A plug n play installation that you have to solder! A typical Walthers/LL innovation. How did they come to reccomend a particular docoder? Did they even try installing one themselves? I'm lucky I've got the skill to hopefully do the installation when mine arrives, but if you take the word of their ad all you have to do is plug it in, there'll be a lot of frustrated modellers out there. I've reserved one of the new 2-8-8-2's and I'm starting to worry about how they will screw it up.
Well, my friend was able to install a decoder in my 0-8-0 today. The decoder specified by Walthers to my hobby store via phone call DOES NOT fit (NCE N12SRP). The plug sticks up too high to get the tender back on AND requires one of the tender weights to be removed. We removed the plug, shorted the wires significantly, hard-wired the decoder to the tender plug recepticle, removed the tender weight, and the engine runs beautifully. I was concerned without the additional weight in the tender that it would derail over my Atlas code 55 turnouts, but no problems. Soooo, after a long process, made more difficult by Walthers (grrrrr), I've got a beautiful looking and running Erie switcher for my yard. Just to show I'm not a Walthers basher. in the interim, I just completed their Machine Shop kit and it went together well, is beautifully detailed, and is a fine addition to my layout.
I wonder where my undec is, you'd think they would have come off the production line first as they don't get lettering printed.
This engine has really been a puzzler for me... and you guys have helped a great deal with info. My layout is Digitrax DCC - and this is the first time a DC engine would NOT run on it. Every time I put the tender on the track, it would show a dead short and the DCC would cut out. I sent the first 0-8-0 back to Walthers and they found a wire that had been "pinched"... so they installed new guts in the tender for me. Bought a second 0-8-0 and low and behold... exactly the same problem: dead short on the DCC layout. Finally tried one out on a regular DC layout I have out for Christmas decoration - and it runs great! I did manage to convert the other model to DCC with a Digitrax DZ123PS, but could not make it fit with the plug on. So (as previously described in this thread) I cut the wires to length... used the Digitrax plug to find "which color goes where" and soldered the leads directly to the female plug in the tender. Not using the male part of the plug helps greatly with the "fit". Also had to trim the plastic covering back on the decoder (they usually have some extra hang-over) and had to remove the "power stoker" from the 0-8-0 coal bunker. Also removed the top part of the tender weight. Now it all fits... and both run; One DCC and one DC, but never the twain shall meet. OK with me - the engine is a beauty and a nice runner. Thanks again - all your experiences gave me the courage to keep trying through to success!!!
OK, I'll admit that I haven't read this ENTIRE thread but I did search it. I don't find any reference to the decoder DZ143PS. I talked to Walthers yesterday on the phone and this decoder is being recommended by Walthers for this loco. I have tried it and it doesn't fit. Any ideas? I really disappointed at this fiasco. While the gentleman I talked to was very cordial, he could only say that it had been tried by others and it works. I don't see how. The plug simply sits too high and doesn't allow the tender shell to seat properly. HELP!
Apparently the Lenz silver decoder will fit. I used a small TCS decoder that had been installed in a now defunct LL SW8, after the decoder recommended by Walthers proved to have too high a plug, and wires that were way too long and had to be cut. We finally bypassed using a plug and wired directly into the "female" unit in the tender. Total PITNeck install, but it now works beautifully. Without the small weight in the tender (wouldn't fit with my decoder) I can pull exactly THREE cars up my 3% grades, but it does fine pushing or pulling 8 cars in my yard, which is what I got it for. With a Lenz silver decoder you should be fine. It's a beautiful engine, but Walthers has done a very poor job communicating with DCC N scalers. I'm surprised at their lack of customer interest.
I saw Walther HO steamer at my LHS yesterday with a sound decoder. They let me run it on the test track. Pretty cool. I wonder if someone had to hardwire the decoder to a non-compliant plug.
Comes ready equipped with sound. Those HO guys need everything made easy for them, they're not as skilled as us N scalers.:tb-biggrin: The plug's compliant, you just can't put the shell back on with a decoder plugged into it!
That's it, Walthers' ads don't say anything about a DCC compliant shell, just the plug so they've got us there. BTW I'm still waiting on my undec, maybe they've sent them back to get bigger tender shells to make them compliant.
