DCC for Kato Subway Trains

[gavino200]

Can anyone tell me if it's possible to fit any Kato subway train models with DCC?

 

I have these in mind but would be open to any subway train that can be fitted with DCC. Suggestions would be welcome

 

Marunouchi Line Subway 500.300 6 N Gauge Form 10-1109

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kato-Both-Sets-Marunouchi-Line-Subway-500-300-6-N-Gauge-Form-10-1109-/142209442600?hash=item211c57e328:g:rDYAAOSw6DtYToUj

 

or

 

Kato 10-877 Tokyo Metro Subway Series 16000 Chiyoda Line 6 Cars Set (N scale)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kato-10-877-Tokyo-Metro-Subway-Series-16000-Chiyoda-Line-6-Cars-Set-N-scale-/351913900007?hash=item51efb3f7e7:g:XeAAAOSwZjJU5rAT

 

I'd also be open to non Kato. Kato is just what I know best. 

Are any subway trains DCC friendly? DCC convertible? My conversion skills are beginner/intermediate. 

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

10-877 is a "yes". The Kato EM13 decoder for the motor and a pair of FL12 decoders for the cab lights can be fitted easily.

[Ewan.in.gz]

According to last year's KATO Japanese catalogue, only the cab cars can accept FL12 decoders. Maybe the motor cars need a custom conversion.

[westfalen]

The Marunouchi Line train will take FL12s in the cab cars but I had to hard wire the motor car although it wasn't too hard.  The motor car mechanism looks like they started to design it for the EM13 but decided it wouldn't fit.

[gavino200]

The Marunouchi Line train will take FL12s in the cab cars but I had to hard wire the motor car although it wasn't too hard.  The motor car mechanism looks like they started to design it for the EM13 but decided it wouldn't fit.

Thanks. What decoder did you use?

[kvp]

I would suggest digitrax N wired decoders or just an em13 wired with 4 pieces of decoder wire and the long contact arms cut of.

[westfalen]

Thanks. What decoder did you use?

Without pulling the shell off I can't remember but as kvp says I think it was one of the small Digitrax wired decoders, any decoder would do though.

[Takahama Trainwatcher]

In the Kato catalogue, the following symbol indicates DCC-friendly, meaning FL12 decoders can be used for the front and rear lights, and an EM13 decoder can be used for the motor.

Subway trains of Kato that fall into this category include:

10-866/10-867

10-877/10-878

10-1143/10-1144

10-1246

10-1259/10-1260/10-1261

10-1256/10-1257/10-1258

10-1259/10-1260/10-1261

10-1294 (hopefully)

10-1400/10-1401/10-1402 (apparently)

10-1403 (apparently)

 

 

The symbol below with the bracketed text kind of means "quasi" DCC-friendly, meaning FL12 decoders can be used for the front and rear lights, but an EM13 decoder won't fit for the motor, so you'd need to use a different motor decoder (as suggested by Westfalen and KVP).

Subway trains of Kato that fall into this category include:

10-864

10-1109

10-1126

10-1134/10-1135

10-1249/10-1250

Edited December 23, 2016 by Takahama Trainwatcher

[inobu]

I don't mean to be stereotyping but I have not run into one "DCC friendly" train. They have all been some what defiant in one form or another. 

I'm just saying.

 

Inobu

[kvp]

Most Tomytec ones are DCC friendly. You have solder tabs on the motors and pickup strips. Some Kato units are friendly that there are drop in DCC decoder exchange boards for them. Wiring a decoder in would be harder for these. The hardest are the old half frame units, while the easiest are ones using horizontal pickup strips with plastic frames.

[quinntopia]

I've been attempting this lately.   I think I'm a bit out of practice as I've been having issues.. I was successful in wiring a decoder to my first 10-864 Ginza Set, but on my second one, I have been continually frustrated. I'm also working on installing a decoder into a 10-1184 Marunouchi as well. As pointed out above, do not even thing of installing an EM13 - at least not the 'easy way'.  You will need to hard wire the decoder.

 

Sumida Crossing has some helpful photos of various subways as well.

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/Collection/ModelSubwayTrains/

[inobu]

I've been attempting this lately.   I think I'm a bit out of practice as I've been having issues.. I was successful in wiring a decoder to my first 10-864 Ginza Set, but on my second one, I have been continually frustrated. I'm also working on installing a decoder into a 10-1184 Marunouchi as well. As pointed out above, do not even thing of installing an EM13 - at least not the 'easy way'.  You will need to hard wire the decoder.

 

Sumida Crossing has some helpful photos of various subways as well.

http://www.sumidacrossing.org/Collection/ModelSubwayTrains/

Post up a pic of what you got going on, it always interesting to see what you are doing.

 

Inobu

 

 

Never mind..............lol I forgot who it was...................Most informative site in the world....lol

Edited March 20, 2017 by inobu

[inobu]

This is funny.

 

Last week I was recovering a bunch of NCE decoders and put these off to the side. Today I finished them up and thought the

8 pin configuration could be good for something so I'll remove the wires. I wondered what would this be good for and though something will come up. .

 

Then I happened on this post and ask to post up a picture.......this is why

 

 

 

I think it is possible to solder the motor leads with solid wire to support the decoder. Doing the same with the

track leads on the top side. 

 

The  Digitrax DZ125/DZ126 is smaller but the wire could prove to be cumbersome. 

 

Here they are side by side.

 

 

 

the pin count in a U shape. Pin 1 is upper right. pin 8 is upper left. Motor leads are 1 and 5. Track leads are 8 and 4.

 

Based on the image you might be able to suspend it toward the ceiling

 

 

 

Inobu

Edited March 20, 2017 by inobu

[kvp]

I would always suggest to use a socket if possible. It's possible to get 6 pin sockets with wires and soldering those into the motor car is both easier to get right (you can test the car in anlog and with a multimeter before final assembly) and easier to service later. Then this new socket could take a standard 6 pin decoder or an analog plug for testing/analog runing.

 

Inobu's idea of a roof mounted decoder could be done with this wired socket too as using doubble sided tape to fix the decoder to the roof is possible, and it remains unpluggable from the chassis when removing the shell. For a motor car, only 4 wires would go between the chassis and the decoder. If you have a light board installed, then piggybacking the decoder onto it (and connecting it at the pickups) and only routing the two motor wires down is also an option.