I have one of those little-bitty HO scale IHC 4-4-0's with the motor in the tender and I'm curious to know if anyone has had any luck fitting a DCC decoder chip inside them.If you have,what type did you use and where did you put it? Mucho Gracias, Gene Jackson ------------------ The difference between comedy and tragedy is a fine line...if it happens to you,then it's comedy;but,if it happens to me,well then it's a tragedy!
I dont have one, but if their is any room at all in there a N scale 1 amp decoder would probably work. Another idea would be to remove the coal load, add coal boards arround the tender, and make a new hollow coal load to conceal the decoder. Many of the narrowguagers did this when PFM sound was popular.....Mike
OK, by the lack of responses I take it that no one has ever attempted such a thing? So does everyone here only model "modern" times, is there any room for "steam era only" layouts?I guess as a history teacher,older times interest me more rather than what surrounds me day in and day out. Oh well,I guess it's time to go tinker and find out on my own.Wish me luck Gene Jackson
Well I'm steam only, but model a somewhat later date .but I was in narrow guage for awhile, and thats how we mounted our souns system. and theyh were a bit biger....Mike [This message has been edited by Mike C (edited 10 January 2001).]
Mucho Gracias Mike! I meant to say that earlier when you first responded and now that you explained it again my dense skull realized that you were speaking from similar experiance.Again I say mucho gracias! Oh yeah,thanks for telling me about your "steam only" layout...I was beginning to feel lonely! Gene Jackson ------------------ The difference between comedy and tragedy is a fine line...if it happens to you,then it's comedy;but,if it happens to me,well then it's a tragedy!
I am steam only, (but I have some boxes of cheap diesels) and I have one of IHC's 4-4-0. My present, and new layout are both HO. So you aren't alone, except, I'm still running DC so far. Maybe you could hide an "N" DCC board in a car behind the tender (Tank, Coal, Box) and run the wires just under the couplers out of sight more or less? No one sees under carriage, maybe there is room to hang a PC under the tender? A sheet of photo film could insulate from motor? (I don't know how big the PC is. My 4-4-0 has a can motor, with a drive shaft up to the worm on the engine, but I understand some have a diesel's power truck mounted in this tender with only the front and rear wheels free to swing for curves. For that one, maybe the PC could be mounted vertically beside the motor? Just some ideas to investigate. There has got to be a way if you want DCC. ------------------ Watash #982 [This message has been edited by watash (edited 14 January 2001).]
Hi Stepchild, Sorry this reply is so late, I've been away on vacation. I model HO steam and am using SoundTraxx decoders, which are very large. I'm in the process of putting 2 decoders into a small 0-6-0 slope tender switcher. I like sound all around. I got a Digitrax and a DSX decoder from TTX. Got one of his "box" speakers. Put the Digitrax in the smokebox, and the DSX in the tender, cut out the bottom of the coal bin and put in the speaker. Covered the top of the coal bin with a coal glued screen on top. Works fine. Hope this helps! ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine. Member #33
Thanks Chris for the help,I'm just waiting to get my lil' engine outta storage to try all this.My wife finally let me wall off 1/3 of a huge living room to make my train roon so evrything is in storage until the job is complete.Once walled off I can get out my workshop again and get to tinkering! Gene Jackson
I was just poking around in my son's 4-4-0 to see just where I might put a brain -- and it appears that there is a large enough space behind the motor in the tender to fit one of the new Lenz decoders. Now my question - does anyone know what this little 4-4-0 draws at stall? That is, will the Lenz have enough power for it? And my problem is where to put the connector to power the front lamp...
Gene, It's 7 minutes after midnight, and I'm going to bed soon. But I want you to e-mail me during the light of day and I can send you instructions and the method to determine what your engine draws, both at stall and running. The only special equipment you will need is an amp meter and a calculator. I put two decoders and a speaker into a very small 0-6-0 with a slope back tender. Well the "landlord" is calling. Talk to you soon. ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine. Member #33
