Bachmann DCC Chip

[Rollin Mayham]

I am working on a single loop of track with three turnouts so I can extend later on I am 15 and have little experience had bought a DC train set, and a DCC Remote from a Yard sale and am getting a life like Diesel from yet another yard sale and could use some advice I was told by a BNSF Modeler that the Life Like trains can't be DCC because they are just two Basic and I own one and I do agree that it is Basic. So My question is should I buy a DCC chip for My 0-6-0 steam Locomotive and leave the Analog open or is their a way to convert my Diesel please let me know.

[richg]

Never heard a loco is too basic. Almost any loco can be converted. Worth the cost and effort?

You need a decoder. The chips are on the decoder. DCC companies sell decoders.

I am assuming a Life Like 0-6-0. Does it have a tender?
Can you solder?
How are your mechanical abilities?
Do you understand basic electronics and the NMRA wiring rules for DCC?
Most decoders are one amp max and come with instructions.
Seven wires are normally needed for a loco with head light and tender light with no sound.
I will expand on this. The tender will need metal wheels with pickups and need six wires between the loco and tender.
Another solution is the decoder in the loco and two wires between the tender and loco. You want as many wheels to pickup up as possible with DCC. Unpowered frogs on turnouts can be a problem with short wheel base locos.

Rich

[Doneldon]

RM-

Any locomotive can be converted to DCC, including your Life-Like loco; the real question is whether it's worth the expense and effort. That's something only you can decide.

I'm a little afraid that we'll discourage you with our answers to your reasonable question because DCC can sound pretty complicated to a new person in the hobby. That's especially true if we are guessing exactly what you have and trying to give you an answer which covers all of the possibilities. So ... let me ask you to fill us in a bit about the loco you might want to convert. Is it a loco which carries its supplies on board, a "tank" loco, or the more usual type with a tender (sometimes called a "coal car") trailing behind it? Do you know about how old your loco is? If so, how old? How does it run now -- smoothly or just barely, for example? What lights does it have, if any?

If you'll give us this information I'm sure we can give you a very explicit answer about what you need to do and how difficult it might be to do. The job can be anything from easy to somewhat complicated. But I'm willing to bet that it's something you can do.

Welcome to model railroading and this board. I'm impressed that a new hobbyist, and a young one to boot, is exploring how to do something like a DCC conversion. That tells me you have the curiosity and interest to explore this hobby. I promise you, you'll find all kinds of things to do and learn, and some aspects of the hobby which will hold your interest for a long time. I've been at it for almost 60 years and I still find new things. That's what has kept my interest.

I'm looking forward to your additional information and then news of your progress with your loco.
                                                                                                                                                   -- Doneldon

[Rollin Mayham]

The Steam Engine is a Bachmann the Diesel I am getting is a Life Like the wires on any Life Like Diesel goes from a power supply truck then to a motor truck everything else is dead weight.

On another note I can't solder but I am taking lessons from a friend. My mechanical abilities are I can pretty much take apart a RC car and put the RC chip into a Large scale Christmas Train. I do Understand the basic electronics and the NMRA wiring rules for DCC the decoder I have was a second hand and I didn't get any instructions. The Life Like Trains at least the one I have runs 3 wires Lights, positive, and Negative the Negative is the base for the whole locomotive.  

[richg]

You have to be specific with DCC

The 0-6-0 with tender or the 0-6-0T?

Exactly which Life Like diesel?
There many differences.
Even the age of the loco cam make a big difference.

One important thing to consider, get a Photo Bucket account for posting photos here. A photo many times helps solve issues a lot easier.

The loco sounds like an older one with a power truck on only one end. It may be ok. Picking up power from both trucks is good.
What can be important some times, how much current does the motor require at 12 VDC?
Model Diesels today have the motor in the centre of the frame with a drive shaft to the gears in each truck.

Rich