Varieties of Common Tomix Lightboards / PCBs.

[Damo Jr.]

Hi Guys, 

Thank you for the welcome and i'm happy to be able to participate with all of you.    Wanting to be able to fit decoders more easily to Tomix, locos, diesel cars and electrics, I've been trying to work out how many different lighting PCBs Tomix use accross the range and make a data-base to share.

 

Currently, I'm mucking around with the 0726 board from an earlier DD51 loco and I know this fits the 2213, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 21.

 

So, this big questions is, what other single-piece PCB lighboards are shared between Tomix model numbers?

 

Thanks Guys,

Damo.

 

 

Edited July 27 by Damo Jr.

[chadbag]

Does Tomix use the light boards to actually distribute the power from the pickups to the motor?  Or do the lights just branch off at some point to the lightboard but aren't a convenient point to interject a motor decoder?

 

The one Tomix locomotive I've been working on (an EF210) seemed to not reply on the lightboard IIRC -- it was a split chassis sort but it has been a while since I worked on it and don't remember.

 

I'm interested as I have a few Tomix DD51 and DE10 and a few other though I mainly bought KATO locomotives due to their alsmot drop in decoder capabilities.

 

[Damo Jr.]

HI Chad,

For the Tomix locos I've pulled apart, the motor get's it's power direct from the the body and the lightboard only powers the lights, in the same manner.     Good news is that the motors are otherwise isolated and copper V springs make the connection between the body half and the motor terminal.

 

On the Kiha 40 type cars, the power gets to the motor via the lightboard, which uses copper springs, like the interior light boards.   Some of the older ones, usually those with incandescent globes, use copper strips, and are probably the easiest to get a decoder onto.

 

The recently released Tomix DD51's use a much smaller PCB and long light-tubes under the hoods, but have a better insulationg system between the body halves.   

[chadbag]

Thanks.

 

The only Tomix I have added decoders to are Shinkansen.  I have this EF210 that I've had partial success with but have not looked at in a long time.  It was working but not reliable and I forget why since it has been a long while since I looked at it.  Need to get back on it.

 

I do have an EMU from Tomix but have not looked at it yet  (JR 321).

 

[GeorgeHInch]

Following on to this: I'm doing something a little crazy and thinking of making a custom DCC PCB. I'm planning on adding it to the new release of KiHa40s and was curious if anyone has an idea of the number of Tomix light boards out there. 

 

I know Kato uses a handful that are shared across a fair number of models so that they can all take the same DCC drop in board. Not so clued in on what happens in the Tomix world when it comes to sharing parts.