DCC Decoder-Large Scale

[poppops37]

Some of the Large Scale Backmann engines come DCC ready.  What type of decoders will fit in a "Midwest Quarry Engine" #82597.

[Sleeping Bear]

 if your talking about the "super plug" for DCC ready....QSI has a plug in unit for Bachmann loco's....only problem with QSI stuff is it isn't cheap......cant say otherwise myself at the moment.........Guy's ?


hope this helps......Later all ......S.B.

[Kevin Strong]

That particular loco (0-4-0 side tank) does not have the "universal" socket found in Bachmann's larger locos and Aristo's locos. I don't have one here, but my bet is that it's got the NMRA-standard 8-pin DCC socket on board, as that socket exists in a handful of other smaller B'mann locos. Stock, it would have a dummy plug installed that allows you to run on track power. Pull out that dummy plug, and plug in any manufacturer's DCC decoder that's wired to the "standard" 8-pin plug and it will run on DCC. There are dozens of DCC decoders that fit this billing.

The catch--you need one that's capable of handling the current typical of large scale locos. The 0-4-0 is a small loco and would likely not be pulling a long train, so something rated at around 1 amp may be sufficient in that case. If you can find one rated at 2 - 3 amps, all the better. I'd look at decoders designed for O scale railroads, as typically they're in the 1 - 2 amp range. You can probably find sound and motor-control decoders, or just motor control to suit your preference.

One more caveat, though--make sure the decoder is capable of handling your track voltage. Many large scalers use 24 volts to power their DCC systems, and some of the smaller decoders don't like voltages that high.

Later,

K