Need help

[meeko55]

I purchased a pcb Decoder for my usra 0-6-0 ho bachman it has no instructions on how to wire it up I'm lost and I'm new to.this dcc stuff

[jward]

The 0-6-0s I have done have not been a difficult conversion, but I didn't use a PCB type decoder. I used a Z scale decoder (DIgittrax DZ123) that was placed in the cavity where the smoke unit normally sits. Obviously I removed  the smoke unit from the locomotive. You will also have to remove the headlight which sits wedged between the frame halves and will short out the decoder. The original locomotive wiring went to a small PBC in the cab. There were 4 wires to the PCB but you have to be careful as their colours do not match the NMRA specs as used on the decoder. An ohmmeter is invaluable for tracing which wire goes where. The two wires to the motor connect to the orange and grey wires on the decoder. The wires to the wheel wipers go to the red and black wires on the decoder. ALl in all it is a pretty straightforward soldering job, and other than removing the boiler and the smoke unit, the locomotive does not have to be disassembled to complete the conversion. That said, my 0-6-0s all came from train sets produced before 2015 so things might be different on newer locomotives.

[trainman203]

If you are new to this I'd have a professional tech install it, and spend the time enjoying your trains instead of trying to figure out which wire goes where because none of it is ever clear. 

It will cost money but remember what some wise person said once:

Nothing good is cheap and nothing cheap is good.

[jward]

If you are new to this I'd have a professional tech install it, and spend the time enjoying your trains instead of trying to figure out which wire goes where because none of it is ever clear. 

It will cost money but remember what some wise person said once:

Nothing good is cheap and nothing cheap is good.

Honestly, this is one of the easiest hardwired DCC conversions I've done. There are only 4 wires to the Bachmann PC board, two to the track and two to the motor.

[trainman203]

Jeffery, it might be easy for you to do this job but, this guy appears to be a very starting out beginner and all this wiring might frustrate him and run him off .... like my friend did trying to use Code 83 flex track for his very first layout ever, on my recommendation unfortunately, When he should just gotten some sectional track and had some easy fun for a while.  My attempt to get my friend up too high on the ladder too fast ran him out of Model Railroading.  He did like making models though and doing airplanes now..... the old fashioned way where you build up all of the hidden structure in the wings and fuselage, cover it with tissue and then paint it With airplane dope like you probably can't get more.

If I was going to start out very early with a decoder installation, I'd probably try one of the DCC-ready engines with the NMRA plug where you just plugged in decoder, soldered the two speaker wires and that's it.... Not trying to properly connect which wires to which , having to backfeed everything in the engine to figure out what's what.

Of course it's up to the OP decide what he wants to do.