Can't find a 9-pin decoder for an Athearn locomotive I just bought on eBay.

[Fredashay]

I just bought an Athearn RS-3 Locomotive, part # 94054, new in box. 

The box clearly says DCC QUICK PLUG EQUIPPED, so I assumed I just needed to buy a decoder for it, and that's why I bought it.

The instruction sheet says it needs a decoder with a 9-pin plug.  

The problem is that I can't find a 9 pin decoder anywhere.

It seems they're not made any more.

When I search for 9-pin decoder on all the major train site like Tony's, Nicholas Smith, Trainworld, and others, I'm shown a wide variety of 8-pin and 21-pin decoders, but not a single 9-pin decoder in the mix.

I would love to get to the mounting board to see the connection inside the locomotive to post a photo for you folks, but this requires a rather complex disassembly of the locomotive.

I'd rather not disassemble the locomotive and leave it disassembled while I search for a suitable decoder, because by the time I get my hands on a decoder, I will have forgotten how to reassemble the locomotive.

Am I S.O.L.?

Or can someone post a direct link to the actual decoder I need?

I'd like for it to be sound that's appropriate to the RS-3 locomotive, but at this point, I'll settle for just a plain silent decoder that will operate the locomotive.

Edited May 16 by Fredashay

[peterm1]

I could be shot down in flames here, but I think it's an eight pin plus a wire.

[Suzie]

It will be a jst-9 connector which used to be a very standard connector in the olden days. TCS used to make decoders like the T1 with jst-9 connectors and the Lenz Gold had a jst-9 connector too. Look for 4-function decoders with a detachable harness - chances are that they will have the jst-9 connector that the harness plugs in to.

 

I would not recommend that you buy Digitrax decoders, but here are some that you can buy if all else fails:-

 

https://www.digitrains.co.uk/dh166p.html

https://www.digitrains.co.uk/dh126ps.html

 

For sound the TCS WOW Sound decoders are JST. You did not say which engine your loco has, but one of the sounds on this might suit:-

 

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/tcs/decoders/sound-decoder/wow101-diesel-set-4

 

But you will probably have room for an adapter so you might like to fit one of these Soundtrax 21-pin adapters:-

 

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/soundtraxx/jst-21pnem-adapter

 

This will allow you you use a good sound decoder from Zimo who unfortunately don't make any jst-9 decoders at all, and give you somewhere to wire the speaker to.

 

 

Edited May 17 by Suzie

[Suzie]

Looks like the RS3 has the Alco 244 engine, so the WOW-Sound diesel set 4 decoder should have the correct sound.

[Oldddudders]

2 hours ago, Suzie said:

For sound the TCS WOW Sound decoders are JST. You did not say which engine your loco has, but one of the sounds on this might suit:-

 

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/tcs/decoders/sound-decoder/wow101-diesel-set-4

The RS-3 had a 244 prime mover, which is in that list. There was a change in turbo-charger cooling, from air to water, during the model's long life, with a visual change on the long hood, but I'm not aware whether this changed the sound. 

[Fredashay]

Thank you all, PeterM, Suzie, and Old Dudders!

 

I'm not sure what the prime mover is, but the model is painted as Erie Lackawanna engine # 929.  Suzie says it has an Alco 244, and that's fine by me.

A little personal history might be in order... My railroad is mainly Amtrak and Conrail, but an Erie Lackawanna track ran near my house as a kid, and so when I saw this loco for sale and the box said it had a DCC socket, I had to nab it, thinking it would be a simple matter just to buy a random decoder to plug in it and get on with running trains!  The best laid plans of mice and men, eh?

Anyway, the sound isn't important any more since it will likely just sit in the engine house as a nod to my childhood.  I just want a decoder to run the locomotive silently.

 

So it sounds like I can buy any silent 8-pin decoder along with that adapter thingy that Suzie linked to, and I'll be good to go?

Edited May 17 by Fredashay

[Suzie]

3 hours ago, Fredashay said:

...So it sounds like I can buy any silent 8-pin decoder along with that adapter thingy that Suzie linked to, and I'll be good to go?

 

No, you can buy any 21-pin decoder and use the adaptor, or use one of the decoders I listed that has a jst-9 connector and will plug straight in. That adapter will not work with 8-pin decoders.

[Fredashay]

Okay.  Thanks for clarifying that, Suzie 😊

Edited May 18 by Fredashay

[Fredashay]

Aha!!!

I see the reason for my confusion at Suzie's links to JST-9 decoders that looked to me like they're 8-pin decoders! 

All these JST decoders have wires leading to 8 pin connectors, and so I was like "Huh?!?!" 

But the light bulb just exploded over my noggin' a moment ago when I discovered that the 8-pin wiring harness can be unplugged from the decoder to reveal a JST-9 pin connector right on the decoder by peeling back the plastic wrap on the decoder body.  <-- Once I discovered THIS, everything makes sense now!!!

Edited May 18 by Fredashay

[F-UnitMad]

If there's one loco that's really worth having sound for, I reckon it's the Alco RS3!! That 244 engine sounds like such a bucket of spanners in a washing machine about to fall apart, it's part of the character of the loco!!

Just a pity there isn't a decent model smoke system out there capable of chucking out clouds of black clag just like the prototype!! On the other hand, for an indoor layout that's probably not a bad thing....

[Suzie]

7 hours ago, Fredashay said:

Aha!!!

I see the reason for my confusion at Suzie's links to JST-9 decoders that looked to me like they're 8-pin decoders! 

All these JST decoders have wires leading to 8 pin connectors, and so I was like "Huh?!?!" 

But the light bulb just exploded over my noggin' a moment ago when I discovered that the 8-pin wiring harness can be unplugged from the decoder to reveal a JST-9 pin connector right on the decoder by peeling back the plastic wrap on the decoder body.  <-- Once I discovered THIS, everything makes sense now!!!

No need to remove the plastic wrap, just unplug the wire harness and the jst-9 socket will be revealed. In the olden days (before Plu-X, MTC-21, and Next-18) these were the easiest decoders to install, and with no wires and four functions they always fitted and worked all the lights independently. They were much better than the NEM651 6-pin (only 2-function) and NEM652 8-pin (loads of wire to hide somewhere) but only American manufacturers used this connector, and not all decoders were available with this connector but the Lenz Gold was a pretty good decoder.

[Fredashay]

@F-UnitMad Well, I already ordered a cheap JST-9 decoder from Suzie's list of links.  Maybe after I take the loco apart and see how easy it is to get to the guts, I'll upgrade to a sound decoder.  But I don't want to drop 100 buckazoids on a sound decoder yet until I see how easy it is to get inside the RS-3 and see how much space is inside there to mount a speaker. 

 

@Suzie Yeah, silly Americans!