Easy DCC for Tomix Track Cleaning Cars

[The_Ghan]

New Generation is a small business in Japan that specialises in creating drop in decoders for various Japanese manufacturers.  They also have a drop in decoder for the Tomix track cleaning cars here.

 

I found this site by accident about a year ago.  I'd been reading a thread about modifying another decoder to fit - I think it was a German thread and I remember using Google Translate to get through it all.  When I stumbled onto New Generation I sent him an email.  He was out of stock at the time but I put in an order for 4.  He emailed me back about 6-8 weeks later to say that they were ready and I had them by about September.  Unfortunately I've not had time to install them and test them out yet.

[keitaro]

nice

 

question  cv61 on digi is transponding on off

these decoders say full american support and mention cv61 on the setting list

also these reverse polarity too

 

if this does transponding im on it

http://www.snjpn.com/ngdcc/df11/df11r4j.htm

[foxhsu]

I like their decoder, althought my 1st decoder for track cleaner was broken. New decoder also include Japanese switch loco function. But the yen is still too high.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Another way is to hard wire the decoder like this:

 

http://www.tcsdcc.com/public_html/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Tomix/Track%20Car/N_Tomix_Track_Car.pdf  Big file.

 

Then you are dealing with a company that's not so far away for warranty, for your locally purchased decoder brand.

[The_Ghan]

That link gave me a blank pdf file skip.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

nice

 

question  cv61 on digi is transponding on off

these decoders say full american support and mention cv61 on the setting list

also these reverse polarity too

 

if this does transponding im on it

http://www.snjpn.com/ngdcc/df11/df11r4j.htm

 

Sorry keitaro,

 

I think 側点灯 = side lighting.  What would use side lighting?

 

No transponding on that decoder.   :BangHead:

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Guest Closed Account 1]

That link gave me a blank pdf file skip.

 

Patience young Jedi, it's a very heavy file that takes a bit to load.

 

I received my Tomix 6422 CL Skeleton (Smoke Black).

 

Replaced the Rapido Couplers and springs with Short Shank Knuckle Coupler 923500 and the beefy Kato 923511 coil springs.

 

Coupler height is right on the money.

[The_Ghan]

Got a photo of the finished product?

 

Personally, I like the TN coupler.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Nothing special to show. I did not install the magnetic coupler piece.

 

Below is a pic of the coupler coupled to the coupler height gauge.

 

When someone is ordering the DCC boards in the USA, contact me offline because I want 2 for plugin 6-pin Decoder. Thanks.

[The_Ghan]

That looks nice Skip'

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Can you show us a pic of 2 TN couplers mated?

 

It looks to be a more robust system. Wonder which would fail first the N Gauge TN or Knuckle.

 

I was using what I had and what is prototypical for my region.

[The_Ghan]

Actually skip'

 

I wasn't joking.  Despite my preference for TN the knuckle looks really cool on a track cleaning car.  I'm thinking of making a consist of locos and track cleaners with knuckle couplers now ... and your close up photo makes it look as though there is actually grease on that coupler too.

 

Great work mate.

 

BTW, I was playing around with the Tomix E1 you helped me out with last night.  Geez, you were a lifesaver there, mate.  One of my favourite models.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Oh thanks, really.

 

When you need something from the States, I'll ship it to you.

 

Yeah I have a CMX cleaner that will trail the Tomix. Next month I'll get an Aztec and run it dry.

 

Then I'll have the top 3 cleaning cars doing the job.

 

The CMX is using Kato material car trucks. Runs so much smoother now.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Does anyone have one of these decoders or the digitalzentrale nem651 decoder-less (decoder not included) board to sell?

 

I just opened mine up to see if the shortened wires of an old DZ125 will fit.  

 

Then it dawned on me while removing the board.

 

Why are we even bothering with the stock board when we are simply intercepting the track power to the motor?

 

One-Way motor control. Just use the decoder to do the work of the board.

 

There are depressions in the motor side lower weights that are good paces to solder for track power. Kapstan tape the upper weight or cut out a piece of plastic to isolate it from the lower weight. No contact springs need now.

 

Solder decoder motor wires. Program it and your finished.

 

I'll have time tomorrow to do this install and report back.

[foxhsu]

Using a decoder because you dont want it keep spin on the track while it's parking. Of course, you can take it off of track when you dont need it.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Just program the motor function to be assigned to a button function like 0 for example. Your choice.

 

Or start the speed steps at 12. Everything under that is off.

[inobu]

Skipper,

 

Consist the cleaner with the lead engine that way the cleaning car is a function of the lead engine.

 

 

Inobu

[Guest Closed Account 1]

So many options with DCC.

 

Thanks Inobu.

 

Silly question: Which way does the motor spin?  

 

I did not mark the motor before it was removed. In the can there is a divot on one side and under the can there is a round divot.  Cannot really tell with the 9V battery which way blows more air.

 

Lol. On DC the motor will reverse with car direction. So not really a vacuum.

[CaptOblivious]

Lol. On DC the motor will reverse with car direction. So not really a vacuum.

 

Actually, no. The DC power is rectified on the stock board so that the motor will always turn the same direction regardless of the throttle setting. Unfortunately, I do not know what direction that should be, although the various bits and bobs look perfectly symmetrical, so you would think it doesn't really matter…

[Guest Closed Account 1]

Does anyone have a preference to which style aftermarket decoder for the Tomix CL?

 

http://www.digitalzentrale.de  #530070 14.25 Euro + 7 Euro for DHL to USA (add your own 6-pin decoder)

http://www.snjpn.com          #DF4.6tcl 2600 Yen + 1200yen for EMS to USA (complete drop-in decoder)

 

I'm favoring the digitalzentrale because it's just a board and I can replace a burnt decoder in a jiffy without sending it overseas.

 

Pictures can be seen on a famous N Scale Blog: http://www.quinntopia.com/2009/10/failure-sometimes-i-hate-dcc-or-tomix.html

 

Would anyone like to buy one when I order some?

[Martijn Meerts]

I've used the Digitalzentrale replacement board in 2 of the cleaners I have. They work just fine, just a bit expensive considering it's a rather simple pcboard :)

 

1 thing you'll want to do pretty much immediately, is lower the top speed in the decoder settings. The Tomix cleaner motor burns out REALLY fast when run on DCC at high speeds.

[Ochanomizu]

New Generation is popular in Japan.

 

http://www.snjpn.com/ngdcc/df4tcl/df4_5tclj.htm

 

We use it successfully.

[inobu]

Well, Atlas makes these for Tomix I believe and I think they are all the same. Here's what I know.

 

The board regulates power to the motor. The capacitor feeds the motor at a regulated voltage. When the switch is turned to CL the voltage increases

based on track power. When the board is replaced with a decoder this protection is lost and one must set up the speed table to mimic the boards output.

 

Quin was on the right track with the DZ125.

 

I think the D64 chip on the board has two inputs and two outputs. The switch taps the second output to the first to create the CL voltage to the motor.

 

In order to have the three modes of operation (Off,On and CL) the inputs to the chip legs need to be divided.

 

The board uses track voltage and then regulates it. Using the function/light voltage to power the boards pickup and splitting the trace on the board should create two  separate inputs to the chip. Feeding the two inputs with different wires White and Yellow from the decoder should give you control over the "On' and "CL" voltage. Off is Off for everything. This way the board operates as designed. The only difference is the decoder is providing the DC/track voltage based on the control lamp/function command.

 

Install.

 

Kapton tape to isolate the board from the pickup.

 

I would remove the front weight in order to place the z125 then use lead to make up for the space difference and weight.

 

Magnet wire to run power back to the board.

 

Inobu

[Ochanomizu]

I never heard that the Tomix track cleaning car was made by Atlas.  I shall check with my supplier about this fact.  I know that Tomix track cleaning car 6421 was released in 2001.  I heard that Atlas released their product in 2004.  So my guess was actually the other way around.  I find this curious as I didn't know Tomy had such a relationship with Atlas. Please if you can provide further informations.

[Martijn Meerts]

Not sure who makes them, but it's Tomix that holds the license/patents (if any) on them. When Dapol wanted to make an H0 version, they had to deal with Tomix to get permissions and all that.