Need some DCC help - 10-388 223 1000

[thebluecomet]

Purchased a 4 car Kato 10-388 223 1000, with 1 motor car.

On a sticker it said DCC #4

I cannot find where a DCC plug would go, and the train runs on analog.

Maybe it was just the lighting DCC? 

Please look at pictures and help.

 

 

[thebluecomet]

2 more pics

[katoftw]

Very old set. Probably isn't DCC ready like current sets.

[cteno4]

Someone has hand wired a decoder into the motor car. You would need to pull the shell off the motor car to see the decoder in there and verify it’s wired in and motor is isolated. You could see if your throttle recognizes the decoder.

 

jeff

[Wolf]

Does not look converted. Motortabs below white bracket dont seem isolated from the copper strip, and I hardly doubt the boogies are isolated instead.

[thebluecomet]

Thank you.

Cteno4, the 1st picture is the shell off the motorcar.

Wolf, should I remove white bracket, its doable, if its for naught let me know.

The puzzle to me is why would they tape a DCC arress in there?

 

Rick

[cteno4]

Sorry missed that. I agree with wolf, it does not appear the motor has been isolated from the copper conductor strips (usually would see a bulge and some wires) and I would expect the decoder to be above the seats (white cover) as there is very little room under the seats around the motor and drive shaft areas to put a decoder and wires.

 

You can pop the seat strip off, but it is a bit of a delicate removal and reassembly. Not horrible if you’ve done your share of taking trains apart. Usually start at one end an pry a pair of tabs up and sick a toothpick under the seats at the tabs to prevent them from reseating while you pop the next pair off. I just work along the chassis to the other end. Some have looser copper strips do be gentle removing. Always good if first time with a new type of chassis for you (or if it’s been a while) to snap some picts and keep orientations correct. One trick I do on mating pairs in chassises is to put a dot in a corner with a sharpie and a dot in the same place it mates to as some parts can be flipped and cause issues.

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[katoftw]

Could be there for a number of reasons.

 

It's just tape. So reason could be mistake.

[Wolf]

10 hours ago, thebluecomet said:

Wolf, should I remove white bracket, its doable, if its for naught let me know.

 

Nah, unless you just curious by now and want to use oppertunity to check all, no need. Like Jeff said, there is not enough space below the seating shell part to fit any decoder I know off. If you want to use oppertunity to try yourself, the usual way to dcc a motor like this would be

 

- remove motor pin holder

- isolate motor pins

- solder decoder wires to motor pins for output (usually grey and orange), and decoder wires for input (usually red and black) to the copper bar thingie. Check decoder manual for correct cable colors!

-reassemble, making sure contacts stay isolated

 

Soldering on the copper strips cam be some challenge, they dont take soldering too easy. I found that roughening them at a point a bit with a bit of grind makes soldering easier.

 

Also, the seating shell sits very tight, you might need to cut a bit to make sure you can run a wire there.

 

As for the sticker, we probably will never know unless you ask the seller. I could guess replacement of motorcar over the course of its lifetime, or replacement bookcase, or likely a combination of both in a way of "combining 2 dysfunctional sets" or something. Probably remain a mistery.

 

 

[chadbag]

For all your soldering needs try the fluxes from

 

https://hnflux.com/index.html

 

No connection except as a happy customer.  The copper rails aren't that hard to solder to (just try and remove any tarnish first if you can) but Tomix steel power bus rails are a real pita.   Not with the "Suprioer" flux from this place above.  Made it wicked easy (I can talk like that having grown up in New England).

 

[cteno4]

A little contact cleaner pen is your friend too. They are basically a pen with a tightly bound bundle of fine copper or stainless steel wires and you just rub the end on the surface to be soldered to and it’s like a mini wire brush. Cleans surface tarnish off and roughs up surface for better solder. And then a little dab of flux is great!

 

cheers,

 

jeff