This may have been posted elsewhere. If it has please direct me there. I have a LL GP60 and a TCS CN-GP decoder. Has anyone had any experience with installing this combination? I have been to the TCS website and there is not much info there. I realize that nothing can touch the frame and that 2 wires (gray & orange) have to pass through the frame. Furthermore the area above and below the motor brushes needs to have some kapton tape applied for insulation. According to the TCS website milling the frame is not required, but it looks like to me that the clearance for the wires is tight. I can pass them through the frame with out taking it apart but I am worried that vibration during running will cause the wires to rub and eventually cause a short. Any other tips/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Gary
Gary, I haven't used at TCS decoder, but I did put in a Digitrax DZ123 in one of my Geep 60's. I'll pop the shell off and take a look at what needs to be insulated/covered up. -Mike
What vibration? Everything is fixed? The frames are screwed together. Just run the wires through that gap between the frame. No problem. I also usually place a piece of tape over the wires to keep them from moving around, but that's because I try to force all of them in the gap and make them stay there. Never had a problem so far.
Gary, I, too, have installed a TCS CN-GP in a LL GP60 per their intsructions. Everything seemed to fit fine, and the loco runs with no problems. I did have to sacrifice the black plastic light block in the cab, though. In all, I am pleased with the ease of installing this decoder. Jim
If you hear the loco run, that sound is created by vibration and is transmitted to your ears as noise. What instructions? I did not find any on their website http://www.tcsdcc.com/decoderpics/LifeLikeGP60/GP60.htm. Gary
The vibration is a minor noise coming from the inner bearing blocks. It will have no relationship with wires moving and shorting out. In fact, if you want to fix that vibration, here is the article to do it. http://trainweb.org/passengercars/Bearingblock.pdf And by the way, the people at TCS got confused. Someone mis-labeled the GP60 locomotive. You can find an decoder installation under "Atlas GP60"-- but obviously, it is a Life Like (not Atlas). Ron
Vibration is no longer an issue. I'm testing the Goof-Proof No-Questions-Asked Warranty. Installed decoder and it is DEAD DEAD DEAD. Both my programing throttle and Decoder-Pro states the same thing. NO DECODER. Attached clip leads directly to the decoder. Same thing. And before anyone asks...yes the motor was insulated from the frame. No smoke, no LED blink, no anything. Most likely just dead when it came home. Anyways it will be in mail on Monday Thanks for the input Gary
Try here. http://www.tcsdcc.com/pdf/NScale/TCS_Book_of_Classic_N_Installations.pdf They say Atlas GP60, but it looks like my LL ones to me, as far as I can find out Atlas never made a GP60. If they did I probably would have bought some.
