converting to dcc

[redoguy]

now i have three old style bachmann sd 45 now can i put the new dcc PC board  in my SD45
now  i have  as  Burlington northern  loco  # on  5491 it look like  a uboat with four axle.. it brand new it not dcc  i want  to converted to dcc  so can do all and what dcc unit do i use for  and number of them 

[ABC]

If you have a U boat, I wouldn't bother converting it to DCC, the U boats have been out of production for some time , I had one for about 15 years and it never ran too good, I finally had to send it in for a replacement last year. If your SD-45s have a 8 pin socket all you need is any HO scale decoder with an 8 pin plug.

[redoguy]

sorry it  a bachmann  b-23-7
where do i find the  decoder  for it  just bought this week at hobby shop ..

[jward]

the bachmann sd45s are of the split frame design, as are many spectrum diesels including the gp30, gp35 and h16-44. there is a step by step illustration of installing  a decoder in an h16-44 here:

http://members.shaw.ca/sask.rail/dcc/tmaster/tmaster.html

this procedure will work for any split frame design locomotive, i have used this tutorial to convert 3 h16's, a gp35 and an sd45 so far.....you can hard wire digitrax dh123 or dh163 decoders  as they are similar to the one shown in the tutorial.

the b23-7 will be a bit harder to convert. i have one of these, but am still working out the specifics of a decoder for it. it is not a split frame, the bachmann gp40 and "gp50" are of similar design.