Fitting DCC decoder to a Bachmann Class 101 trailer car

[dj_crisp]

Hi!

 

Before I abandon Bachmanns class 101 circuit boards I just wondered if anyone has converted a trailer car to DCC?

 

 

it doesn't look like the easiest circuit to hotwire a decoder into... so I'll probably end up doing something homemade. As I intend creating hybrid units I won't be using the power car.

 

Thanks 

Will

[Nigelcliffe]

Looks like an easy one to me....   The pickups go to the rectifier diodes (D1,2,3,4) and from there it is routed to various lights.  

So, cut tracks into those diodes (which will be decoder pickup red/black) and intercept the lighting outputs for light outputs.

 

 

[dj_crisp]

2 hours ago, Nigelcliffe said:

Looks like an easy one to me....   The pickups go to the rectifier diodes (D1,2,3,4) and from there it is routed to various lights.  

So, cut tracks into those diodes (which will be decoder pickup red/black) and intercept the lighting outputs for light outputs.

 

 

 

Hi Nigel

 

Many thanks for taking the time to respond. Sorry I'm a bit thick when it comes to electronics so struggle with this side of the hobby emmensely hence my questions below ;) ;

 

- Could I solder the decoder pick ups (red/black decorder wires) to the red circles? Or is it intercepting the circuit board where blue circles are?

- I can't work out the common circuit (blue decoder wire)? As P1 & P2 and B+ go to the interior lights my guess is one of those is the common.

- I think the head and tail lights are somewhere in yellow rectangle - I guess you're suggesting soldering the white or yellow DCC wire to these ends? I can't work out why there are 5 resistors (?) here and whether it's possible to have seperate functions wired up here?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Will

 

[meatloaf]

Fairly surwe my Bachmann 101 only has a single decoder in the motor car

[dj_crisp]

2 hours ago, meatloaf said:

Fairly surwe my Bachmann 101 only has a single decoder in the motor car

 

Yeah you're right. And then I think it has a connector to the trailer car and some  clever gubbins to switch the head/tails depending on travel...  but that's where I get lost on what goes on.

[Porcy Mane]

On 08/11/2022 at 16:59, dj_crisp said:

And then I think it has a connector to the trailer car and some  clever gubbins to switch the head/tails depending on travel... 

 

Hello,

 

I've been upgrading  (or maybe it's downgrading?) some Bachmann DMU's over the past few months by replacing the original motors & drive bogies to give a completely clear brake compartment. With the 101 before doing this work I had a bit faff about with a close coupling arrangement junking the oversize coupling bar whilst keeping the electrical bits connected as they came from the factory.

 

My eventual lighting arrangement will be to replicate the lighting that as laid down in the working appendices but for this "quicky" DCC lighting work s as Bachmann  intended with headcode box and tail lamps at both ends being directional with the interior lights and destination blinds being illuminated if turned on via the under-frame switches. I reduced the lighting intensity down to a level were the interior lights aren't visible during bright daylight, but can be seen at night.

Hopefully the following pics explain better than I.

 

How it looks. Corridor connections slide against each other when negotiating a B6 crossover.

 

 

The coupling bar is a bit of double sided copper clad sleeper strip that telescopes by utilising one of the original Bachmann coupling springs.  Original intention was to use the copperclad as the electrical connection but I think I'll fit  it with dummy vac and heat pipes along with a cosmetic screw coupling.

 

 

For the electrical connection I popped out the glazing from the corridor connections and used the apertures to run the wiring through. Male & female 1.2mm pitch connectors (I think they were 1.2mm?) were soldered to the existing red & black wiring.

 

 

 

I've found it works fine through dodgy track work and gradient changes and the DCC directional lighting worked fine.

 

HTH,

 

P 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Porcy Mane
Delete duplicate Image.

[dj_crisp]

16 hours ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

Hello,

 

I've been upgrading  (or maybe it's downgrading?) some Bachmann DMU's over the past few months by replacing the original motors & drive bogies to give a completely clear brake compartment. With the 101 before doing this work I had a bit faff about with a close coupling arrangement junking the oversize coupling bar whilst keeping the electrical bits connected as they came from the factory.

 

My eventual lighting arrangement will be to replicate the lighting that as laid down in the working appendices but for this "quicky" DCC lighting work s as Bachmann  intended with headcode box and tail lamps at both ends being directional with the interior lights and destination blinds being illuminated if turned on via the under-frame switches. I reduced the lighting intensity down to a level were the interior lights aren't visible during bright daylight, but can be seen at night.

Hopefully the following pics explain better than I.

 

How it looks. Corridor connections slide against each other when negotiating a B6 crossover.

 

 

The coupling bar is a bit of double sided copper clad sleeper strip that telescopes by utilising one of the original Bachmann coupling springs.  Original intention was to use the copperclad as the electrical connection but I think I'll fit  it with dummy vac and heat pipes along with a cosmetic screw coupling.

 

 

For the electrical connection I popped out the glazing from the corridor connections and used the apertures to run the wiring through. Male & female 1.2mm pitch connectors (I think they were 1.2mm?) were soldered to the existing red & black wiring.

 

 

 

I've found it works fine through dodgy track work and gradient changes and the DCC directional lighting worked fine.

 

HTH,

 

P 

 

 

 

 

 

This is all rather excellent! Thanks for sharing! I think I'm going to have an experiment with the circuit board as you've done.

 

I do like your set up and I'm experimenting with wires through corridor connectors like you've done. Although my efforts with a 150 so far aren't the best so for my heavyweights based off the Bachmann 117 have gone down the route of seperate decoders for each coach. This allows me to use hunt couplings which make life rather easy for setting up etc as the original coupling is hard work (especially on a 3 car).

 

It does leave some space for some dummy vac pipe connectors... I might try something like P4 new street.

 

What motor setup have you used to help clearance? (My 108 runs terribly so am tempted to try something different there.)

 

Cheers for sharing

 

Will