Trainorama’s NSW 44 & SA 930 DCC Installation

including Sound and body removal instructions.

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Sample the SOUNDS of a 44 at You Tube:

 

 

Adding: A Fibre Optic Twin beam headlight to the 44.

            Marker lights with fibre optics to the 44.

                

Adding a DCC decoder.

I have now converted many to DCC. My own locos, 4494 with the NCE D14SR, 4473 with a Loksound 3 sound decoder. Others I have done 4401 with Soundtraxx DSX with a Lenz LE1014 motor decoder. The DSX and Lenz is a two decoder installation that makes it just a little more complicated.

 

This loco is a real DCC Ready loco that will not need any modifications. There is no need to fit any headlight voltage dropping resistors, this is done on the 44 circuit board. The light circuit board is left installed, not discarded as in previous DCC Ready locos from Austrains. Using the circuit board with a DCC decoder as intended, the 1.5 volt incandescent lamps will NOT be blown. For a description and operation of the circuit board for DC and DCC, click here.

 

Decoder Options:

Decoders with Current Regulators The front headlight circuit comprises of two 1.5 volt lamps wired in series, thus requiring 3.0 volts to illuminate both lamps brightly. The Digitrax DH163LO and the TCS A6X, both with capability to operate 1.5 volt lamps with their current regulators directly, may not illuminate the front headlight brightly. These two decoders will operate the loco but the headlights may not be as bright as normal.

 

  1. Use the fitted 44 circuit board and use a NCE D14SR or similar NMRA plug decoder and plug into the circuit board. This is my preferred method, no modifications required, the lights operate correctly and takes 10 minutes or so. See below D14SR installation notes.
  2. Rewire front two 1.5 volt lamps in parallel thus only requiring 1.5 volts and using either of the DH163LO or the A6X but determine how the regulator works. I will figure or try this out later.
  3. Spit up the front lights as item 2 above and operate the headlight with headlight selection (FOF & FOR) and the number board light with a 3rd function output. Depending on which decoder is used, you will have to fit voltage dropping resistors for the 1.5 volt lamps.
  4. Remove the circuit board altogether to allow decoder to fit on the motor, and wire lights either in series or parallel using a generic decoder using voltage dropping resistors..
  5. If installing a sound decoder, choice for determining the light wiring will depend on how many speakers are used, what and how many decoders and type of lights etc.
  6. If not fitting sound, options 2, 3 and 4 are TOO difficult, so use a NCE D14SR or similar as in option 1.

 

 

 

Removing the body of the 44/930

 

 

 

 

Removing the body shell.

 

As a precaution, remove plastic fuel tank cover by just pulling tank downwards.

 

Remove both couplers. Remove bogie air cylinder next to front staff exchanger.

 

Remove both staff exchangers boxes. This is a little tricky. With loco upside down on some sponge on the bench, hold with your left hand with your index finger on the pilot and your thumb a support for the screwdriver. Move bogie to ensure clearance. Holding screwdriver in right hand, prize out staff exchangers with the flat blade under the lip, being very careful not to damage the exchangers. It may be a little tight due it may be stuck to the body by the paint coatings.

 

For the 930, to remove the staff exchanger boxes, lever out the body then remove the boxes.

 

Don't hold any detail parts like the hand rails etc, they may break off.

 

 

 

 

Hold the loco by the fuel tank, be careful of the steps. With your right hand and applying a little pressure, pushing the body down with your thumb and index finger.

 

Supporting the loco with your left hand, with your thumb, prize body out adjacent to space between 2nd and 3rd axles where the small locating shoulders are placed.

 

Prize body out at the 4 places around the body and the loco mechanism should be released. You may have to free up the ends a little, due hanging up.

 

Both now separated, hopefully without damaging any detail parts, ready to work on.

 

 

 

 

Adding an NCE D14SR plug and play decoder.

 

 

 

 

Fitting an NCE D14SR decoder with the NMRA 8 pin receptacle or similar is easy.

 

Remove yellow suppression capacitor C1 and both red inductors L1 & L2. Install a link in place of the inductors or loco wont work. Operation with these suppression devices installed may be erratic at slow speed. See Suggestion: Locomotives With Filter Circuits at Alan Gartner's Wiring for DCC.

 

This DCC Ready P n P type of decoder requires no soldering at all, as this loco is completely DCC Ready with the headlight voltage dropping components (circuit board) staying with the loco, making the 1.5 volt lamps compatible with the decoder, not like on the NR or 442 locos.

 

Remove the 8 pin Jumper from the circuit board and store.

 

 

 

 

 

Trim the 8 pins on the top of the board, the yellow capacitor side, not the PIC side, for the DCC Ready plug, that can be seen in the photo on the left.

 

Trim as close to the solder joint using a small set of cutters.

 

The cutters are positioned on Pin 1 that is marked with a triangle.

 

This will ensure that the loco top does not contact the decoder and foul the decoder with the body installed.

 

 

 

 

Fit the D14SR or similar and ensure there is clearance between the inductor L2.

 

Make sure you orientate the D14SR the correct way and insert it in the 8 pins that are enclosed in the marked rectangular box and labelled P1 to P4 and P5 to P8.

 

Place the loco on the Program Track and attempt to program.

 

If you can program, everything is OK. Run loco and fit body.

 

And the lights work, without adding anything except a decoder. A real DCC Ready loco and after the top is off, takes only a couple of minutes. Any novice can do. The extra few dollars for a D14SR is worth it. See decoder types.

 

See adding a twin beam headlight to the 44/930 for a better headlight after fitting the twin beam rear lens that Trainorama is supplying to replace the original clear lens.

 

 

 

Sound for the 44

 

Loksound 3 with one Loksound 100 ohm speaker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·       Program decoder with 4 digit loco ID number.

 

$60.00 for sound using a Soundtraxx DSD-101LC. Try it, you’ll be impressed.

 

With a NCE D14SR decoder costing $34.50, a sound option would be taking advantage of the first generation noisy decoder that costs $94.50 from the  The Model Railroad Craftsman. That is sound for $60.00. This is great value in anyone's language.

 

Sure the NCE D14SR is a plug in decoder that takes a few minutes to fit with the body off and the DSD-100LC is decoder with a loose wire harness that requires soldering in. There had to be some catch. Most modellers will be able to handle this and if you are not sure, try and you will be surprised at your efforts when completed. It will take a little time, but that is free if you do it.

 

Using one of the supplied speakers and making a no frills, hot potch speaker enclosure, in fact a simple it will do approach, and with judicious use of Blu Tak to seal it. Nothing that an audiophile will approve of but your pocket will. You will be more than happy and with the results.

 

You can apply this rational to all your DCC locos, subtract the cost of the decoder that you would normally fit to a loco, from $65.00 and whats left is the price of sound for a diesel. You will have add the speaker and enclosure to this for all but the 44s and 930s.

 

The buzz/hum of a noisy motor control decoder in the 44 is quite acceptable and I am sure you will agree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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