don’t have a decoder fitted. If they do not buzz then they probably have a decoder installed

[stucashmore]

Thanks for such a speedy response! Please forgive me asking, is this safe? I understood you shouldn't put a non-DCC loco onto DCC track as they would be damaged. However I would be the first to admit that DCC is still very new to me.

[WIMorrison]

You only need to put it on the track for a few seconds, you will know instantly if it is buzzing (or not)

[stucashmore]

Thanks Iain! Greatly appreciate your help. I'm off to try it now.

[RAF96]

The other way, which is safe due to the low power involved is to put them on a programming track but only if your controller has a dedicated prog output and try to read-back the address. Some controllers with only a track output effectively program on the main at full track potential so they not suitable for this ‘which one is DC’ test.

[Geep7]

The safer, but probably not quicker & easier way, is to take the body off and have a look. I've done this on all loco's i've bought secondhand, even if getting the bodies off is a bit of a faff, as I don't want to tempt fate and allow the dreaded puff of smoke to be emitted from the motor. The programming track option would at least be safer than allowing full DCC voltage (and amps) through a non-decoder fitted motor though.

[latestarter]

On 13/11/2021 at 15:07, stucashmore said:

Thanks Iain! Greatly appreciate your help. I'm off to try it now.

 

And...?

[Halvarras]

I've got caught out by a decoder in a second-hand loco only once (I'm not DCC). It was an OO Bachmann Class 03 and I'm sure it wasn't advertised as DCC-fitted (or priced as such either). On testing with DC it barely moved in either direction, so having decided it was faulty and would have to go back I went off to mow the lawn, which I got half-way through when the thought occurred to me - so I took the body off and sure enough........of course it hadn't come with the 6-pin blanking plug and a pack of 5 (I think) became the only Graham Farish products I have ever purchased. The rest are still here somewhere......

[RedgateModels]

happened to me too at at a show, I bought a very well priced Bachmann standard 4 2-6-0 from a seller there on the Saturday, Sunday morning got to the venue with a spare decoder only to find it was already chipped once I got the body off. I'm sure the trader had no idea it was fitted either.

[stucashmore]

Apologies to all who posted after my initial response. Your replies are greatly appreciated too, unfortunately I've been very ill and hadn't looked on here for a while hence the late reply.

[stucashmore]

On 15/11/2021 at 15:47, Geep7 said:

The safer, but probably not quicker & easier way, is to take the body off and have a look. I've done this on all loco's i've bought secondhand, even if getting the bodies off is a bit of a faff, as I don't want to tempt fate and allow the dreaded puff of smoke to be emitted from the motor. The programming track option would at least be safer than allowing full DCC voltage (and amps) through a non-decoder fitted motor though.

Yes.... I work in N gauge and after a bad experience taking the body off a loco I'm reluctant to do it except in case of dire necessity!