HO Spectrum 4-6-0 DCC ready, Reccomended decoders please

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Hi  from down under,

I have just bought a HO spectrum 4-6-0 DCC ready steamer, but there's not much room in that small tender.  Can someone recommend a small plug in  decoder for this loco?

Thanks, John.

[Tylerf]

You can probably fit a digitrax N scale decoder. You'll just have to find one that fits best, I don't have a 2-6-0 but what is there for space in the tender?

[jpgmax]

Hi Tylerf,

The tender is not very deep, especially with the DCC ready PC board inside, I tried to fit a NCE N12srp in which is a small decoder but with about4 or 5 inches of wire harness to coil up I couldn't refit the tender body properly.   I may have to shorten the wiring harness. 

Thanks for your suggestions.

John.

[Tylerf]

Yeah I guess just shorten the harness and hopefully it fits. My question is if the locomotive is DCC ready, why is it designed in such a way that an N scale decoder will barely fit?

[macbmac1]

I too have a couple of the 4-6-0's, tho convert to DCC.  I ordered the Digitrax DZ125PS, which has very minute dimensions, according to the manufacturer.  1" harness-should be enough room to fit in the low early Baldwin tender-will write back when it comes in and let you know...

[jerryl]

 Not an easy project.  I cut the plug off, shortened the wires & soldered a plug that has the wires comming out of the side & not the top. Just be sure to solder them to the right pins...VERY important.  I also put weight in every possoble place in the tender as the wires between the engine & tender were stiff enough to lift the tender from the track.   Good Luck....Jerry

[Santa Fe buff]

Soundtraxx TSU-1000.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/index.php?p=1000.php

Joshua

[jerryl]

Had enough trouble with just a decoder. Probably have to take the board out & solder it in.....then find room for the speaker & extra weight.  Areal challenge especially with the smaller tender.  Probably a website out there that will show you how.   Jerry

[Pacific Northern]

Soundtraxx TSU-1000.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/dsd/tsunami/index.php?p=1000.php

Joshua

Do you know which engine and tender the poster is referring to?

Bad advise, You are referring to a sound decoder, will never fit without gutting the tender.

I installed a DZ123PS, plugged right into the pc board, no major problem, remember snip the capacitors. Had to adjust the coal load,

[macbmac1]

I attempted to put a Digitrax DZ125PS decoder into my 4-6-0, 52" drivers, early Baldwin tender, which means that it is very cramped inside.  The Digitrax has the NEM 652plug, which, together with the stock Bachmann PC board, sits just too high to reseat the tender body without some modification.  Since then, I have opted for the TCS MC2P-SH, which "fits like a glove!!"  This is a basic 2 funtion decoder, with BEMF.  Their website is : www.tcsdcc.com.  Comes with a 1-yr "goof-proof" warranty, and are very simple to program.
Hope this helps-
Mike

[macbmac1]

Just an update, finally, to what I did install in my 4-6-0, with the early Baldwin tender: The TCS (Train Control Systems) MC2P-SH fits GREAT!! Check out their website www.tcsdcc.com, click on the link for HO installs, and scroll down to the installation pictures / instruction.  I posted the photos, and, as I stated earlier, fits GREAT!! Loco runs fantastic.
Michael McAnally 

[jpgmax]

Hello,


Thank you all for your suggestions.  I eventually went with a Diditrax DZ123PS, but as someone said the plug is rather chunky, and some coal load mods needed to happen.  All finished, the tender went back together ok and the loco runs beautifully.  Thanks to all, John.

[rich1998]

i saw something at the litchfield site that they put a little tsunmai and speaker in the 4-6-0  small tender. There are two sizes of this decoder. The small one is just fine that I heard. i think they had to remove the pc board. not easy. i have a 4-4-0 that came with the bachman 4-4-0 that had a decoder with short harness and plug. someone in the trains.com site did this but it might be hard to find the posting. Good luck.

lex

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Hi Lex,

Thanks for the info, all the best, John.

[rich1998]

hi john search these forums for 4-6-0 sound dcc. nevertell what you can find. might work
lex