Just got an old 44 ton switcher with the dual motors.....DCC?

[Burlington Route]

Found an ebay auction for one of the really old bachmann 44 ton switchers with the dual slot car type motors - not a central can motor. Though it hums rather loudly on the EZ command control{in channel 10 of course} It does actually run fairly nice. My thoughts were for it to become an On30 engine or to split the two trucks and make two rail cars...now for my question...is this type of power train worth it...with the separate truck motors...to add DCC or DCC/sound?
Also, though there's two diodes on the light board, the body lights don't reverse with direction...common for back then, or possible diode issues?
The more I look at this chassis, the more I can see a lil mack railbus with one of these power trucks as the power source for that...the reason why I bought it.
Thanks in advance for any input....
...back to my other On30 project-
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,22312.0.html

[jward]

about those lights.

dcc is a form of ac, so those directional lights will remain lit at all time. run it on dc and i bet they will reverse just fine.

[Burlington Route]

That was on DC....there's no dcc board on that one...yet. The board in question is nothing more than for the lights...I see diodes but I don't see them working.

[Jerrys HO]

BR

Jeff was talking about running it on a DC layout vs, DCC. Light stays on on DCC track light should change direction on DC track.

Jerry

[richg]

The present 44 ton is single motor and DCC on board.

When a loco with no decoder is run with the EZ Command, the motor will hum as it does not know the words.

Rich

[richg]

Here are what the two motor look like if you have not taken the shell off of yours yet. You can remove the motor and turn it 90 degrees in the truck for a low profile loco.



I had converted mine to DCC. Ran quite nice until it cracked a gear. One of the motors would occasionally hang up a brush. Tap the brush holder and it would run for a while. Many have mentioned issues with the motors in this loco.

Rich

[richg]

Two motor with a DZ125 decoder. I left the light bulbs in place. You cannot see the wires with the shell in place.



Rich

[Burlington Route]

Yup that's the one I have.

I like that decoder Rich...that a sound one?
Oh, Rich, do/did your lights ever go directional or are they both always on?...before the new board.
Only drawback to this chasis is the missing truck side...guess I'll have to try bachmann for that "if" they still have them.

I was thinking today how one truck might work for a lil mack 15 tonner...need to do some research...

[richg]

I tried mine on DC but never looked at the lights as I was going DCC.
The DZ125 is a non sound decoder.

My two single motor 44 tonners have a LokSound decoder and 16m x 35 mm speaker.



I saw somewhere that someone put a sound decoder and speaker into a two motor 44 ton. I will try to find the article/pictures.

Rich