Bachman 1990's HO Overland 4-8-4 & Tender w/smoke DCC Conversion

[jeffHOtrainCO]

So, I have another engine, that my father-in-law bought for his little girl, whom I married, that I would like to convert to DCC, anyone attempt and if so, which decoder did you use and are there any youtube's out there?

[Trainman203]

I always let a tech do it for me.  It's cheaper (for me) than having to replace the decoder you burned up by wiring it wrong, the speaker you blew because you go the wrong one, and accidentally running the hot soldering iron through the side of the tender.  And even if you got through all of that, getting the baffle wrong and having no volume or having an untraceable rattle. 

If you want to try it go for it.  Soundtraxx has tons of selection and installation information. I myself , I'm just not up for it.

[jward]

Is this a split frame locomotive? If so, conversion should be similar to the GP30 you asked about earlier. The only wrinkle would be if the tender has electrical pickup as well, then you have to wire those pickups to the decoder too.

One wire at a time, and checque your work for shorts with an ohmmeter as you go.

[WoundedBear]

Is this a split frame locomotive? If so, conversion should be similar to the GP30 you asked about earlier. The only wrinkle would be if the tender has electrical pickup as well, then you have to wire those pickups to the decoder too.

One wire at a time, and checque your work for shorts with an ohmmeter as you go.

Jeffery..........FYI..........."Is it spelled check or Cheque?
In summary, Check is the preferred spelling in American English for all contexts. Cheque is the preferred British English for financial contexts."

Sid

[rich1998]

Here is a diagram of a 1990 Overland. Does your loco look like that?

https://hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionbachmann/bachmann484overlanddiagram1990.jpg

No pickups on the tender. A challenge to install with wires to the loco. I have done it with another loco.
The smoke unit will be an issue. The TCS site shows how to remove and put a decoder in that spot for a Bachmann 4-6-2. Just no sound. No idea how reliable the loco pickups are. Decoders need constant power or they stop working, even for an instant.

Rich

[Trainman203]

Old engines...... at some point it's easier and better to just let them go, quit giving them CPR, let them be sentimental shelf display queens, and get a new up to date engine that runs better and might even already have DCC/sound.

I'm not preaching empty thoughts.  I learned this the hard way, trying to keep three turkeys alive.  In my case I swapped out my custom shells on newer better mechanisms and my life instantly improved.  The dead mechanisms, I'm certain that someone that likes intense repair work  will emerge from the mists of the universe to take them.u

[rich1998]

I agree with this loco. Looks like a Pancake motor. if his is the same.

Rich

[jeffHOtrainCO]

Rich, yes I believe that is it, I haven't attempted taking the shell off yet.  It is my wife's that her dad got for her so I want to approach it carefully.  I am waiting on parts for the others and doing those first before I attempt hers.  Just didn't know if anyone did it before and if so what decoder they used, seems it takes a lot of digging with these things to find the right decoder.

[Trainman203]

I don't think decoder choice is the issue, it's the installation which appears to be more daunting than with newer engines designed with possible DCC in mind.

Was the engine ever offered later with DCC?  Or as DCC ready?  If so, a new mechanism/tender with shell swap might be viable.

[rich1998]

The pickups will probably be the issue. I put a small DZ125 in a Bachmann Plymouth 0-6-0 that had poor pickups. The pancake motor ran fine but noisy. Three  pole motor.
Interrupt the DCC for an instant and the decoder shuts down. I did a lot of work to improve the pickups. I was just trying to see how a decoder would run a pancake motor. Current was less than one amp but a smaller loco.

I would check the loco and see how it runs on DC first. It should run continual on DC to be good for DCC even if not a pancake motor.

Rich.

[Len]

I've added pick-ups to tenders that came with plastic wheels. I used Intermountain metal wheelsets that were insulated on one side and phosphor bronze strips for wipers. Just make sure the insulated wheels are on the front truck are on the opposite side from the those on the rear truck. And which truck is picking up from which rail.

Len

[rich1998]

I did that some years ago with a Bachmann tender using HMinky suggestion. Kadee coupler springs. Intermountain wheels.

Rich

[jeffHOtrainCO]

Ok, I guess i'll get through these first couple first, and I believe that this model did have a DCC ready in later editions, if not OnBoard.

[rich1998]

Ok. The tender should have a PC board with an eight pin socket and a DC adapter plugged in. Us8ually DCC ready came like that. Usually.

Rich