Recommended decoders for 3 locos

[Rob F]

An open ended question but what decoders would you recommend fitting to the following locos:

 

Bachmann WD 2-8-0

Bachmann Collett Goods

Hornby Merchant Navy

 

I know there is no right or wrong answer but your experiences on what works well and what fits would be appreciated.

 

ROB

[JZ]

An open ended question but what decoders would you recommend fitting to the following locos:

 

Bachmann WD 2-8-0

Bachmann Collett Goods

Hornby Merchant Navy

 

I know there is no right or wrong answer but your experiences on what works well and what fits would be appreciated.

 

ROB

 

What I have in mine.

 

Bachmann WD 2-8-0. TCS MC2, hard wired. Small decoder needed as there is very little room.

 

Bachmann Collett Goods. TCS T1, hard wired and tender mounted.

 

Hornby Merchant Navy. I have two, one with and one without a socket, both have TCS MC2s fitted as there is surprisingly little room inside.

 

Others will no doubt have their own favourites.

[Barry Ten]

Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but I recently had a look my earlier Bachmann Collett Goods with a view to fitting a decoder. It is obvious (as per Jules' post) that that decoder has to go in the tender but I couldn't see an obvious way of routing the wires from the loco to the tender - does some material need to be cut away from either the chassis or body, or is there a straightforward solution?

 

I've acquired a newer Collett that is DCC ready, but they've done that by removing a substantial part of the boiler weight, which is not readily accessible on the older model.

[OFFTHE RAILS]

Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but I recently had a look my earlier Bachmann Collett Goods with a view to fitting a decoder. It is obvious (as per Jules' post) that that decoder has to go in the tender but I couldn't see an obvious way of routing the wires from the loco to the tender - does some material need to be cut away from either the chassis or body, or is there a straightforward solution?

 

I've acquired a newer Collett that is DCC ready, but they've done that by removing a substantial part of the boiler weight, which is not readily accessible on the older model.

[OFFTHE RAILS]

Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but I recently had a look my earlier Bachmann Collett Goods with a view to fitting a decoder. It is obvious (as per Jules' post) that that decoder has to go in the tender but I couldn't see an obvious way of routing the wires from the loco to the tender - does some material need to be cut away from either the chassis or body, or is there a straightforward solution?

 

I've acquired a newer Collett that is DCC ready, but they've done that by removing a substantial part of the boiler weight, which is not readily accessible on the older model.

My 22xx runs very successfully with a Hornby R8249 decoder hard wired in the firebox. Part of the top of the cast weight (which also forms the lower part of the boiler) needs to be sawn away to provide a ledge for the decoder.

Ian

[Combe Martin]

Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but I recently had a look my earlier Bachmann Collett Goods with a view to fitting a decoder. It is obvious (as per Jules' post) that that decoder has to go in the tender but I couldn't see an obvious way of routing the wires from the loco to the tender - does some material need to be cut away from either the chassis or body, or is there a straightforward solution?

 

I've acquired a newer Collett that is DCC ready, but they've done that by removing a substantial part of the boiler weight, which is not readily accessible on the older model.

I've just done this conversion myself. I have both DCC ready and non ready Bachmann Colletts, so I looked at the modifications that Bachmann made to make room for the decoder and did them myself to the non DCC ready loco.

 

The boiler weight does come out from this (undo the screw and slide it back and then down and it comes out). Use a small hacksaw to cut a top slice off the weight, and also cut off the front protrusion. The wired decoder will then sit on top of the weight, which should be attached to the chassis by its screw through the chassis keeper plate. The body will then just slide back on like the DCC ready version. Bachmann have also added a short front screw through the chassis just below and behind the buffer beam which screws into a new plastic boss thats been added to the body moulding. I Araldited a nut to the body moulding in this position, and drilled a small hole in the plastic chassis keeper plate for the corresponding screw to go through. So I've done it just like Bachmann.

 

The metal cuts easily with a small hacksaw, it's quite soft, and the weight lost by taking the top slice off dosnt seem to affect the locos performance, afterall Bachmann did it ok. I didn't take off quite as much as them, but do be carefull you dont squash the decoder. The body moulding has a plastic boss that hangs down below the saftey valve inside the bolier. You don't need to remove it, just mount the decoder forward of it.

 

I've used a ZTC255 in this loco (the non DCC ready one) and a direct plug in ZTC258 in the DCC ready one. Both fit well and both locos run beautifly

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

Hornby Merchant Navy. I have two, one with and one without a socket, both have TCS MC2s fitted as there is surprisingly little room inside.

 

Enough room for a reasonably sized decoder if you take the weight out ( plastic surgery required unless they have modified it ) and replace with lead and the decoder. I have a sound decoder with speaker in mine.

[Barry Ten]

Thanks, gents. I obviously did not look closely enough at the older Collett as it looked as if the boiler weight was built into the boiler casting. I'll have another gander ... although at present I don't have any small decoders left in the box.