Kato RhB Ge4/4 II DCC option

[Nozomi329]

Hello, I recently got a Kato 3102-2  RhB Ge4/4 II. I know that TCS K7D4 and Digitrax DN163K4A are supposed to work for this loco, but I found a friend who has a spare Digitrax decoder and it appears that the decoder, while working, cannot fit perfectly into the loco. The shell cannot fully close. He also has a TCS decoder, but just judging with eyes it doesn't look anywhere better than the digitrax one.

 

So has anyone tried to install these decoders? What's your experience? Did you encounter any problems? Or did you try anything else?

 

Thanks!

[Kiha66]

I believe I installed a DN163K4A in this model of locomotive a few years ago.  You may have to trim the light pipe slightly or make some other small modification to the interior, but I don't remember it being particularly troublesome. 

[Nozomi329]

34 minutes ago, Kiha66 said:

make some other small modification

How small? I was wondering if I have to remove the entire roof and cut off a large piece of plastic on the shell. And what tools do you use to trim the light pipes and stuff?

[Kiha66]

I believe the only modification was maybe trimming some of the light pipe, I don't remember having to cut anything else.  It's been a few years, but if you remove the light pipe you should be able to trim a few millimeters off using a sharp xacto knife or a good pair of flush cutters.

[Nozomi329]

OK...In case anyone else want to know in the future

There are two modifications one has to make. First is trimming the shorter light pipe, 2mm should be enough.

The other is to cut off this strange V shape thing on the roof.

[chadbag]

On 12/30/2021 at 5:15 PM, Nozomi329 said:

OK...In case anyone else want to know in the future

There are two modifications one has to make. First is trimming the shorter light pipe, 2mm should be enough.

The other is to cut off this strange V shape thing on the roof.

 

What is the strange V shaped thing you are talking about?

[Nozomi329]

3 hours ago, chadbag said:

 

What is the strange V shaped thing you are talking about?

Not quite V shape but more a "\_/" shape as it appears in the picture. A pretty obvious structure on the roof slightly behind cab door.

[chadbag]

20 hours ago, Nozomi329 said:

Not quite V shape but more a "\_/" shape as it appears in the picture. A pretty obvious structure on the roof slightly behind cab door.

 

Yeah, but what is it?  I can't tell from the pic but it almost looks like transparent plastic which would indicate to me, some sort of light "enhancer" or "spreader" or "diffuser"  (specialized light pipe type thing).

 

I need to dig out my GE 4/4 II and see what I did to install my TCS decoder

[Nozomi329]

4 hours ago, chadbag said:

it almost looks like transparent plastic

That's just the white mark left after I cut it off. It's molded with the shell so it was red. I think it's a light barrier, although I don't quite see there has to be one.

[Kiha66]

Glad the installation wasn't too difficult.  Very nice work!  Thank you for sharing the results on the forum so other members can refer to it in the future.