Ways to improve Thomas?

[jettrainfan]

I'm gonna try and get my Thomas DCCifed (i really don't care if its not a word ) Any way can i improve the running? it'll probably lead most trains but on its own... is what I'm worried about. it's going to get a back knuckle. Any suggestions would be great!

[TobyTheTram16]

Traction tires

[DinoNTrains]

Re: jettrainfan

If you do "DCCify" your Thomas, could you guide us on how you did it? I ask because I wish to "DCCify" my own Thomas engines. And by the way, are going to use Bachmann's E-Z Command system?

[jettrainfan]

a friend at the club is doing it but im gonna ask to watch him. I'm using a Bachmann DCC chip

[shining time]

Traction tires

wouldn't that not give contact to the engine on the track

[TobyTheTram16]

Traction tires

wouldn't that not give contact to the engine on the track

mabey not if you put 'em on the back wheels and a "dip" in the space where the wheels touch the rails thats where the traction tires

[DinoNTrains]

a friend at the club is doing it but im gonna ask to watch him. I'm using a Bachmann DCC chip

Thank you. Learning how to put DCC chips in Bachmann Thomas engines would be great.

[RGC]

I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.

[AJWPRODUCTIONS]

I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.

what about gordon and spencer wouldn't they be just as bad?

[RGC]

I haven't done gordon or spencer so I don't know the "inside" of either, but if you look at the "parts list" of each engine on this web site I'm sure it would be easy to figure if they would be a problem. I've done Thomas, Henry,Percy,Mavis and Toby. I'll be adding another 3 engines in the next few weeks, but I'm not sure yet which ones. I found the digitrax DH123D are a great chip. I have no experence with the Bachmann chips. We have a EZ command and a Digitrax dcs 50 for controllers. I also use the decoder pro software w/ a locobuffer and the dcs50 to program and sometimes control the trains.

[AJWPRODUCTIONS]

I haven't done gordon or spencer so I don't know the "inside" of either, but if you look at the "parts list" of each engine on this web site I'm sure it would be easy to figure if they would be a problem. I've done Thomas, Henry,Percy,Mavis and Toby. I'll be adding another 3 engines in the next few weeks, but I'm not sure yet which ones. I found the digitrax DH123D are a great chip. I have no experence with the Bachmann chips. We have a EZ command and a Digitrax dcs 50 for controllers. I also use the decoder pro software w/ a locobuffer and the dcs50 to program and sometimes control the trains.

ok but if you want my opinion on the next ones to do I reccomend james,edward and gordon considering what youve done earlier for some obvious reasons but I don't have dcc so yeah

[RGC]

I think James might be in the next group, but that's totally up to my 6 year old son. He picks the engines.

[jward]

traction tires are an extremely bad idea.

small locomotives like thomas and percy are prone to contact problems as it is. add dcc and contact becomes critical. traction tires do not conduct electricity, and any gains in pulling power they give will be more than offset by poor running. have you ever seen a locomotive with traction tires trying to pull too amny cars? they hop around until they hop right off the track......

[Anthony P2]

I done 5 thomas and friends engines w/ DCC chips and most of them are pretty easy. The only one that was a problem was Henry do to the lack of space available. I think I'm going to change Henry to included sound and put the chip and sound in the coal car. It's just a matter of cutting the wires off of the current board and soldering in the DCC chip. Just make sure you know what wires go where since it seems most engines don't use the same wire colors for some reason.

i think you would run into the same problem with gordon because he and henry share the same chassie along with all the gears and such inside. oh, and by the way, was it easy to put DCC in Toby and Mavis?

[RGC]

Both Toby and Mavis had plenty of room as did Percy and Thomas. Henry and any like it would be an easy deal if you put the decoder in the coal car, but that would mean always using the coal car with them. It would also involve some wiring between the engine and coal car.