KATO 7009-2 "DF50" with NGDCC DE29x2K 16V

October 25, 2022

Today I converted my Kato DF50 (#7009-2) to have a more "proper" Early 60s Loco for some old JNR Cargo Setups ^^

Lazy Bum I usually am, I decided to go for a pre-made replacement Board by NGDCC. I still want to share the steps I did for anyone curious to see if it is easy or not.

First, we remove the top shell of the Loco, and find the stock installed lighting board on top.

remove it by carefully taking off the holding tab (grey) in the middle of the board, then gently slide it out of a small notch on the other side. Its not held down by any other means.

To check for measures, I placed the NGDCC board next to the stock one, luckily no length adjustments where needed.

As NGDCC boards come with NO LIGHTS fitted, one has to choose to either solder completely new ones on the board, or re-use the ones that came with the stock board. Well, or to simply have no lights at all. I decided to re-use the existing ones.

Personally I made it a habit of mine to check for the polarity of any LED I use. Especially on SMD LEDs its normally not needed, but who knows. You can check LED Polarity with a Multimeter tool with the resistance check setting (the one that "beeps" when you close a circuit). The LED will light up faintly when you hit the polarity correct (So + to Red and Black to - ) and not break if you hit it the wrong side. I usually mark the + side with a red marker or something, just to make sure.

As the original LEDs on the stock board were on the underside, I have to solder them on the underside of the NGDCC Board as well. Luckily NGDCC Boards come with LED connection points on both sides of the board, as well as switching polarity on the underside (as by SMD standard, hence technically my red dot is not needed).

Once you soldered the LED on the decoder, its already time to put it in the loco. Make sure you put it in so that the motor tabs do hit the copper contacts on the decoders underside!

Once you slid it in and installed the grey holding tab again, thats already all there was to do!

Put the outer shell back on, and voila, DCC conversion already done!

Hope this is usefull to anyone considering ordering pre-made boards, or anyone struggling if they are able to use them.

Cheers